Barstool Sports has yet another goldmine on their hands. The fastest growing media empire has dipped their toes into boxing promotion and the results have been overwhelming positive.

It seems that everything they touch over the last few years becomes an instant success. When CEO Dave Portnoy decided to venture into amateur boxing promoting, he knew there was an untapped market just waiting to be fed.

Partnering with Christopher MacCorkle Smith, "Rough N' Rowdy" has exploded. Smith had already been running the promotion, on a much smaller scale. Partnering with Barstool Sports has made it a household name.

The company prides itself as being for the common man. So when they launched the first event in the "Rough N' Rowdy" boxing series, it made perfect sense what type of amateur boxers they were looking for.

The original plan

When he first came up with the idea to host a Barstool boxing event, Dave Portnoy's primary goal was the amateurism of it all. These weren't career fighters who spend hours upon hours in the ring and training to be the best they can. These were regular people who put on the gloves and tested themselves to see what they were made of.

The entertainment aspect came more from the back stories and rivalries that played out. Don't like someone in your office? Hate your neighbor? Throw some gloves on and settle it with a few rounds of haymakers and a hug at the end.

Hosting the events across the south, mainly West Virginia, was a brilliant idea. Local communities are much tighter and grudges much more amplified. The formula was a perfect fit.

Evolving to legitimacy

As the popularity of "Rough N' Rowdy" exploded, so too did the professionalism, at least on the production side. Some minor kinks were still experienced in the latest pay per view showing, but the company has continuously improved each time out.

It is perfectly reasonable to expect that each upcoming event will be better and better from a production standpoint.

This growing popularity also meant a change in the fight formula. Having dozens of hilariously amateurish boxing matches can eventually wear thin on a crowd and market. At some point, actual skill was bound to take over.

The recent event had over 1,500 fighters apply for the 80 spots to compete. Still considered amateur at best, the quality of the fights has improved.

Simply put, they are finding the right balance between quality fighters and keeping things as close to the common man as possible.

Future growth

The sky is truly the limit right now for this venture. Shows are fast selling out and pay per view buys are increasing event event.

The only current limitations are the states that have said no to sanctioning fights. Preferring to work where they are allowed, Smith hasn't pushed the issue too much yet. The comparison best made is how the UFC was widely shunned by athletic commissions in their early days, and now they are welcome in all 50 states.

They have found their market and niche within the fight community. How they continue to scale their brainchild will determine how far they can go.
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