As a boxer how do you build a fanbase?

lefthook82 · Post by **lefthook82** » 02 Aug 2009, 05:11

Underlying assumptions

You are not affiliated to a football club
You are not an Olympian/Amateur standout

Any suggetions?

TheCobra · Post by **TheCobra** » 02 Aug 2009, 07:46

At the end of the day PR is PR, there are absolutely tons of things you can do to promote a fighter and for fighters to promote themselves, it just seems most of them can't be arsed and just want to turn up and fight and let someone else do all their promo for them.

The football club thing is defo something to work with but it's not as if it;s the only thing, having a crowd-pleasing exciting style for me is the key.

lefthook82 · Post by **lefthook82** » 02 Aug 2009, 08:01

no probs@ bigmark

@cobra I agree with you

Defo the football thing is good, but if you are not affilaited to a club before you turn pro I think its difficult to then try to beg support after you've turn pro. It would feel a bit plastic

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 02 Aug 2009, 08:50

Knock Mofos out in brutal fashion, worked well enough for Benn/Bruno, putting them in the shop window and keeping them busy helps

jizzle · Post by **jizzle** » 02 Aug 2009, 09:18

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Knock Mofos out in brutal fashion, worked well enough for Benn/Bruno, putting them in the shop window and keeping them busy helps

Damn right!

Bomber 1 · Post by **Bomber 1** » 02 Aug 2009, 09:54

Just fight to the best of your ability and be as exciting as possible!! Have a personality and don't be afraid to speak your mind..

I ain't got the biggest fanbase BUT if your true to yourself and keep putting in 100% everytime you climb into the ring then it can only grow.

Well there's my 2 bob's worth for what it's worth, Which ain't worth much.

adamwillan · Post by **adamwillan** » 02 Aug 2009, 11:31

lefthook82 wrote:Underlying assumptions

You are not affiliated to a football club
You are not an Olympian/Amateur standout

Any suggetions?

Amir is that you?

bigdaddy · Post by **bigdaddy** » 02 Aug 2009, 13:28

BIGMARK wrote:
lefthook82 wrote:no probs@ bigmark

@cobra I agree with you

Defo the football thing is good, but if you are not affilaited to a club before you turn pro I think its difficult to then try to beg support after you've turn pro. It would feel a bit plastic
it would feel a bit plastic but i imagine it has been done as it proves it works. David Haye, Jeffries, Hatton, Mitchell all have following based on the teams they support and it does sell tickets. If a fighter is from a football city it does no harm making an appearence on the pitch before a game or mentioning the club and city in interviews as it does sell tickets.

Yes agree watching jeffreys who must be the most popular olympian on sky with all of the sunderland football players and there chairman Nial quinn at his fights really helps his pr i was up there watching my mate Rendal box they mad and he sells a boat load of tickets and them sunderland fans are really nuts about him i think next year they will have to put him on at the stadium of light.

lefthook82 · Post by **lefthook82** » 02 Aug 2009, 14:17

i'm really surprised FW passed up jeffries after the hobson debacle considering that he puts bums on seats, he is a prper mackem, think he used to sell hotdogs outsie the ground or something like that

@bigmark

i recall witter once parading his wbc belt at doncasters stadium. i'm sure the majority of that very poorly attended didnt know nor care who this dude with the green belt was

Any other ideas. Remember, affiliation with a football club is not an option

How about going out with one those z listers and gaining noterity that way?

mickey1975 · Post by **mickey1975** » 02 Aug 2009, 14:44

BIGMARK wrote:
lefthook82 wrote:no probs@ bigmark

@cobra I agree with you

Defo the football thing is good, but if you are not affilaited to a club before you turn pro I think its difficult to then try to beg support after you've turn pro. It would feel a bit plastic
it would feel a bit plastic but i imagine it has been done as it proves it works. David Haye, Jeffries, Hatton, Mitchell all have following based on the teams they support and it does sell tickets. If a fighter is from a football city it does no harm making an appearence on the pitch before a game or mentioning the club and city in interviews as it does sell tickets.

jefferies is huge in sunderland anyway,haye is not a ticketseller,and neither is mitchell

bigdaddy · Post by **bigdaddy** » 02 Aug 2009, 14:50

[it would feel a bit plastic but i imagine it has been done as it proves it works. David Haye, Jeffries, Hatton, Mitchell all have following based on the teams they support and it does sell tickets. If a fighter is from a football city it does no harm making an appearence on the pitch before a game or mentioning the club and city in interviews as it does sell tickets.[/quote]

get your chairman on your side they mad up there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29F2El6q3TE

[

emma · Post by **emma** » 02 Aug 2009, 18:59

lefthook82 wrote:i'm really surprised FW passed up jeffries after the hobson debacle considering that he puts bums on seats, he is a prper mackem, think he used to sell hotdogs outsie the ground or something like that

@bigmark

i recall witter once parading his wbc belt at doncasters stadium. i'm sure the majority of that very poorly attended didnt know nor care who this dude with the green belt was

Any other ideas. Remember, affiliation with a football club is not an option

How about going out with one those z listers and gaining noterity that way?

Also featuring in those womens/teenage magazines i.e like james degale posing nude for cosmo. That must have got him atleast another dozen female fans. As not many females follow boxing they arnt aware of these good looking guys until they spot them in the mags, so it helps build the female fanbase.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 02 Aug 2009, 19:05

People like a puncher .. Benn & Naz ;;-)

Without mainstream TV its gonna be hard to get anything like a Hatton size following.

Out of the British guys active at the moment. I`m most surprised that Haye doesn`t have a big following. The guy is exciting to watch, and has real charisma infront of the camera.

Asterix · Post by **Asterix** » 02 Aug 2009, 19:37

Rivalry is a brilliant way to build a fan base. Build up a rivalry with another boxer to get people interested and then fight.

Personality. If you can interest people with your chatter then they'll remember you, and hopefully even make an effort to watch you box.

Looks. If you're good looking you're going to get female fans, and you'll also get good offers to help publicise yourself.

Failing those three, if you're knocking out everyone you fight then people will take notice.

jim wright1 · Post by **jim wright1** » 03 Aug 2009, 03:48

Which boxer has had the biggest football following?

Hatton/ city maybe or I can remember Woodall bringing thousands of baggies fans and half the team to watch him fight in Sheffield.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 03 Aug 2009, 04:47

BIGMARK wrote:I think a connection with a football club always helps and if the fighter is lucky enough to be in an area where the club has a good, fanatic support the better.

Sometimes it does but sometimes it's a big fooking mistake. Both Scott Harrison and Alex Arthur immediately alienated half the population of their respective cities by donning club colours.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 03 Aug 2009, 05:32

There is the social identity theory also. The asian community initially came out in massive numbers for Khan. Probably down to more than anything else - believing he was fighting for them against prejudices.

Hatton`s large following was probably started due to the poor relative scenario between City and United.

It helps to get people to believe they are making a personal stand by giving their support.

Be too neutral - and who are you appealing to?

the patriot · Post by **the patriot** » 03 Aug 2009, 06:12

For what it's worth I think boxers should fight as close to their home towns as possible when they're staring out, and get the LOCAL press on their side to build them up.

Look at Nathan Cleverly, only 6 of his 17 fights have been in South Wales, and nothing since 2007

Hopefully that'll change soon and he can get to headline his own show in or around Cardiff.

bigdaddy · Post by **bigdaddy** » 03 Aug 2009, 06:21

the patriot wrote:For what it's worth I think boxers should fight as close to their home towns as possible when they're staring out, and get the LOCAL press on their side to build them up.

Look at Nathan Cleverly, only 6 of his 17 fights have been in South Wales, and nothing since 2007

Hopefully that'll change soon and he can get to headline his own show in or around Cardiff.

Surprized Degale has not boxed in London wheres Frank Maloney has jeffreys boxing his third fight in his home town.Iagree Cleverly should be boxing in Wales to build his fan base up.

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 03 Aug 2009, 11:16

You have to give people something they want to see, be that flashy style, brutal knockouts, good interviews, whatever it takes.

Muhammed Ali got his style from pro wrestling (Gorgeous George, aparently) and finely honed his persona, working on his interview skills to shift tickets

You have to give people something to love or hate (not really hate, but want to see beat) fighters like, say, Witter, Woods and Frotch dont give people anything to follow.
I'ts not like people see Carl Frotch on TV, mumbling away about Joe Calzaghe, and feel they just have to go and see his next fight..

there is no story there, no good guy, no bad guy, just a man in a beard mumbling away in a Nottingham accent

UFC, however just did over 1.7 million buys to see a former Pro Wrestler fight a mediocre challenger, because they gave the people a simple story and easy to identify good and bad guys.

Deserter · Post by **Deserter** » 03 Aug 2009, 11:22

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote: there is no story there, no good guy, no bad guy, just a man in a beard mumbling away in a Nottingham accent.

As much as I'm a Froch fan, that made me laugh out loud. Somewhat harsh, given he's an articulate guy, but very, very funny.
Good post overall with some pertinent points KG - glad to see you've recaptured some of your old form

mickey1975 · Post by **mickey1975** » 03 Aug 2009, 12:03

its not that easy to say how build a fanbase.i think you just have it or you dont.jefferies for instance was a hero in sunderland long before he went to the olympics.others,such as hatton did it with pure ability,when he boxed on the tyson-francis bill,he stole the show,got skys backing and the sn hype machine behind him.he was also very personable at that time and knew how to work the public.macklin has a good fanbase too,but he probably knows all of them personally.at lot is to do with how your seen in your hometown,i think thats why londoners struggle,theres too much going on and people arent that aware of the current scene.george groves excepted(would help if he boxed though!)

bigdaddy · Post by **bigdaddy** » 04 Aug 2009, 08:05

mickey1975 wrote:its not that easy to say how build a fanbase.i think you just have it or you dont.jefferies for instance was a hero in sunderland long before he went to the olympics.others,such as hatton did it with pure ability,when he boxed on the tyson-francis bill,he stole the show,got skys backing and the sn hype machine behind him.he was also very personable at that time and knew how to work the public.macklin has a good fanbase too,but he probably knows all of them personally.at lot is to do with how your seen in your hometown,i think thats why londoners struggle,theres too much going on and people arent that aware of the current scene.george groves excepted(would help if he boxed though!)

agree

Lawton2009 · Post by **Lawton2009** » 04 Aug 2009, 08:15

ASK RICKY HATTON

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 04 Aug 2009, 08:36

Slightly OT, but good bit from the Wrestling Observer on promotions listening to "Hardcore" fans over the general public.

what people on messageboards calls for, is not what the general public want to see (usually)

Affliction did a better job than its predecessors at marketing Emelianenko, and MMA in general has gained popularity in recent years, but Emelianenko vs. Barnett, which some saw as No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, was going to be lucky to do six percent of the business that Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir did two weeks ago.

There was the classic mistake that almost everyone on the inside falls into, which is relying on the Internet message boards and think that reflects the fan base, when it actually reflects a tiny percentage of the fan base, whose tastes are markedly different from the masses. Promotion on television and the ability to garner a mainstream buzz are the key, not getting Hardcore fans excited.

As a boxer how do you build a fanbase?

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