The most popular narrative in the world of boxing for the past five years has been the potential super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. There have been thousands of excuses, from both boxers, to halt any negotiations for a fight.
This time, more than ever, the problems seem to stem from the promoters, Top Rank and Golden Boy, more than from the fighters themselves. With both fighters expressing their wish to fight, what is the problem?
The problem lies between Bob Arum, the president of Top Rank, and the heads at Golden Boy promotions, as both parties refuse to act like reasonable adults.
The two most important promoters in boxing do not want to risk their most lucrative clients. The loser of this match may not have his career diminished, but his pay day will fall.
While the boxers know they need to face each other to be the best, the promoters know the loss in revenue is too risky.
With UFC kicking its promotion into high gear with events on national Television, and its increased popularity with the younger audience, boxing needs to do something to keep its spot as the top combat sport.
The fans will continue to come for an inferior product, especially diehard boxing fans, but the John Smiths of the world are not going to fork over $60 for a fight unless its Mayweather-Pacquiao.
The promoters want to keep making fights that keep their lucrative toys lucrative, making paper champions of the likes of Canelo Alvarez, without even listening to the fans reactions — only to their wallets.
If Golden Boy and Top Rank don’t bring their power together (as by far the biggest promoters in the sport) to change the sport, then boxing will have no opportunity to reaching half the popularity it had during its glory days in the 20th century.
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