raylawpc wrote:CNorkusJr wrote:My father told me that the managers he had took between 25% to 33% of his cut depending on the time of his career, but by the same token it was well spent. Back when fighters were fighting once every two months or in some cases once every month,there were expenses to be paid.My father was a full-time boxer (trained full time-year round).
Gym dues and licenses were always paid by his managers. When my father fought in other cities,my fathers managers always got his opponents to include the plane tickets as part of his guaranteed purse.His managers also paid his hotel stays on the road too. Most were high class places too.When things were slow they always coughed food money as well.
Yea,they probably did take more in the long run,but they kept his contracts coming that for my father,kept his wheels greased.
The only bad thing he said was that his last manager didnt give the taxman his whole due when his manager said he did. In the early 1960's the taxman came calling,and my father paid up. He went to collect it from his manager at that time-I dont know the results.
I have read horror stories about managers and the boxers they represented. Though my father thought his guys did the right thing by him, overall I'm not too sure.
Dont forget the mob took a cut too,besides staking a claim on the whole purse out of the gates also. Back then,alot of money flowing was cash, a great sum not recorded anywhere.
The NYSAC tightly regulated boxing managers, and by government regulation restricted the manager's cut of the purse to 1/3. Even out-of-town managers had to sign a new contract with their charges when they brought them into a fight in New York. In the mid-west some managers typically took 1/2 of the purse, and were pissed when they had to sign a new contract in NY state to govern the terms of their representation in the NY fight. I'm not sure how the NYSAC enforced it, but they must have had some way because I know managers who hated seeing their purse cut to 1/3 when their fighters fought in NY State.
I remember having a few discussions with my father on the control NYSAC had over the boxing world during the 1950's. And I'm pretty sure my father would include the prior decades from when the NYSAC was empowered too.
He told me that NYSAC was the governing force to which just about every other state based their regulations and disciplinary actions on; meaning: If a boxer was suspended or lost his license in New York for any violation,many other states would uphold the decision as well.
If the state of Maine suspended a fighter, New York would most likely recognize it along with the others too. This would cause a huge bloc to be created that boxers couldnt circumvent their situation and render the commissions useless to government of the boxing regulation.Back then, several states would regulate their own contract provisions,like you stated-50% mgrs in some cases,and many had their own scoring rules Rds,Pts, 1/2 pts in Fla in some cases,knockdown rules, all these items would be considered fine, but the discipline was the big factor. This caused alot of fighters to change names during their careers too.
My father talked about a rule once that if you suffered a KO lose in NY ,you had to sit for 30 days to convalest. Many fighters from out of NY had contracts to fight just days after and would come back in under a new name. This would cause heavy suspensions if caught, but some were never caught.This system was easily managed.
That is the power of one ruling body had. Now we have many plus the states concerns as well.Also, if you get out your old Ring books you would see that NYS ran boxing shows in other states under Madison Sq Garden Productions with its cuts going into NYS coffers as well as Mad Sq Garden. Other states would still get their fees & taxes, but double dipping was overlooked.
If you were a CA mgr or any state came to NY and was told to cut your fees to 33%,my bet is that you did.If you got 50% in Oklahoma as a mgr and stayed there, then fine but you would never work in New York. You'd would be shutting yourself out of NY money and fight opportunities. With NY basically boxing central in those days with IBC calling the shots-you would do it. Fighters had recipricol licenses as well, CA license would be honored here as any other states.You wanted your boy in New York, in the Garden or St Nicks and on TV for the TV money. CA was important too. The fights on TV were big. But I bet back in the 40's & 50's money came back to the IBC as well.
Most fights held in Miami came under Mad. Sq Garden Productions.
I dont know if my fathers fights in CA did or not. Ring Book will tell me later on.
Like I said, if your fighter got into trouble here, chances are he wasnt fighting anywhere (at least not recognized on the record). Mgrs and trainers too. If they were suspended,another trainer would handle your guy till you came back.
Times were different.
Things have changed somewhat nowadays. NYS still holds a pretty big final word- like not giving Tyson or Holyfield licenses here, but now the world is a big stage and they will find a place to fight,eventually cutting New Yorks own throat.
I can tell you even today, Melvina Lathan and the deputies meet monthly in HQs in NYC to discuss disciplinary actions in the boxing world. If a serious infraction occurred by a fighter-ANYWHERE-not just here-a hearing would be held not to have that fighter licensed in New York and no doubt followed by several states. Abuse of officials particularly would not be tolerated. Suspensions & revocations are always on-going. Look at Luis Resto & Panama Lewis they never stepped into a New York ring again, with Lewis I think in Florida or Jersey handling little.
. I seen fights at the Blue Horizon down there that were a disgrace by officiating standards.
