It seems that professional boxers have finally decided that to risk their lives in the ring, but let others handle their business outside of it, isn't in their best interests. Fledgling promotional companies with fighter's names attached seem to be sprouting up at every fight promotion. Evander Holyfield has "Real Deal Promotions." Fernando Vargas has "Vargas Entertainment Promotions." Floyd Mayweather Jr. has "Mayweather Promotions." And the beat goes on.
The longest standing, most successful of these fighter-led companies is Oscar De La Hoya's "GoldenBoy Promotions." With GoldenBoy's recent acquisition of The Ring magazine, De La Hoya (34) has cemented his place as the "pound for pound" best boxer-entrepreneur in the world. But every fighter, and every business, if they are around long enough, reaches a point where the problems seem to mount faster than the solutions.
Stars At the End Of Their Careers
For De La Hoya, his moment may be arriving soon. A glance at GoldenBoy.com clearly illustrates the problem. On the home page, menacing images of Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera, and De La Hoya scowl from the screen like a pugilistic Mt. Rushmore. Each of these fighters is a boxing icon. Each is assured a place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. And each is either at the end of his fighting career {Barrera recently retired} or a year or two away.
These four men have been the gasoline for GoldenBoy's promotional engine for years and De La Hoya finds himself short on alternative fuel. Many of the younger fighters in the GoldenBoy stable lack either the talent, or innate marketability to be the long-term moneymakers that the company's top four have been. Here's a look at GoldenBoy's more prominent names:
- Francisco Bojado (18-3,12 KO's) is possibly the most talented fighter in the GoldenBoy ranks, but by weighing in at 145 lb (the jr. welterweight limit is 140) in his recent loss to Steve Forbes, he showed, again, that he doesn't have the personal discipline to make the most of his ability. The shame of it is, he's only 24-years-old.
- Daniel Ponce De Leon (33-1, 30 KO's) is 27-year-old a knockout machine; yet his horrid technique means that he lacks the skills to be a long-term star.
- Rey Bautista (23-1, 17 KO's), a heavy-handed Filipino, ridiculously popular in his own country, was GoldenBoy's future connection to the boxing-mad Philippines, until De Leon recently bulldozed him in the second round. He's only 21-years-old, so there's time for him to develop. De Leon may have been too-much-too-soon for this young super-bantam.
- Israel Vasquez (42-4-3, 31 KO's) recently split two fight-of the year type brawls with Raul Marquez. This 29-year-old super-bantam has only a year or two remaining if he continues his back-alley style.
- Librado Andrade (26-1, 20 KO's) isn't overwhelming in any category except his will to win. He gets knocked down, he gets back up. He gets hit, he hits back. Twice. Tough guy and great fun to watch. At 28-years-old in the light heavyweight division, he has plenty of juice left.
De La Hoya has a stable of 48 active fighters, which leaves plenty of room for pleasant surprises, and he has cleverly attracted Mexican and Filipino talent, two of the more ravenous fan bases in the sport. Nothing De La Hoya nor GoldenBoy CEO, Richard Schaefer, does is accidental, but De La Hoya knows as well as anyone, it's the punch you don't see that knocks you out.
All fighter's records provided by BoxRec.com and subject to change.
Bill Scherer - Bill Scherer has written for RingSports.com and TigerBoxing.com, enjoyed a stint as the Managing Editor for FightTube.tv and is a United ...
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