Big things are happening with Golden Boy Promotions, and the latest step might be Oscar De La Hoya’s company actually working with hated rival Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing.
For years the two companies have pretty much refused to do business together, which has come at a detriment to the sport. The two promotions each have a stable of fighters and only pair their guys against each other, even if another promoter has a fighter who would present a better matchup. That greediness and selfishness has frequently prevented fans from seeing some of the most intriguing fights.
But, now, it sounds like De La Hoya wants to make some changes.
Following former CEO Richard Schaefer’s resignation announcement from Golden Boy Promotions on Monday, we know Oscar will be more involved with his company. And in an interview with “The Ring Magazine” — which is owned by Golden Boy — Oscar said he plans to work with Top Rank in the future.
“I don’t care what it takes,” De La Hoya told RingTV.com. “I will end the Cold War for the fans.
“I have a mission,” De La Hoya said in the interview, which took place prior to Schaefer’s resignation. “And that mission is to make the best fights happen, to bring everybody together for the fans. That’s all it is. It’s for the fans.”
Oscar says he has already met with Arum a few times to discuss things. He even has a few potential fights in mind if the promotional outfits begin working together.
“There are a lot of possibilities,” De La Hoya said. “You can do (Marcos) Maidana versus Pacquiao. You can do (Lucas) Matthysse and Brandon Rios. There’s a lot of possibilities.”
Perhaps the biggest reason why Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather never happened has to do with the promoters; Mayweather hates Arum and refused to do any sort of business with him.
Will Oscar get eaten alive by Arum when they begin working together? We’ll see. Regardless, this actually should be good for boxing.
