Promoters out of pocket before first punch thrown

The boxing fraternity and, to a larger extent, the man on the street are too quick to rubbish promoters when they fail to stage a boxing tournament.

It appears simple and easy when looking from outside but get involved in the whole exercise, then one will find out how daunting a task it is to actually organise a tournament.

That is why some of us salute every single promoter when they deliver. Granted, boxers suffer when a tournament is called off because of the sacrifices they make once they sign contracts to fight.

Some even go as far as to borrow money so they get supplements and a better diet, and it becomes a problem when a tournament does not go ahead as planned. In that situation the contracts says if a tournament is cancelled or postponed boxers are due 10% of their agreed purse monies.

The first step is to sign contracts and pay purse monies for boxers to Boxing SA within 14 days. A promoter must also pay for local officials with BSA.

A promoter must then follow all compliance regarding security, police, hospital, ambulance, suitable venue and doctors, paid for by the promoter. Once that is done they can start marketing their tournaments. Boxing SA helps promote the tournament via social media.

• A promoter must transport, feed and accommodate all Boxing SA's official in the radius of 50 kilometres;
• When the promoter intends to stage an IBF, ABU, IBO, WBC, WBA and WBF title fight, he or she must first negotiate with those federations to see that the local boxer is either right to challenge or contest for that particular title fight.
• Then negotiations for sanctioning fees begins;
• Once agreed, a promoter negotiates purse monies with both the champion and challenger and after that signs contracts and take them to Boxing SA;
• The promoter must then prepare visa documents for a visiting fighter;
• Arrange transport and accommodation for the boxer and his team, including food;
• The challenger or champion must be in the country a week before the actual tournament and the promoter must pick them up at the nearest destination to the hotel, feed them and make sure they have training facilities;
• The main and supporting bouts' medical costs must be paid for by the promoter;
• International boxers are paid in dollars, and all officials from different federation are also paid in dollars. Even if local officials can be paid in rands, the purse must be equivalent to the dollar;
• The promoter must provide transport to the foreign boxer to the airport going back home.

Simply put, a promoter must do everything from their pockets before they get any money from sponsors which only pays after the event.

We now know what promoters go through before we gather at a venue to witness the action.