If you were in Robert Smiths position, what changes would you recommend/bring in for the good of UK professional boxing?

[rhino222]

1. referees being accommodated and wined and dined at the expense of the promoters. This harbours home town decisions and the promoters know it. This should come out of BBBC sanctioning fees. Same applies to travel expenses too

2. Boxers having to sell tickets to fight (this is so wrong in my opinion and bollocks to 'its a tradition' etc) often to cover the wages of their opponent. in my opinion its the promoters job to sell a show and sell tickets and to pay the fighters.

3. The BBB of C should also have a minimum wage structure for professional boxers. 4 rounds = 2K, 6 rounds = 3K etc, area belt 5K, English title 10K etc etc.

4. The board should also deduct a percentage (2-4%) from all pre tax purses to go into a welfare fund to help support boxers and their families who have been injured (career affecting) during BBBC sanctioned events.

5. The board should also limit some of the recognised percentages and the percentage splits for manager, trainer and promoter. Managers dont really do much so 5%. Promoters should do more (see number 2 above) 15%. Trainers should be paid more so 20% of purse rather than fixed amounts for higher earning fighters.

These ideas are all just my opinion but if i was in Robert Smiths position, they are the kind of thing i would implement to make the sport cleaner/fairer/more supportive/funding and income better shared/boxing fighters, trainers, managers, promoters all should be remunerated according to workload (numbers 3 and 5)

The days of boxing being an east end gang organised sport should be long long gone.

[JamesPhilips]

1. referees being accommodated and wined and dined at the expense of the promoters. This harbours home town decisions and the promoters know it. This should come out of BBBC sanctioning fees. Same applies to travel expenses too

2. Boxers having to sell tickets to fight (this is so wrong in my opinion and bollocks to 'its a tradition' etc) often to cover the wages of their opponent. in my opinion its the promoters job to sell a show and sell tickets and to pay the fighters.

3. The BBB of C should also have a minimum wage structure for professional boxers. 4 rounds = 2K, 6 rounds = 3K etc, area belt 5K, English title 10K etc etc.

4. The board should also deduct a percentage (2-4%) from all pre tax purses to go into a welfare fund to help support boxers and their families who have been injured (career affecting) during BBBC sanctioned events.

5. The board should also limit some of the recognised percentages and the percentage splits for manager, trainer and promoter. Managers dont really do much so 5%. Promoters should do more (see number 2 above) 15%. Trainers should be paid more so 20% of purse rather than fixed amounts for higher earning fighters.

These ideas are all just my opinion but if i was in Robert Smiths position, they are the kind of thing i would implement to make the sport cleaner/fairer/more supportive/funding and income better shared/boxing fighters, trainers, managers, promoters all should be remunerated according to workload (numbers 3 and 5)

The days of boxing being an east end gang organised sport should be long long gone.

Some good suggestions here. I think Smith has stepped down now though? Regardless the main issue is that the BBBofC is a limited company, essentially a limited business that makes profit and has a significant cash holding. They have no legal mandate over professional British boxing, although in reality they do control it and are too powerful to unseat. (Although I remember certain fighters and fights - like Haye Chisora I think - where the event was under the jurisdiction of a foreign board - Luxembourg I think.) So if you look at it, a private limited company guided by profit is ‘in charge’ of UK boxing. It’s a weird set up

[John]

2 would just mean far fewer events
3 would just mean far fewer events

[joshj909]

I think ultimately, the government should create some rules and then someone else enforce it, something simply to safeguard boxers from physical harm in the long run, financial exploitation from promoters and managers etc, and also for the fairness and competition for the sport. As others have mentioned here, it's essentially made for profit so they have their own interests. Your suggestions are along the right lines but would need to be tweaked for different levels of boxing. There's some really low level events where the minimum fees you suggested would be unaffordable.

Some things that I would propose are that:
- The lowest paid boxer on the event should be paid a minimum amount or percentage compared to the highest paid boxer on an event. So if it's a PPV where the main event is making tens of millions, the opening boxers can't only be paid £500. I also think there should be a minimum percentage that boxers make from the revenue of the event to stop promoters from heavily profiting from boxers without paying them their worth.

Means tested permission for each fight for those with vulnerable brains. That's older boxers and also those who have had significant amounts of concussions or KO losses. The idea that it stops someone from carrying out their career is an argument but sometimes people need to be stopped from harming themselves. Alongside this, an exhibition format somewhere between amateur and pro, probably with headguards, could be implemented for the oldies, the celebrities that want to box (like misfits) and for those who are just not good enough for the pro game.

I like your idea of a welfare fund. They should also have someone employed that does mandatory training every few years to highlight the effects of CTE. Probably helping some of them open their eyes to future careers as well as most of them aren't going to be able to retire from work when their boxing career is over.

Referees should have absolutely no connection to the promoters. The board should get paid for the referees and the referees then get paid by the board. No wining, no dining and no hospitality at all that can be connected to the promoter. Giving the fans a vote of the quality of the referee would also be helpful as it's just an old boys club at the moment.

[Coco]

He has done a good job

[veriton]

I would make it illegal for anyone to question Robert Smith and anyone who does would have to spend 24 hours in a lift at the BBB of C HQ with Adam Smith.

[Coco]

I would make it illegal for anyone to question Robert Smith and anyone who does would have to spend 24 hours in a lift at the BBB of C HQ with Adam Smith.

Come on, that's just OTT, maybe 20 lashes but that???

[Greg Houston]

Some good suggestions here. I think Smith has stepped down now though? Regardless the main issue is that the BBBofC is a limited company, essentially a limited business that makes profit and has a significant cash holding. They have no legal mandate over professional British boxing, although in reality they do control it and are too powerful to unseat. (Although I remember certain fighters and fights - like Haye Chisora I think - where the event was under the jurisdiction of a foreign board - Luxembourg I think.) So if you look at it, a private limited company guided by profit is ‘in charge’ of UK boxing. It’s a weird set up

They are a company, but limited by guarantee rather than shares. Without shareholders there are no distributions thus not the same pressure for profit making as other companies.

[JamesPhilips]

Some good suggestions here. I think Smith has stepped down now though? Regardless the main issue is that the BBBofC is a limited company, essentially a limited business that makes profit and has a significant cash holding. They have no legal mandate over professional British boxing, although in reality they do control it and are too powerful to unseat. (Although I remember certain fighters and fights - like Haye Chisora I think - where the event was under the jurisdiction of a foreign board - Luxembourg I think.) So if you look at it, a private limited company guided by profit is ‘in charge’ of UK boxing. It’s a weird set up

They are a company, but limited by guarantee rather than shares. Without shareholders there are no distributions thus not the same pressure for profit making as other companies.

I’m sure there are some generous salaries though

[John]

James, you are just making unfounded accusations from a position of total ignorance.

[Greg Houston]

Some good suggestions here. I think Smith has stepped down now though? Regardless the main issue is that the BBBofC is a limited company, essentially a limited business that makes profit and has a significant cash holding. They have no legal mandate over professional British boxing, although in reality they do control it and are too powerful to unseat. (Although I remember certain fighters and fights - like Haye Chisora I think - where the event was under the jurisdiction of a foreign board - Luxembourg I think.) So if you look at it, a private limited company guided by profit is ‘in charge’ of UK boxing. It’s a weird set up

They are a company, but limited by guarantee rather than shares. Without shareholders there are no distributions thus not the same pressure for profit making as other companies.

I’m sure there are some generous salaries though

[Greg Houston]

They are a company, but limited by guarantee rather than shares. Without shareholders there are no distributions thus not the same pressure for profit making as other companies.

I’m sure there are some generous salaries though

Salaries yes, but those are set amounts not based on profits.

[keithmoonhangover]

The ref carries a spare gumshield in his pocket, if fighter A's comes out, the shoves the spare in his mouth. If that comes out, it's a point off.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The ref carries a spare gumshield in his pocket, if fighter A's comes out, the shoves the spare in his mouth. If that comes out, it's a point off.

That or just time the corner 5 seconds to get gumshield back in or point off.

That’ll speed things up.

[John]

Or simply deduct a point for losing your gumshield, problem solved instantly.

[JamesPhilips]

I’m sure there are some generous salaries though

Salaries yes, but those are set amounts not based on profits.

Could they have bonuses? I mean regardless the director would still have a requirement to bring in revenue and if possible increase it.

[MasterG]

Stop importing journeymen that are useless and use home grown boxers.

[John]

Stop importing journeymen that are useless and use home grown boxers.

make the fights competitive and maybe the sport will resurge

[David McAllister]

Stop importing journeymen that are useless and use home grown boxers.

This isn't really something that can just happen on its own, boxers/managers/promotors wold all need to buy into it but the worry is always that no matter what real boxing fans want to see its a business and if yo uhave a boxer who can sell out venues and are not that great... these guys will be protected.

Biggest thing I'd like to see brought in as that you can only be ranked if you can weigh in within say 5% of the championship weight at any time of the year. This would take away the weight bullying we see where people drop 7-10kg on the week of a fight to gain an advantage. Even worse is that there are boxers doing this to face journeyman....

[MasterG]

Stop importing journeymen that are useless and use home grown boxers.

This isn't really something that can just happen on its own, boxers/managers/promotors wold all need to buy into it but the worry is always that no matter what real boxing fans want to see its a business and if yo uhave a boxer who can sell out venues and are not that great... these guys will be protected.

Biggest thing I'd like to see brought in as that you can only be ranked if you can weigh in within say 5% of the championship weight at any time of the year. This would take away the weight bullying we see where people drop 7-10kg on the week of a fight to gain an advantage. Even worse is that there are boxers doing this to face journeyman....

Rules can be changed. And I'm sure such a rule regarding fodder can be implemented quickly.

There is absolutely no reason we need an unknown Argentinan to be flown over to not show any resistance at all.

Im guessing the BBBoC have to approve match ups? So all they need to do is refuse on a larger scale.

[John]

What ever happened to referees telling both boxers to step it up or get disqualified ? Not seen it happen in years.

[forcefraser]

Female boxers to wear 4 oz gloves and box 3 minute rounds so we get more knockouts

[rhino222]

Or simply deduct a point for losing your gumshield, problem solved instantly.

but thats like saying you get a point deducted for your lace coming undone or your foul proof protector riding high

[rhino222]

He has done a good job

In your opinion, how has he improved things during his tenure?

[Coco]

Yeah, boxing is a dirty business, and you have to do your best despite difficult circumstances especially when huge amounts of money is involved.

During his tenure, medicals are strong, the sport as a whole is in a good place.

Dodgy decisions are nothing new