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The Average Professional Boxer Makes Below Poverty Level By John Chavez PhilBoxing.com Wed, 14 May 2008 When people think of boxing, they tend to consistently refer to the exorbitant purses derived by past fighters such as Mike Tyson and present participants such as Oscar De la Hoya & Floyd Mayweather Jr.. These fighters tend and tended to generate multi-million dollar paydays somewhere in the region of twenty, thirty, and at times more than forty million dollars per fight. To state that this is considered the norm within boxing would be the biggest overstatement in the history of overstatements. Boxing?s minimum wage depends on what state you might be competing in which generally ranges anywhere from $100 to $250 per round. Considering that even the most hectic schedule might have a prospect fighting somewhere in the range of twelve times a year (barring any injuries), it equates to a yearly income of $12,000. (Based on making the minimum per fight) The current poverty level for residents in the United States of America has been calculated to the amount of $15,600. While boxers can generally earn extra wages by assisting in other fighter?s training camps in the form of sparring, it?s generally considered infrequent by nature and merely provides sporadic, supplemental income. In recent times throughout various industries there has been much uproar based on the discrepancy between executive salaries & compensation in comparison to that of subordinates and lower level employees. Mind you, these lower level employees are generally making significantly more than the current poverty level while enjoying the benefits of health insurance and other covered medical expenses. While the wage difference between the business world?s top dogs and bottom feeding crustaceans are quite astounding? it is nothing in comparison to what?s currently taking place within boxing. Do I feel that promoters should compensate these fledgling fighters to an exorbitant amount in order to raise boxing?s minimum wage? Not necessarily being that the profit margin on club shows tends to be razor thin as it is. Should promoters be mandated to double or even triple their fighter minimums, it would result in inflated ticket prices which would ultimately lead to poor attendance leading to the dissolution of local boxing cards altogether. Am I asking for Oscar De la Hoya to donate half his fight purses in order to better compensate these young fighters that tend to fight for mere peanuts? Of course not. I?m simply pointing out an obvious problem within the sport that would almost make any person cringe at the thought of following their dreams of becoming a pugilistic professor in the near future. While going ?pro? within the sweet science isn?t necessarily as stringent or rigid as say? making a professional basketball or football team, it should still allow for some sort of level as a viable full-time occupation. Here are the minimum yearly salaries for the various mainstream sports outlets within the U.S.: MLB $390,000 NFL $285,000 NBA $442,000 NHL $450,000 The majority of professional ?championship level? boxers have never made a purse equivalent to even half of most of those minimum salaries. It?s yet another reason why boxing has taken a huge back step in terms of mainstream notoriety and overall participation over the years. The goal of every professional athlete is to be the best at what they do and with that follows the money, fame, and glory. This isn?t always the case within boxing. Boxing is much more about your relationship with top promotional firms, top level managers, as well as premium network television outlets. An example would be Juan Diaz recently losing to Nate Campbell yet receiving another spotlight assignment against Joel Casamayor. In most other sports, defeated teams or participants are reevaluated and are forced to once again work their way up the rankings giving other hungry contenders the chance to knock them off once again. It helps in creating new names and faces within the sport and maintains a level playing field. The way that professional tennis is run would be an example of what boxing should aspire for... at least somewhat. There are four major tournaments that take place throughout the year in which the best ultimately make it to the top and earn the top dollar for their accomplishments. While the more eccentric and popular players might earn more money based on their numerous endorsement deals in comparison to that of the recognized champion, the best still tend to earn the best paydays each time out. No? a former champion cannot make his way into the finals without having proven himself throughout the tournament. No? a popular loser cannot be excused from a loss due to the profitable ratings that they tend to generate. While I?m not an expert on the exact manner in which tennis is run, I know for a fact that the winner of Wimbledon makes more than the runner-up. Yes? I?m drifting away from the original topic at hand but it?s all seemingly intertwined in one form or another. Right now boxing is based on generating income from names developed and nurtured ten plus years ago. The power players within boxing are few and far between and they understand the ways to exploit their positions being that boxing is not regulated as most industries or sectors tend to be. Oligopolies have formed in recent times leading even veteran boxing personalities to be alienated should they stand on the wrong side of the fence. Boxing needs some major changes in the coming years for the better of the sport as a whole. Not for the better of HBO, Don King, Top Rank, Showtime, Golden Boy Promotions, Shelly Finkel, Al Haymon, or Gary Shaw Productions but for the fighters, the fans, and the overall growth of the sweet science. It?s not just one or two shows on HBO that are going to make the necessary differences to clean up this mess. It?s from the ground up that boxing needs it?s most help. One of the main reasons why the sport has digressed so much in terms of talent and overall skill level is based on the fact that nobody can afford to be a full-time professional trainer or fighter anymore. You can only do so if you?re willing to live inside a cardboard box while eating beans and bak choy on a daily basis. In case you haven?t noticed? boxing isn?t necessarily on the upswing based on the numbers. Less and less people are tuning into the ?Heart and Soul of Boxing? and being that it is considered the ?Heart and Soul? of our favorite sport, it might consider needing a transplant, a quadruple bypass, or maybe even both. If you want to feel the true pulse and health of boxing as a viable occupation, visit your local boxing gym? you?ll be lucky if you can find one. My only question is? if a full-time fighter might average $12,000 a year, how much do the trainers make? If you criticize the current education system within the states for churning out these illiterate imbeciles that can?t tell the difference between a tadpole and a totem pole, you should also criticize boxing for not assisting in the compensation of the teachers of this sport you?re supposedly involved in. It?s always good to see fighters get paid the big dollars but it doesn?t hide the fact that the gap between the starting professional and well connected ?top? fighter is beyond belief. I don?t offer any solution as I?m not intelligent enough to come up with one? all I know is that something should be done. Click here to view a list of other articles written by John Chavez.  |
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