Interesting article focused on how to entice some of America's wealth of talent, off the football & baseball fields and basketball courts and into the ring. It's a lil' lengthy, but definitely worth the read. Thoughts?


http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/0...the-fight-game/

We could start off by not screwing the athletes that are in boxing.

i am very familiar with the program and i've watched them do their thing since the very beginning. i was a skeptic in the beginning....but they turned me into a believer. their staff is amazing...and they're churning out real fighters. it's only a matter of time.

Check, as always, a good starting point. lol!!!

You don't have to sale huge ppv and gate numbers to make millions in other sports. That's the main reason why they are shying away from boxing.

True...but that's boxing's own fault. Rather than keep the network "ties" strong, they abandoned it all for pay cable and PPVs.

It seems some promoters are going back to the networks, but boxing doesn't have enough perks to lure more athletes.

THIS! Boxing is arguably the most life threatening sport there is. If you want to entice people to leave other safer sports, you have to at least sweeten the pot. Nobody is going to chose getting beat in the head in AND out of the ring. You have to make the stakes more lucrative. Boxing also needs to showcase guys like Mayweather who are sound businessmen, instead of making it seem like having your money in order is some sort of indictment on boxing. When, historically, your best fighters oft end their career with empty pockets, it doesn't exactly scream "this is a great profession to have."

I think Boxers need to start hiring agents. Manny needs a Drew Rosehaus type asshole who isn't going to take anything less than top dollar from Bob Arum.

When I saw the picture of the guy in the article and started reading it, I got this idea of some New World Order, hostile takeover-type plan. Lol. Glad I kept reading though...

Maybe I felt that way because Im used to shifty/no structure in the business portion of the sport, lol. It's almost like one of those "get in and get out" deals...something along the lines of the dope game.

The big guys in the game, live the flashy lifestyle, then either end up dead, in jail, or on that drug. In boxing, you live the high life, and either end up broke, brain damaged, or still fighting when its obvious that you need to hang 'em up...or the extreme...the combination of the 3 (Meldrick Taylor, Holyfield).

Anyhow, as Franchize mentioned, the boxing business makes it seem like some type of taboo if a fighter has their money & business in order, refuses to get fucked, and cares whether or not they can string along an Elementary level sentence when they hang 'em up.

THIS part stuck out for me...



This is essential in our sport, and that shit is lacking BIG TIME! If I remember correctly, the NFL was going through that nasty bargaining agreement, but ended up making sure that everybody was taken care of. NFLPA Discretionary use of $20M per year for health, safety and former player issues is what I believe will take care of former player with on-going health issues (somebody help me out here).

Anyhow, boxing needs to follow some type of platform, because it is indeed a barbaric sport. The sad thing is, casual fans (and even some hardcore fans) could give a shit about the fighter's health, they just want to see "knockouts". Sometimes I could care less myself, because of the money that some of these guys make. The Golden Rule in boxing is "Protect Yourself At All Times", and anybody nowadays that steps in the ring should know that it applies in AND out of the ring.

Definitely interesting. Thanks for posting.

I have some criticisms of the article, but whatever.

Overall, yeah I agree. Boxing needs more structure and investment for the careers of the boxers, their trainers, assistants and the ring officials.

The NBCSports HW fiesta tomorrow's a good look for boxing and Jennings is young and talented.

I don't think enough can be said about the lack of apprenticeship in Boxing. All the great boxer's came from some type of lineage in boxing. Skills that have been cultivated and refined by pugilist and true students of the game. Boxing was once an art. Now, so many fighters are just wastes of raw athleticism. I honestly believe it's because, unless you're fortunate enough to have some type of conection with Teddy Atlas, Manny Steward and Kronk, the Mayweathers, Freddy Roach and Wild Card etc, you aren't getting proper tutelage. I'm not trying to begrudge these noble trainers for quitting their profession to help disadvantaged youth find a positive outlet to release their aggression. However, if you don't have the proper knowledge of the sport, when your fighter gets of a certain skill level, you have to refer him to a higher quality trainer. It's cool to be loyal, but too many young fighters are getting clipped off before they can reach their full potential and before they get that huge pay day. Fighters are so devoid of fundamentals that even tune up fights aren't as predictable as they used to be. Do upsets make for great parody? Absolutely! But it should not be the norm. When top, undefeated guys are getting beat by ungerdogs with very little upside on a regular basis, it's no longer exciting; It just speaks to the lack of skill in the sport.

There's a difference between talent and skill. When you employ trainers who lack a lot of boxing knowledge, they tend to mistake talent for skill. When you mistake talent for skill, it usually gets you knocked the fuck out. Getting knocked the fuck out keeps you from getting lucrative pay days and notoriety. Lack of notoriety leads to apathy of your peer group toward the sport. Apathy of your peer group leads to a minimization of the pool of talented athletes. Minimization of the pool of athletes leads to the decline of the sport. Don't employ trainers who lack boxing knowledge. lol

excellent post!!! the bolded sounded like a commercial.

i totally agree with everything said. michael king makes a very valid point about apprenticeship in boxing. his program is a solid one that should be duplicated throughout the country. it has proven to be successful and will produce champions, i'm sure.

Its the direct tv commercial lol "Dont end up in a road side ditch"

It will probably take former boxers to make such programs gain popularity. Unfortunately, most of them wont have the funds to sustain said venture because theyre being buttfucked by the Bob Arums of the world who believe every cornerman not named Roach are the enemy.

Professor is a baaaaad man (Cassius Clay voice)

on their coaching staff they have simon brown, henry tillman, john bray, manny robles and prentiss bird who runs it. i think that is a solid line up. the ppl who finance that program are not casual fans. they're die-hards who understand the sport inside and out. if their superheavy wins gold...i can't see the program going away anytime soon.

rumble young man rumble!!! aaaaaaah!!!!