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I see it all the time on the internet. Young and hungry fighters asking what is the way for them to ultimately become successful in boxing. This level of ambition is to be admired, whatever their individual abilities are. It’s always great to have a dream to aim for and achieve whatever field you’re interested in.
But in boxing, it is especially hard to become a king.
These days, it seems that anybody can win a title of some sort. Taking into account every level from the bottom to the very top, there are over six thousand belts! Even the top two out of the three main sanctioning bodies have varying versions of their titles. For example, the WBC have a Silver variety of the WBC championship while the WBA have a “Regular” and “Super” variant. So, if you have the ability to reach the top ten as a contender then you may end up campaigning for one of those.
But the business side of boxing is something that combatants also have to fight against.
You see, it is all well in having plenty of talent. Remember Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright? He did. But he could never gain the attention of the masses because of his pure boxing style that failed to captivate audiences. Sure, he was a world champion. But when I say “successful” I am also talking about creating a legacy that is easily remembered by the public as well as fighting for huge purses. Basically, having it all!
And when we look back in history, a rather select few ever did. Promoters often look at their stable of boxers as products. It sounds harsh. But as a promoter they have to sell a product. And one of the main things to do that is for a particular fighter to be exciting to the public. They have to sell tickets and put bums on seats. If you cannot do that then you will have a hard time becoming a household name in boxing. Current active boxers like Terence Crawford and Deontay Wilder struggle to achieve this. So did guys like Timothy Bradley, who was also very gifted.
Hooking up with the right promoter or manager is another thing to remember. Some promoters just do not have as many connections as others do. So, carefully selecting the right one to sign a contract with is crucial. Managing and, or promoting yourself is an option. But most boxers tend not to do this because they do not have the business acumen to make the right choices in the sport.
So, it is all about thinking of yourself as a product.
Floyd Mayweather got it right when he gave his image a huge overhaul back in 2007 when he altered his nickname of “Pretty Boy Floyd” to “Money” Mayweather. The public really began to take notice of him then. That image he created might be false (or not). But it was good for business. Before he became “Money” people were walking out during his fights. Creating the right narrative for his career served him well.
As you can see, there are quite a few different factors that you need to consider and overcome. It is not easy.
But it isn’t impossible, either.
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