Promotors - finding the happy medium.

Just been mulling over something as a result of Rodders' highly controversial and intentionally inflammatory "Calzaghe Appreciation" thread (for shame Rodders!!)

Calzaghe's lack of ambition has oft been cited as a reason for him not taking the big fights and yet I feel it was more down to Warren giving him so many easy/soft defences that JC was happy to stay in that comfort zone. Warren was guilty of doing the same with Hatton and Khan and to a lesser degree the likes of Enzo Macc, Cleverley and DeGale.

On the flip side of that coin, we have the likes of John Murray who, through the seemingly endless ineptitude of his promotor, can't BUY a meaningful fight these days no matter how much he craves one and Carl Froch who clearly deserves to have been showcased to a wider audience much MUCH sooner than he has.

Where is the happy medium re promotion for British fighters? On the one hand we have talented fighters destined to fritter away their careers fighting "world ranked" opponents in "World Title" fights when in all honesty, they'd struggle to be considered for Commonwealth title shots and then we have talented fighters stifled by their promotor's lack of ambition and/or influence/pull/clout. Also on the freakish THIRD hand, we have fighters being fast-tracked to success without having paid thier dues or served their apprenticeship.

One promotor/fighter combination which comes to mind as having done things correctly is the recent Frank Maloney/Rendall Munroe partnership where Maloney managed to get his man a much deserved shot at a genuine world title.

So, the question is...which promotor seems to have got the balance right and which fighter has benefitted best (although not necessarily in a financial sense)?

Dave I'm deleting my original comment, I apologise didn't read the British theme, I got carried away.

Please dont let me type anything modern again please, I'm exceptionally out of my depth, I shall return to my time machine.

I think Bruno was a beautifully managed / promoted fighter from modern times. A game competitor but limited and always likely to come undone at the highest level, and yet secured plenty of big pay days, had a mix of 'steady' fights and 'mega' ones, garnered a huge public profile and following and (eventually) won a legitimate world title.

Seems to have had the glamour fights, tough-ish pedigree fights without facing too many walkovers. A PPV star in a foreign country?
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Problem for me Jimmy is that in his two biggest fights, Cotto has been given a sound beating and even this weekend against a way past his sell-by date Mayorga, was on the wrong end of a couple of heavy shots.

I think the drubbing he rec'd at the hands of or both Margarito and Manny has, right or wrong (and however controversial the circumstances,) pushed Cotto down below the truly elite level and, if you want to relate it back to the soundness of his promotion, you'd have to ask why he was nudged towards signing for a catchweight contest with Manny if it wasn't purely to make him something of a sacrificial lamb. Surely a decent promotor would have ensured that a WW contest for a WW title was fought at the WW limit.

Anyway, with regard to my article I was think more of British promotors but obviously welcome any and all input.

David Haye for me has been managed well. Got European title and defended it a few times then went for world honours. Doesn't waste time defending against sub standard opposition either he's straight after other champions. Also he's done it with a limited number of fights which I think has benefited him as he has less miles on the clock compared to someone like Hatton who had nearly 40 fights before he got his chance.

Doesn't waste time defending against sub standard opposition
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Sorry mate, but even as a MASSIVE fan of David Haye, I think the words "Audley" and "Harrison" blow that argument right out of the water

GoldenBoy fighters are generally paired up with hard but winnable fights e.g. mares and khan; and anyone who signs with them; their stock instantly rises.

Also Zab Judah has been matched well since his comeback and Adamek at cruiserweight, I think they have the promoter, duva or something like that?

Dave-with regards Cotto being pushed by his own management to sign to the catchweight, there is something decidedly suspect about promoters who will sacrifice one of their charges to build another. I know it's sometimes inevitable, but it does give the impression that the result has been determined long before the first bell. Degale-Smith is another example. There are some fights like these where it seems overly apparent who the winner is intended to be. With Maidana-Khan though I was of the impression that GBP would have been happy with either guy winning.

Think the tragedy is Dave when we get a promoter over here who seems to share the fans view of how things should be done he is met with crushing ambivalence from the TV companies. I am talking about Hennessy, seems to want to take his fighters the traditional route, British Commonwealth Euro and then major title and also seems to match his guys tough and cannot buy a deal with a proper TV company.

You have to feel for the guy, he must wonder why he bothers, tries to do it right and because the TV company turns their back on him finds himself losing guys he has put work in with such as Murray and now Barker.

Promotion has always been a shady business measured on fine lines. I adopt the view that there is no such thing as a perfect promoter because simply put, there are too many different interests at stake which are largely conflicting.

Nowadays, it seems to have reached a real low as the numerous weight divisions and titles have made it all too eay to manufacture a career and promoters seem less intereted than ever in delivering value to the fans.

We have always had murky promoters whether it be mafia related, gambling related or right up to the infamous Don King. But these guys realised that it was about providing a product and giving fans matches they wanted to see. Don King may have operated on the fringe of legality, but he knew what the public wanted and he was prepared to deliver it by all and any means.

Jeff, I think you must be one of the few who is actually sympathetic to Hennessey's plight. Due to Froch's lack of mainstream exposure...not to mention having to defending HIS title on foreign soil on two occasions...most people seem to think that Mick couldn't get laid in a free brothel, such is the vastness of his ineptitude.

DAVE667 wrote:Doesn't waste time defending against sub standard opposition
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Sorry mate, but even as a MASSIVE fan of David Haye, I think the words "Audley" and "Harrison" blow that argument right out of the water

Audley is one poor defence granted but that wouldn't have happened if the Klitschko fight would have came off earlier. It's not like he spent years knocking over the Tocker Pudwills of this world.

Dave the guy is obviously doing something wrong no question but have to feel sorry for him. We all moan when we see guys chasing joke titles and then taking years before they fight anyone with a pulse and then when someone comes along who seems to share the fans views on how things should be done and tries to do things right he meets nothing but ambivalenvce.

bellchees wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Doesn't waste time defending against sub standard opposition
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Sorry mate, but even as a MASSIVE fan of David Haye, I think the words "Audley" and "Harrison" blow that argument right out of the water

Audley is one poor defence granted but that wouldn't have happened if the Klitschko fight would have came off earlier. It's not like he spent years knocking over the Tocker Pudwills of this world.

Sorry matey - but until THIS last week, Haye's HW reign has been a breath of hot, stale, sulphorous air. Ruiz, Valuev, Barrett and Harrison is not a resume that will echo down the ages.

That said, if he cleans up against Wlad - all will be forgiven

oxring wrote:

bellchees wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Doesn't waste time defending against sub standard opposition
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Sorry mate, but even as a MASSIVE fan of David Haye, I think the words "Audley" and "Harrison" blow that argument right out of the water

Audley is one poor defence granted but that wouldn't have happened if the Klitschko fight would have came off earlier. It's not like he spent years knocking over the Tocker Pudwills of this world.

Sorry matey - but until THIS last week, Haye's HW reign has been a breath of hot, stale, sulphorous air. Ruiz, Valuev, Barrett and Harrison is not a resume that will echo down the ages.

That said, if he cleans up against Wlad - all will be forgiven

Well Barrett was a tester at heavyweight, nothing special but a sensible idea. Valuev was a title holder so that's a necessary win and good performance if you consider Haye broke his hand early as well. I could be wrong here but I thought Ruiz used one of his seemingly endless free WBA heavyweight title shot cards that only he possesses and Haye had to fight him, and Audley was a just for money. Most British champions have a lot more meaningless fights than that. I think Haye found the right balance.