One Last Item on Co-Promotion
by Zak Woods on Jan 22, 2010 12:26 PM EST
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PrintWKR's podcast discussion on the co-promotion received a fair amount of attention but there was one last thing we need to mention.
The piece that started off the discussion was courtesy of Josh Gross and he received a ton of feedback some positive and some negative, but there was one exchange that jumped off the screen:
You hit the nail on the head with co-promotion. Co-promotion is the only way we get to see Mayweather fight Pacquiao. Oh wait, co-promotion killed that event, as well as boxing in its entirety. I guess historical evidence is not your strong suit.
--Johnathan Sproul, St. Petersburg. Fla.Come on, Johnathan. Over the long course of boxing history, it's a tested model that put some of the biggest names in the ring against one another. Like I wrote, it's hardly perfect, but it has its merits. Anyhow, I'm betting Mayweather and Pacquiao fight before the end of the year.
WKR's thoughts?
Pay-per view hasn't existed over the "long course of boxing history." In fact, we would argue that it was this model that helped create the fractured world of boxing that now exists. (Note: There are a lot of factors that lead to the current state of boxing).
While some would say that there is a natural "atomization" within individual sports, which in combat sports means co-promotion, that doesn't necessarily translate into being the best development for the sport as a whole.
Check out the podcast for more discussion on this topic.
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no idea who jonathan is but hes an idiot who has no clue to whats hes talking about.
saying it doesn’t work in boxing is absurd. saying it wont work for mma is just as absurd.
co promoting in boxing has gone on since the beginning of time and has worked. its how some of the best fought each-other overtime. boxing co promotions still go on now and and work. the showtime super six tournament has 4 different promoters for the 6 fighters. the most recent BIG co promotion was tyson vs lewis which was huge on ppv. the networks even came together for that one. golden boy promotes with top rank numerous times over the years, the only fight they haven’t been able to do so far is manny vs floyd. even don king and bob arums top rank have co promoted over the past years and they loath each other. don king and British promoter frank warren have worked together since the late 80s on fights..i can really go on and on.
as for boxing being fractured, its not at all. co promotions have happened more in my life time than than any other era. boxings problems have to do with the tysons, chavez’s, de la hoyas and roy jones retiring and getting old and no real superstars to take their place, especially in the heavyweight division.
as for mma, the sport as whole is going to suffer if the ufc continues on their path of no co promotions ever.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
@mikefareri on twitter.
IMO, the problem with boxing is the multiple champs in multiple weight classes. It’s enough to make your head spin….or not care. The Super 6 is actually a great concept that keeps the viewer vested in the tournament and the outcome.
I’ve personally mulled over a concept in my mind that would make the UFC more structured like a season or Grand Prix, minus the obvious pitfalls….but that’s a post for another thread/time.
As far as I know, back in the old days of boxing there was a single champ in each of the weight classes. If you wanted to be the best you’d beat the champ. It was a pretty clear path that even money had a hard time detering. IMO, the mentality of today’s fighter’s is more driven by money than pride.
the alphabets lost all credibility a while ago with die hard fans. anyone who follows boxing regularly knows to only go by the ring belt.
i think mma has a bit of their own alphabets going on with the other promotions all claiming to have world champions. wec, ufc, strikeforce, dream, senokur, bellator, etc etc etc. . its going to be a problem as mma grows and the ufc distances themselves more and more away from the other promotions.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
@mikefareri on twitter.
by sonofapsycho on Jan 22, 2010 3:00 PM EST up reply actions
I think the issue here is that both sports are niche. While boxing was once mainstream and apart of our cultural bedrock it has decline in recent years though at times certain PPVs are able to capture our imagination.
The same is true with MMA the UFC right now. It is largely a niche sport and only rarely does it cross over into the mainstream.
The question is whether either can or will become a significant part of our culture
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