Boxing Thread

[JimStynes]

Conrad Cummings should just give it up as a bad job. He was turning into a punchbag.

[nrico2006]

There have been a few that have left Cylcone and went to MTK, was looking to see if anybody knew who he was on about.  I think Marco McCullagh, Jamie Conlan, Lee McGregor, Cummings, Frampton and even your doll Cameron have all left.  Its hard to understand what each company does in boxing though, you have managers and promoters, and management and promotional organisations yet Cyclone was supposedly a promotional body only and what exactly is MTKs role - are they promoters or simply managers?  Take Fury for example, he doesnt seem to be promoted by MTK, he is handled by Queensberry and Top Rank.  So if you leave Cyclone for example, and go to MTK, are they your promoter or manager?

[Louther]

Seems to be an awful lot of layers in boxing mgt.

When DK seems to have found a niche is been a fixer. Often you'll have two camps tied down to different TV and PPV deals. They'll not box as neither can agree on terms. He'll come in the middle and negotiate with both sides to agree the deal and share of rights and keep both sides happy. He can present best to all sides without them seen to be losing face. It's a macho sport.

Also if MTK are putting on so many shows, they have more opportunities to place their fighters in the ring and give them pay days. Less hurdles to over come. They get promoters, venues, TV companies all onside and give them what they want.

For what is suppose to a simple sport which boils down to 2 men/women getting into the ring, it takes an awful lot to get to that point and why the big fights are nortorious slow to happen. AJ V Fury is far from sealed yet as its effectively Sky Box Office V BT Box Office over exclusive rights and how that is to be sorted out is anyone's guess. 

[GetOverTheBar]

MTK (Ex MGM) is a training facility first and foremost.....they have obviously then branched out to Management and Promotion.

I suppose every fighter under their banner as such will have different needs, the higher up you are the less likely you are to be 'fully controlled' by MTK....as you have your reputation already etc.

Fury is with MTK purely in an advisory role....your guess is as good as mine as to what that actually involves (whereas Carl Frampton started off something similar and is now fully managed by MTK). How payment works etc but that is maybe another thing altogether. I believe it came out in the Frampton v McGuigan case Frampton doesn't even pay MTK so this is where it starts to get very murky for that company. 

[Louther]

Yeah, what started as Macklins Gym in Marbella has expanded massively into a one stop shop for boxers. They have moved to us now and have a massive stable of fighters who will have different level of needs with them.

They getting so many fighters it's becoming a cartel. 

[GetOverTheBar]

Or the best way to wash your money, if you needed that sort of thing 

[Louther]

That's a serious accusation! 

Especially when they seem to be doing it for free.

[yellowcard]

The sport of boxing in Ireland is fcuked. Conlan for example was one of the brightest prospects in world boxing never mind in Ireland but unfortunately he will always be associated with MTK and for that reason he will never get the support of the Irish public that his talents deserve. At one stage he could have hoped to become a peoples champion after calling out corruption on live TV during the Rio Olympics. However, dangle a financial carrot in front of some of these boxers and all of a sudden they are inside a world that they will find it almost impossible to back out of. I do wonder if deep down they have some regrets, in some cases it is difficult to fault the individual boxers for taking the money but anyone from Ireland would need to be living under a stone not to be aware of the implications. The silence from the boxing community (both fighters and the media) in Ireland in recent days tells you a lot.

[GetOverTheBar]

You don't get a lot of money in Boxing, relatively speaking in sports....

Hard to turn down that massive chunk of cash ready to be lodged in the bank with no questions asked because you are a professional athlete.

[Milltown Row2]

You don't get a lot of money in Boxing, relatively speaking in sports....

Hard to turn down that massive chunk of cash ready to be lodged in the bank with no questions asked because you are a professional athlete.

The only real money for boxing is Middle weight and Heavy weight, the other weights find it difficult to hit the big time

[Geoff Tipps]

The sport of boxing in Ireland is fcuked. Conlan for example was one of the brightest prospects in world boxing never mind in Ireland but unfortunately he will always be associated with MTK and for that reason he will never get the support of the Irish public that his talents deserve. At one stage he could have hoped to become a peoples champion after calling out corruption on live TV during the Rio Olympics. However, dangle a financial carrot in front of some of these boxers and all of a sudden they are inside a world that they will find it almost impossible to back out of. I do wonder if deep down they have some regrets, in some cases it is difficult to fault the individual boxers for taking the money but anyone from Ireland would need to be living under a stone not to be aware of the implications. The silence from the boxing community (both fighters and the media) in Ireland in recent days tells you a lot.

Conlan's brother is one of the top execs in MTK.

[trailer]

Do boxing fans actually care about Kinahan? Would a fair few not be customers of his anyway?

[yellowcard]

The sport of boxing in Ireland is fcuked. Conlan for example was one of the brightest prospects in world boxing never mind in Ireland but unfortunately he will always be associated with MTK and for that reason he will never get the support of the Irish public that his talents deserve. At one stage he could have hoped to become a peoples champion after calling out corruption on live TV during the Rio Olympics. However, dangle a financial carrot in front of some of these boxers and all of a sudden they are inside a world that they will find it almost impossible to back out of. I do wonder if deep down they have some regrets, in some cases it is difficult to fault the individual boxers for taking the money but anyone from Ireland would need to be living under a stone not to be aware of the implications. The silence from the boxing community (both fighters and the media) in Ireland in recent days tells you a lot.

Conlan's brother is one of the top execs in MTK.

Yes, there is absolutely no question that Conlan wasn't aware of what he was getting into. It begs the question as to whether anyone in Irish boxing is looking out for the best welfare of these boxers, many of whom are coming from difficult backgrounds. Or is it simply a race to the bottom. Most of them simply take the cash which ultimately buys their loyalty when really all they are is pawns in a game of sports washing. Unfortunately I don't think this will end well for them.   

[nrico2006]

Conlans progress has been pretty slow to be honest.  I know he is in line for a shot at Fulton next, but on the whole he seems to have been managed pretty poorly and is getting on a bit when you look at the prime ages of boxers in the lower weight classes.  Its been nearly 5 years since his last amateur fight and you only have to look at the progress some other Rio fighters have made in the pro ranks in the same time.

[gallsman]

Conlan has never been "one of the brightest prospects in world boxing". Being an amateur world champion doesn't automatically confer that status on you. His pro career has been underwhelming from the very beginning.

Look at the trajectories and start power of the likes of Lopez, Davis and Ryan Garcia at lightweight, all of whom are years younger than him, or someone like Shakur Stevenson at Conlan's weight. Conlan's nowhere near their level.