Boxing Has A New Tyrant

The sport of boxing finds itself in a major conundrum at the moment.  The idea of a sport with such independence seemed like a breeding ground for innovation and opportunity, but in the last decade we have seen nothing but regression.

To the commercial sport’s media in America, boxing has become an afterthought.

 

If a fight doesn’t feature Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao, you’d be hard-pressed to find any coverage outside of boxing outlets.  The sport hasn’t been a household entity since the demise of the heavyweight division.

Fortunately, none of that really matters.

Boxing is alive and with its current crop of fighters, has the ammunition to blow the doors off of the sport’s world.  The problem is… boxing’s independence has become a benefit to the fighter, while being a detriment to the sport. 

Money has always been at the forefront of boxing.  I mean, why else would a man step into the ring and put his future well-being on the line?  They’re the modern day hunters. The great fighters of the ‘40s and ‘50s used to fight to literally put food on the table.

 

If you watch fighters of the past, you’ll notice a hunger and determination that seems to be absent from a number of fighters today.

As the money increased, a new breed of fighter was birthed. 

That new breed of fighter is a scary one… and not the type of scary that brings fear into the ring… but the type of scary that can bring an end to the sport. 

I call them Prizeboxers… boxers whose claim to the importance of their legacy is only a façade and severely overshadowed by their focus on finance.

Recently, a number of fighters from Luis Collazo to potential superstar Adonis “Superman” Stevenson signed with manager/advisor Al Haymon.  Al Haymon is a highly touted name in boxing and is most revered for his connection with Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

He has a simple business model for fighters that is incredibly appealing… maximize profit while minimizing risk.

It’s a long term business plan that fighters have a tough time refuting.  Like I said before, boxers put their life on the line when they step into the squared-circle so more money with less risk of injury is a win-win situation for all fighters. The only ones who lose are the same ones who support the sport… fans.

 

We’ve seen it for the past eight years with the death of “Pretty Boy” Floyd and the rise of Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Haymon put his business plan on full display with Floyd.  It was brilliant and now Floyd sits atop the world of boxing while continuously maneuvering his way around potential threats in the ring. 

Maximize profits while minimizing risk. It’s also the reason why Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not and will not be regarded as a legend of the sport.  He’s simply the greatest Prizeboxer of all-time.

The next fighter to be put on display? Adonis “Superman” Stevenson. 

Stevenson had a deal in place with both HBO and Main Events for a match-up later in the year with WBO champ Sergey Kovalev.  Both fighters were set with tune-up fights on HBO to build excitement for their upcoming clash.  Stevenson, on the advice of his “new” manager Al Haymon, decided to back out of his deal with HBO and take his talents to rival Showtime, consequentially putting a Stevenson-Kovalev fight on life support. 

Why would Stevenson leave a network that built him up into a potential superstar and guaranteed him the biggest fight currently in boxing?  Let me explain…

Adonis Stevenson is not, by any means, scared of Sergey Kovalev.  But if you’re a fighter on the precipice of becoming a superstar, why risk losing it all by fighting a monster like Kovalev when you can make just as much money fighting a 49-year old Bernard Hopkins?  Maximize profits while minimizing risk.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev looks to seek and destroy.  He’s knocked out 22 of his 25 opponents.  A knockout loss to Kovalev would definitely put a major blemish on the superstar path of Adonis Stevenson… but a victory would catapult him into the depths greatness! What Al Haymon’s business model fails to acknowledge is that with more risk comes more reward.

In the end, what does all this mean?

There are a ton of young quality fighters in the game today.  Enough fighters to keep boxing alive and strong.  If Al Haymon’s business model continues to corrupt the minds of fighters, the quality of fights will severely decrease. 

The majority of fighters currently under the tutelage of Al Haymon are American fighters.  Boxing is already struggling to produce quality American fighters.  It’s a double-edged sword that could ultimately paralyze the sport of boxing in the United States.  Add this to the current “Cold War” and you have a recipe for disaster. 

Adonis “Superman” Stevenson won’t be the last fighter to trade immortality for financial gain… hopefully, the young fighters of the sport understand that the hunger and determination to be the best yields a more valued reward.