[King Kabuki]

Well, with threads popping up around here on the subjects of China and Cuba, this is as good a time as any to start this thread which I've been thinking of for quite some time.

The World is changing, and to suit it trends in Boxing are changing as well.

The biggest thing is the possibility of Cuba considering to allow Professional Boxing to any degree, or relaxing conditions for Boxer as infrastructure improves on account of Raul Castro, who has made a whole lot of headway. Here's a good thread on what's going on currently (as some of you may have already seen):

Changing Cuba may alter the face of boxing

If it comes to pass that Boxers in Cuba can make a living doing what they do, we're likely to see the Boxing ranks swell with Cuban Fighters.

Second is that as China and India both improve infrastructure and their economies jump, they become viable venues for Fights and places where Fighters can grow. China's already turned a couple heads with Amateur Fighters, as stated in this thread:

How Come there are no Chinese Boxing Champs?

Then there's the subject of Europe, with it's high finance compared to America, there's been a contingent of Fighters who not only move to places like Germany and the UK, but there's also far less incentive to come to America these days as a European Fighter aside from exposure, and the possibility for the highest paydays, but not necessarily the better pay overall. There are even cases nowadays where a budding Fighter or aging Veteran can make better money as a sparring partner in Europe than they can attempting to fight a full schedule in America.

As the World changes and economies shift, America is not necessarily the best place to hold Fights respectively anymore, it's still the largest overall, but many more avenues are beginning to open up.

Thus, this thread is dedicated specifically to the discussion of the economics and politics of Boxing. Have fun.

-SBC Representative KK

[BootyDaddy]

Interesting stuff. I truely hope Cuba do lift their ban on pro Boxing. It's been a shame their fighters haven't been given the choice of leaving the amateur ranks for the pros.

Castro and communism have been their way for so long now. There have been some fantastic fighters come out of Cuba, yet never competed in the paid ranks.

[King Kabuki]

Wow BD, I made a quality enough thread to bring you back? lol

I agree. I'm not all anti-communism necessarily, but just typically ANY form of Government run by idealogues (sp) is going to be hindering to growth and development in many ways.

Cuba could get such an influx of foreign money if they lifted the ban on Pro Boxing, Hell even if Raul were willing to hold Amateur Tournaments there. Some economic relief would hit like a tidal wave, let alone if their Boxers could go out into the World and compete, and bring back foreign money. I've never seen the sense in perpetual amateurism for sake of honor, when it could be a definitive link between a place and the World.

[Dragonstyle915]

I'll do a better reply later. This is a good posts. Just wanted to say. As great as the island of Puerto Rico has been for Boxing. Just think, Cuba may be even better!

[Sharkey]

Speaking of amateur boxing and out of my own curiosity, have any of you guys ever encountered "political" roadblocks when competing in the ammies?

I did before and a lot of it came from growing up on what was pretty much a provincial border town in northern Manitoba called Flin Flon. The tricky part was that our boxing club was just across the border in Creighton, Sask., and our club always competed in the provincial championship tournaments in that province because of it's location. Well, to make a long story short, one year our boxing coach signed a few of us on the team to compete in the NorMan (Northern Manitoba) tournament during the winter in The Pas because of us being Manitoba residents, which we did, but unfortunately because we competed in that competition we were said to have been disqualified from competing in the Sask provincials later in the year for reasons that I never understood (i.e. we had fought in Manitoba before and were still eligible for Sask provincials after that). I remember my boxing coach telling me that news, yet he still thought I'd be able to compete if I could write the Sask people a personal letter as to why I should be eligible. Fuck, I didn't know what to write at the time, so my letter ended up being largely a "just want to box" type of one page letter to those in charge of making the decision, but unfortunately that fell on deaf ears and I ended up missing the tournament that year.

So, for all you'se that may have been from Green Lake, Sask., and involved in amateur boxing in the 1980's...

*holds up middle finger*

[Kid McCoy]

This is an outstanding thread topic, but be cautioned, not for the faint of heart, because thought is required here.

Nobody cares but…I have been incredibly busy and I will be for some time yet, but I will return to this thread.

I have some thoughts on this.
I can’t say if they’re quality thoughts, but they’re thoughts.

For now, however…..

There are a number of nutrients required to grow the sport in native soil.
A cultural interest is foremost.
There is some level of that in every sovereign nation on the planet for Boxing, whilst the levels run from fervor to passing notice for a country’s local amateurs, or, Boxing is of interest in the form of the worship/acknowledgement of a past great (which has great influence.
While most sports are provincial pastimes with a degree of relatively recent spread, others are politically isolated, often in a historical context such as massive cricket within the commonwealth.
Boxing’s universal appeal has existed for centuries, on each continent, rural and urban.
So the potential for sudden growth is always there.

More dynamic is geographic sustainability for Boxing.
For this, aside from the aforementioned public interest, is needed an economy supporting leisure time & expendable income, to an extent just enough to foster an underclass to fight and a middle class to afford the tickets and the sponsorship products, amongst common folk.
A poor economy in a culturally Boxing rich country will produce fighters, and fight cards, but will be limited in keeping talent fighting at home once he performs on the world stage.

This is a deep topic.

[Kid McCoy]

Originally Posted by Sharkey

Speaking of amateur boxing and out of my own curiosity, have any of you guys ever encountered "political" roadblocks when competing in the ammies?

I did before and a lot of it came from growing up on what was pretty much a provincial border town in northern Manitoba called Flin Flon. The tricky part was that our boxing club was just across the border in Creighton, Sask., and our club always competed in the provincial championship tournaments in that province because of it's location. Well, to make a long story short, one year our boxing coach signed a few of us on the team to compete in the NorMan (Northern Manitoba) tournament during the winter in The Pas because of us being Manitoba residents, which we did, but unfortunately because we competed in that competition we were said to have been disqualified from competing in the Sask provincials later in the year for reasons that I never understood (i.e. we had fought in Manitoba before and were still eligible for Sask provincials after that). I remember my boxing coach telling me that news, yet he still thought I'd be able to compete if I could write the Sask people a personal letter as to why I should be eligible. Fuck, I didn't know what to write at the time, so my letter ended up being largely a "just want to box" type of one page letter to those in charge of making the decision, but unfortunately that fell on deaf ears and I ended up missing the tournament that year.

So, for all you'se that may have been from Green Lake, Sask., and involved in amateur boxing in the 1980's...

*holds up middle finger*

Yes, but not of the same type.
Amateur Boxing is very much a ‘grass roots’ enterprise, and local decision making seems to have no continuity, let alone logic, whatsoever.
Been that way always.
You have to understand that many of the people responsible for making some of these decisions are idiots, and right up to the level of the Olympic games, that idea holds true.

I was fortunate to have grown up in a very boxing rich environment, where famous champions and top flight programs were all around me, and while I can’t say that everything I’ve ever seen made sense to me, at least there was always a counterbalancing head to keep things in check.

Politics, which is nomenclature for ‘decisions I don’t agree with’ in this context, are anywhere where two or more people gather.

[prosa123]

Here's a boxing economics question: how many fighters are able to earn a living from boxing? I don't mean get rich Mayweather-style, but earn enough to support yourself and your family if you've got one at a middle-class level, without having to hold a day job. Do you have to be regarded as one of the top twenty, for example, in your weight division? What makes me ask is hearing how David Diaz, before the Pacquiao loss, was driving a beat-up old car ... and he was a titleholder. Or the way that Tony Thompson, a top ten heavyweight, needed his earnings from the Klitschko fight to repair broken appliances in his house.