Casual boxing fans want it. Hardcore fight fans crave it. Non-boxing fans would even pay $60/piece for it. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao...the biggest fight between the two biggest names in the sport, sure to generate more money than any other fight in the history of boxing. The real mega-fight in boxing, however, is between the two major players orginally involved in making this fight happen: Pacquiao's promotional company, Top Rank, and the promotional company Mayweather works with, Golden Boy Promotions.
Top Rank has been a major player in the fight game for more than 25 years. It's current cast of big names features Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Nonito Donaire, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Juan Manuel Lopez, Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Kelly Pavlik. Top Rank also features young up-and-comers with potential star power, such as Brandon Rios, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Mike Alvarado, Mike Jones, Diego & Jesse Magdaleno, and Miguel (Mikey) Garcia.
Golden Boy Promotions, on the other hand, was formed in 2002 by future Hall-of-Famer Oscar De La Hoya. Names like Joel Casamayor, David Haye, Bernard Hopkins, Chris John, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi, Victor Ortiz, Israel Vasquez, and Winky Wright lead the roster of the company. To their credit, Golden Boy Promotions also has arguably the deepest pool of future stars, including names like Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, Adrien Broner, Danny Garcia, Robert Guerrero, Danny Jacobs, James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Abner Mares, Carlos Molina, Peter Quillin, and Luis Ramos Jr.
The two companies look somewhat identical in talent, and identical in structure. Both have big name fighters. Both can promote big fights for big money. Both have boxing shows syndicated on national networks to showcase their rising stars. While there are other major promotional companies out there, such as Gary Shaw Productions, Dibella Entertainment, Don King Productions, and Sauerland Events, these two horses are trying to form a boxing monopoly and fighters are the pieces which they're trying to collect. Nonito Donaire tried to jump ship from Top Rank to Golden Boy before recently working out his issues with Top Rank. Tim Bradley is being courted by both companies while he is trying to settle his legal dispute with Gary Shaw & Thompson Boxing. Devon Alexander is a sought-after free agent. In short, just about every fighter is tyring to sign promotional contracts for 3 or 4 fights, hoping to land with one of these major two companies.
Make no mistake, Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank do not like each other. The headlines about the two companies recently making peace with one another is nothing more than an attempt to get Mayweather and Pacquiao in the ring together. Once that happens, the two will be back at each others throats trying to lure talent away from the other.
How long can these two boxing superpowers remain on top? De La Hoya is the face of the company, but Richard Schaefer is the leader due to De La Hoya's well-publicized sting in rehab. Bob Arum is 79 years old and can only do this for so much longer. His son-in-law, Todd DeBoef, seems like a worthy replacement, but only time will tell once he gets his opportunity to sit in the big-boy chair.
These two boxing powers will be at war for the next 20 years and will always be fighting over the top talent because the top talent will want their services. The fight game has become about one thing and one thing only for most boxers...money! As long as the almighty dollar is readily available, fighters will flock to the major promotional companies. Mayweather and Pacquiao will come and go, but the next generation of stars will also command the big money fights, and you best believe that both Top Rank and Golden Boy will be there to pounce on these up-and-coming warriors, looking to grind out every cent they can.
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