JOURNEYMAN PRIZEFIGHTER!!

[Jeff Thomas]

Just wondering about a "journeyman prizefighter" around about lightweight / lightwelter!!?? I think it'd be a blinder, 8 fighters, 8 good chins, 500+ fights experience! all the boys would fight their hearts out, it'd almost be 2 tournaments in one, prizefighter & the bragging rights among journeymen!! be great to give these boys something to fight for, a good payday, maybe the winner could get an area title shot / english / celtic / etc etc.
I train a journeyman so I suppose I'm biased but I really do think there are some good fighters out there & if it wasn't for the pressures of selling tickets on a regular basis some of these 'journeymen' would have had reasonable carears. it'd be so good to see them doing their thing and getting a fair crack of the whip when the scores are announced!! they are part of what keeps boxing going and some of them are seriously underrated, come on Sky / Matchroom let's give these boys something back for the graft they put in week in week out!!
some of the names I've been thinking about are as follows. let me know what you think!!
1. Johnny Greaves - 63 fights
2. Kristian Laight - 98 fights
3. Daniel Thorpe - 140 fights
4. Jason Nesbitt - 110 fights
5. Sid Razak - 60 fights
6. Carl Allen - 118 fights
7. Robin Deakin - 28 fights
8. Baz Carey - 59 fights
Sub. Ibrar Riaz - 20 fights
Sub. Yussef Al Hamidi - 39 fights
total fights = 739!!!!

Where it all started

[doctorboxing]

After this campaign is over, who are we going to get to christmas number one?

[telboy66]

After this campaign is over, who are we going to get to christmas number one?

So long as it's not one of those talent less twats from X factor who cares

[gasman]

I added a few to the facebook group and noticed two of the names that I had added could not be added 'as they had already left the group' - I was very surprised with the names, guys on the way up and on top of their game - I won't mention who they were.

Anyway, well done everyone - I would love to see this happen, not just once - but for it to be a success and it to grow into a regular outlet for the top journeymen, I have so much respect for these lads.

[Hit and Run]

not a bad idea but the trouble is they only know how to lose... how can the be expected to win not once but 3 times in 1 night?????

nah fairplay, the lads do put in a shift at work then drive to a show to fight some up and coming lad who wants to knock them tut in front of their mates... they deserve ALL the credit they get cos without them we would struggle to have the great sport of proboxing!!!!!

[johnnygreaves]

We have still not heard from matchroom or sky sports. There's over 2500 signed up to support this . I really hope they ain't gonna ignore us . I'm going to keep on & on until I get some joy for the boys. There's nothing to stop us going on strike for a while, until we ate heard. That will seriously mess up a few peoples plans. Promoters telling us they need us seem a bit empty .

[Scottrf]

Just read the Barry Hearn quote in the new boxing monthly and he doesn't sound keen at all. Some support from Johnny Nelson though.

[johnnygreaves]

How the fornicate can they turn round & say we don't deserve , when in the line up for the coming prizefighter looks how it does. Banbuler looks the favourite, a long time journeyman. Billy slate has boxed twice in 3 Damn years . I've had 64 in that time. Stepped in on the day at times to help these promoters. Feel like we've been fed a big slice of , get Fucked over the whole thing.

[Scottrf]

I'll quote what I feel was the most important part of what he wrote:

"Basically we're trying to build stars; fast track careers or provide past stars with a chance to revisit greatness...Having a tournament between eight guys who haven't won for a while might devalue that."

So it seems it's not so much the spectacle but the vision he has of prizefighter being to fast track/rebuild careers towards titles.

[johnnygreaves]

Well if one of us boys got the three wins. Massive confidence boost. We might get area title shot or something. See the thing is. If any of us dare to get a win or two on the road. We won't get any fights at all. That's fact. This is our only chance of a little bit of glory. Fans want to see it. One bloody nite. We would pack out York hall , & what a story ! With a bit of background story this could be fantastic. I know the fights would be cracking.

[LeedsLad]

I think Bambula will win it too.

If he repeats his performance against Jeffries (who he beat in my opinion) he should do. Then hopefully there'll be the rematch.

[DavidPayne]

We have still not heard from matchroom or sky sports. There's over 2500 signed up to support this . I really hope they ain't gonna ignore us . I'm going to keep on & on until I get some joy for the boys. There's nothing to stop us going on strike for a while, until we ate heard. That will seriously mess up a few peoples plans. Promoters telling us they need us seem a bit empty .

Why not put it together with a tweeked format and call it Cinderella Man or King of the Scrappers.

Sky might nibble....or more likely.....may put the idea to Matchroom.

[johnnygreaves]

Not a bad idea . I'll mention it for sure.

[LeedsLad]

Does it have to involve Matchroom?

You could always tweak it a little.... re-brand it. Johnny Nelson has posted in BM that he is interested..... let's face it he was effectively a journeyman in the first half of his career.

Maybe one lad could come through and put a run together.... I don't understand why a winning journeyman won't get work.... it does against all common sense, but anyway....

I was thinking that you could have two groups of four with the winner of each going into the final, but if a fighter gets stopped there's no real solution, handing walkovers to the other fighters would be unfair on someone else that might have had to box three times.

If Hearn doesn't want to do it, so be it. Perhaps Steve Wood might be interested?

Even a consortium of fans could do it? So long as you get Sky on board and a half decent venue at a reasonable cost.

[johnnygreaves]

I've got a documentary coming out featuring myself. The guy making it is going to give me some phone numbers for execs that could be interested. All I need is some financial backing. There's nothing to stop me taking out a promoters licence & doing it. I know with help we can do something. Anyone loaded & up for it. Please let me know. Let's break some ground. With tv we can get loads of interest

[LeedsLad]

If I was guaranteed my money back I'd stump some up.

Profit wouldn't be a consideration so long as I got a ringside seat and a signed pic of the winner.

If the show was to make a profit it could pay for increased prizemoney for the lads that didn't win.... or be donated to Help the Heroes or something.

[johnnygreaves]

Leedslad, I really am looking at all options to get this show on. Even if I don't enter , I truly think the proper fight week in week out journeymen deserve a bit of glory & the right to be britains no1 journeyman. I'm not gonna forget this thing and chase my dream with a passion

[hurlock]

I've got a documentary coming out featuring myself. The guy making it is going to give me some phone numbers for execs that could be interested. All I need is some financial backing. There's nothing to stop me taking out a promoters licence & doing it. I know with help we can do something. Anyone loaded & up for it. Please let me know. Let's break some ground. With tv we can get loads of interest

you feature in your own documentry DD

keep plugging away jonny you'll end up on big brother or somthing :!:

[johnnygreaves]

Ha ha, sorry hurlock! It's not my docu, its the team that does horizon. I'm not the most articulate lad in the world, lol

[Floatlikeabutterfly]

Good luck with this lads, anyone who follows boxing knows you can all fight, but you`ve got a job to do, like you said if you start winning on the road the work will dry up. lots of the young lads turning pro and building up their records need journeymen, you can show the a few tricks different than the am`s. I wonder if Sid razak will find it hard getting some fights, after having 2 wins on the bounce. i was at the Olympia in Liverpool last Saturday, and he showed he could fight with a deserved win. I for one would like to see you all get a bit of limelight for what you give for the sport. Good Luck.

[johnnygreaves]

Ha ha, I've spoken too sid & he's worried . It's not fair. Lose or get stopped the board are on your back. Win & you don't get work . You have to laugh, or you'd cry. Sid can fight as van all us boys. That's why the journeyman prizefighter should happen. I think we would shock a few bods! The quality would be an eyeopener

[damianhucker1]

Does it have to involve Matchroom?

You could always tweak it a little.... re-brand it. Johnny Nelson has posted in BM that he is interested..... let's face it he was effectively a journeyman in the first half of his career.

Maybe one lad could come through and put a run together.... I don't understand why a winning journeyman won't get work.... it does against all common sense, but anyway....

I was thinking that you could have two groups of four with the winner of each going into the final, but if a fighter gets stopped there's no real solution, handing walkovers to the other fighters would be unfair on someone else that might have had to box three times.

If Hearn doesn't want to do it, so be it. Perhaps Steve Wood might be interested?

Even a consortium of fans could do it? So long as you get Sky on board and a half decent venue at a reasonable cost.

youve given me one hell of an idea , im just gonna jot a few ideas down to see what i can work out and hopefully report back my findings on here , think along the lines of Ebbsfleet FC

[damianhucker1]

Hows something like this sound :

Ever dreamed of Being a pro boxing promotor ? Do you get frustrated by the politics involved in the sport today ?
Well we have a solution - My Boxing Club .com - Where YOU get to choose the fights , the venue and all the commercial
options such as deciding on which sponsership offer to accept , you get to play Promotor , Manager , MatchMaker and Business executive all in one game , a game which includes real life boxers , boxers assigned to YOUR stable , all we require is that our members pay a monthly £4.99 subscription , this gives them the right to vote on every single decision there is to be made , Who Should your unbeaten prospect face next ? is he ready to be stepped up a level , should he feast on journeymen for a while , which Tv deal should you accept , Should we sign the ex con to our stable etc etc , theres a multitude of decisions for just £4.99 per month , people play games online for a higher price , this game is for REAL - JOIN NOW .


That was just a quick idea off the top of my head but how does that sound , a company like that would be capable of then doing the journeyman prizefighter , , should the members vote for it .

[wrimc]

Been having a think about this over the past few days or so and wondered what people's thoughts on this as an idea.

Its clear that Matchroom are not interested in having this as a potential PF tourney.
Could a scaled down version of this be possibly put together by us the fans?

Clearly the prize money would be significantly less but there would still be enough in the pot to make it worth the while for the journeymen and also the pride of being the no.1 journeyman in Britain at the weight and being able to win a trophy/title would certainly bring a bit of glory to it.

Here is how I see it:

Winner £8000
Runner up £4000
2x semi finalists £2000
4x quarter finalists £1000

Total prize money: £20k

Other costs:
Venue hire £4k (Estimate) Anybody know how much York Hall costs?
Advertisement: £1k
Security: £1k
Ticket printing:£200
Ring £1k
Trophy £100
Staff: £500
Programmes: £500
Reserves: £1k
Refs/Judges:£1k
Ring announcer: £200
Doctors: £500
Misc:£1k

Total: £11500

Total Costs: £31300

Ticket Sales: £35000 (1000 x £30 + 100 x £50) York Hall holds up to 1500
Sponsorship:£1k
Programmes: £1k
TV: allegedly, Premier, Hatton TV ???
Merchandise: £250

Total: £37750

Profit: £6450

Even in this scenario it gives us £6450 to play with to allow for less ticket sales or other costs that might be incurred and this discards any possible tv money but I would consider it as unlikely that we would be able to secure a tv deal though not completely out of the question. Obviously the prize money would not be the same as a normal PF but £8k is not to be sniffed at and its obviously not just the money its a glory and bragging rights competition.

Thoughts?

[Craig14]

Been having a think about this over the past few days or so and wondered what people's thoughts on this as an idea.

Its clear that Matchroom are not interested in having this as a potential PF tourney.
Could a scaled down version of this be possibly put together by us the fans?

Clearly the prize money would be significantly less but there would still be enough in the pot to make it worth the while for the journeymen and also the pride of being the no.1 journeyman in Britain at the weight and being able to win a trophy/title would certainly bring a bit of glory to it.

Here is how I see it:

Winner £8000
Runner up £4000
2x semi finalists £2000
4x quarter finalists £1000

Total prize money: £20k

Other costs:
Venue hire £4k (Estimate) Anybody know how much York Hall costs?
Advertisement: £1k
Security: £1k
Ticket printing:£200
Ring £1k
Trophy £100
Staff: £500
Programmes: £500
Reserves: £1k
Refs/Judges:£1k
Ring announcer: £200
Doctors: £500
Misc:£1k

Total: £11500

Total Costs: £31300

Ticket Sales: £35000 (1000 x £30 + 100 x £50) York Hall holds up to 1500
Sponsorship:£1k
Programmes: £1k
TV: Allegedly channel, Premier, Hatton TV ???
Merchandise: £250

Total: £37750

Profit: £6450

Even in this scenario it gives us £6450 to play with to allow for less ticket sales or other costs that might be incurred and this discards any possible tv money but I would consider it as unlikely that we would be able to secure a tv deal though not completely out of the question. Obviously the prize money would not be the same as a normal PF but £8k is not to be sniffed at and its obviously not just the money its a glory and bragging rights competition.

Thoughts?

My thought is you've been thinking about this alot. Do you not have a spare 30 grand??