Promoter's Problems

[TD]

Just read Jerry Hoffman's letter on WBAN. From what I know, Jerry is a talented promoter that puts on very good shows and has a large local fan base following his shows. All of which speak well for Jerry's talent as a promoter. That's his job- get the fans foaming at the mouth/wallet for local competitive fights.

But Jerry also speaks about Women's boxing being in a kind of a "recession". It's hard to book fighters for any number of reasons that Jerry sort of goes over but in no real order of importance.

It all points to one thing; MONEY. Sure, a few fighters are making a good living in the ring. Laila Ali, Mia St. John,Christy Martin, Lucia and Halmich...but now the "herd" gets thinned out...you have some fighters that can get a fight for decent money ONCE in a while...this list includes everybody who fights the top names...after that, there is the rest of the sport that gets treated like FILL IN THE BLANK.

Face it, not enough women don't make enough money to justify spending the time it takes to build a career to grow a professional base for promoters to go to when they need to fill slots on cards. Kinda like what Jerry is trying to fill.

What needs to change? MONEY. BIG MONEY. With one fight Lucia and Christy could have changed the perception of the sport. Women could have dreamed of a million dollar purse if Christy or Lucia had won that.

Here's what really odd about that... not many promoters wanted to see Lucia and Christy fight for a million dollars. Why? Many feared that it would drive up their costs when they had to put up a purse.

I think Lucia and Christy would have done one other thing that would have paved the way for every other fighter out there; they would have fought their asses off trying to KO each other. That's what fans want. Not another Ali walk over. Not another St. John track meet. Not another halmich rig job.

Fans want killer-thriller fights. Nothing less.

I have to laugh at some "minds" that come on here and say, "not every fight can be a war"...really, well it is a LOSING WAR for the mismatched fighter that gets knocked out easily. Oh, that war...well that's OK, that's my girl basically beating the hell out of a lady that didn't know better. So its a mutual WAR that the promoter isn't sure about the outcome for HIS lady, that's what he talks about when he is worried about a WAR. Every mismatch is a one sided war.

So Jerry, take it to the next level. Get some TV support and build the purses. Ladies love promoters that pay them more that the Schlub promoter that feeds them BS about building a career for peanuts. Ladies will sign on the line for a better payday. Put on better fights, up the cost of each seat. Promote that NEW level of action.

Build the fans base, snag a TV deal, keeping expanding and one day think about putting a million dollars on the table for Ali-Wolfe. If that fight ain't promotable, there ain't no fight that is.

The milion dollar pay day is every fighters dream. Ali and Frazier did it way back when...then fan enthusiasm exploded. Promoters rode that wave. Fighters made more and before you knew it, all the BIG names were making a million dollars. And that changes everything.

I wish Jerry the best of luck!

TD

[Tachany Evans]

If someone is truely interested in a television deal, I have a phone number to a station in Arkansas that was anxious to do a boxing show on their network. Last time I spoke with them, they were willing to sell 30 second and 1 minute airtime slots for advertising, to help pay for the purses.

[marcel]

Jerry taking it to the next level? I don't think he would even want that. The man does one show a year! But at least an excellent one.

[TD]

marcel said:

Jerry taking it to the next level? I don't think he would even want that. The man does one show a year! But at least an excellent one.

Jerry had put on 20 back to back SELL OUTS. I doubt the man "does one show a year".

Irregardless, he is selling out a venue time in and time out. Obviously he is giving fans in that area what they want. And its NOT exactly a crowded area.

Point being, Jerry knows a good card from a bad one, and he knows how to sell a card.
So yes, that would make him a possible for the NEXT LEVEL.

Somebody is going to put a MILL on the table for Wolfe- Ali one of these days, and that will change everything.

TD

[marcel]

td said:

marcel said:

Jerry taking it to the next level? I don't think he would even want that. The man does one show a year! But at least an excellent one.

Jerry had put on 20 back to back SELL OUTS. I doubt the man "does one show a year".

So how many does he do a year Tom?

Yes, he knows a good from a bad show and he is an excellent promoter.

[TD]

marcel said:

td said:

Jerry had put on 20 back to back SELL OUTS. I doubt the man "does one show a year".

So how many does he do a year Tom?

Yes, he knows a good from a bad show and he is an excellent promoter.

Marcel...duh, ah 20 shows...starting in 1996...ah, gee, I dunno. Camon Marcel, you know how many he has put on 20 ! 20 Sell outs! The man knows a fight when he signs up the two fighters!

If he had 4 fight cards a year, he would be AT the next level and TV/CABLE product buyers would be coming to him. That allows him to build better matchs that are TV CABLE worthy. That would be going to the next level.

Locally, he would have to move OFF the coast and INTO San Jose where you have large market. But as I read Jerry's plea for fighters, I understood his need for talent to take his offer. And which happens first? Great talent takes a so -so offer or a Great offer is jumped on by great talent. Local promoters always have trouble with Great Offer-Great Talent. So the next level is the obvious route.

I think Jerry could do that. He knows talent. He knows promotion. He knows the sport. What he needs is the venue w/ TV tie in. Now I have no idea if he wants to do that.

But look at Jen Alcorn's popularity in Fresno...she packed a casino and eventually that promoter did take it to the next level, TV-Cable. Only problem, Jen retired early IMO. And Jessica has stepped in. But Jessica has a classic problem; worthy-known-charismatic opponent shortage!

TD

[marcel]

I know how many he has put on....you only said: " I doubt the man "does one show a year".

Hoffman doesn't need any lessons in promoting nor in finding talent or finding tv. He had Johnston and Mosley on his shows as well as Guidi. I think he is just not too keen on doing too many shows.

[TD]

marcel said:

I know how many he has put on....you only said: " I doubt the man "does one show a year".

Hoffman doesn't need any lessons in promoting nor in finding talent or finding tv. He had Johnston and Mosley on his shows as well as Guidi. I think he is just not too keen on doing too many shows.

Marcel, YOU asked me how many he did a year. I doubted it was ONE a year. It is MORE than one a year.

Bottom line, Jerry should take it to the next level.


As he found out, women won't fight for peanuts. And since the supply of women fighters is so low and the demand somewhat higher, women should be paid more then men. That is until you look at the main eventers, the draws. The fighter(s) that bring out the crowd.

Only a few women can to that; the punch-pusher from germany is one but only in germany. Halmich in American wouldn't fill a mini-van or 40. Ali can put fans in their seats. Martin can and Lucia and as strange as it is, Mia can but nowhere near as much as she thinks she can.

TD

[marcel]

sighhhh...yes I did ask you how many he does a year after you doubted the man did one show a year. But ok....

I agree Halmich couldn't fill a mini-van in the US. Same goes for Martin in Europe. And Lucia can't fill a van in either country as you have seen. She can fill an arena if she was gonna kick in Holland.

Ali can fill arena's all over the world now.

[TD]

Marcel...I doubted it was JUST one a year, meaning MORE than one.

Martin would fill seats in europe. Halmich filling seats is a joke, anywhere, but never far from her "helpers". The fix is always IN for her.

How do you rate saying Lucia couldn't fill a van in either country? What was the OTHER countries besides the USA and Holland?

You think if some German promoter was willing to put up the cash, that the german fans would NOT turn out to see her? Marcel, you don't really think that...I know that!

She made Ali look like a woose. Ali was stumbling-bumbling- not rumbling with excuses why she didn't want to make more money fighting Lucia than she did fighting Christy. When was the last time you heard that? Big ranked fighter with 20-30 pound weight advantage turns down big money for fight with smaller fighter?

I would not pay to see Ali fight another NOVICE even if I had YOUR credit card.

Now, if she finds the guts to face Lucia or Anne Wolfe, then I would pay to see those fights. But that's it for Ali. She ain't following in her old man's shoes. The Great Ali fought everybody. Ken Norten hit him with some shots that would have felled a moose, Ali rematched him. Gotta love that guy! Hell, Laila won't even get near Jacqui let alone Lucia.

TD

[marcel]

Tom, I will tell you one more time, as I live in Europe and am involved in women's boxing here: NOBODY knows Martin in Europe and in Germany nobody knows the boxer Rijker. A handfull know the kicker Rijker. Bu kicking is not that big in Germany. So Rijker couldn't fill a van in Germany. The promoters there knew that because they didn't give her a contract while taking 6 other girls on board at the same time. Hell, even in Holland the boxer Rijker didn't put that many fans in the seats and attracted only ONE question at the pre fight press conference against Sunshine.

But one thing is for sure if we take Germany as an example...Rijker would put about 40 or 50 people more in the seats than Martin. Lets say it was a show with a mediocre undercard and them as the main event, I bet a maximum of 500 people would show up.

You are talking about Ali finding the guts to fight Lucia or Anne....how about Lucia and Anne duking it out first? Throw Robinson in the mix too. If Lucia refuses you will say: well, Lucia needs to get paid!

[TD]

marcel,

gimme a break..." Rijker couldn't fill a van in germany". Ya think? Lucia signs for a fight in Germany and I guarantee you she puts people in the seats. And if you made the match, I guarantee you would be eating those words.

Wolf V. Rijker is not the same money as Ali...but if you got that money, then its another question all together.

I don't know if Lucia would fight Wolf or vice versa, but if the ALI kind of money is there, I have to believe it would happen.

Wolf would be a harder fight for Lucia. Ali would be tough but not nearly as hard as Wolf. Either one is a huge weight disadvantage for Lucia so its not one of those things that has to happen.

I like to see someone step up with some money for Anani and Lucia but that has zero chance of ever happening after two KOs to blair and sub par sized crowds. Maybe your gal Lamare isn't as afraid of Anani now as she was...?

TD

[marcel]

td said:

marcel,

gimme a break..." Rijker couldn't fill a van in germany". Ya think? Lucia signs for a fight in Germany and I guarantee you she puts people in the seats.

Yeh, about a dozen maybe. You don't have to teach Universum our Sauerland how to make money. If there was money to be made with Rijker in Germany, they would have given her a contract.

Lamare? I gave up on her. But you might be right: she might want to try Anani now. But then again..the money has to be right;)

[Rick Scharmberg]

td said:

Not another Ali walk over. Not another St. John track meet. Not another halmich rig job.

Fans want killer-thriller fights. Nothing less.

Some people enjoy and appreciate the skills and longevity of a Regina Halmoch, especially in Europe. Sure she got the benefit of the doubt from the judges in some of her fights, but so did Muhammad Ali. Maybe she has that champion's aura that Ali had. In any case, from what I gather, her fights sell very well in Europe. And I love the way she "dresses down" at the weigh-in!