Osama Bin Laden speaks directly to the media more than Floyd Mayweather mastermind and longtime music promoter Al Haymon does.
At least Osama sends out those squirrely videos.
Haymon pays front men like Dan Goossen, Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella and others to deal with the media in his boxing venutures.
Haymon believes loose lips sink boxing and music ships. He is the opposite of a quote machine like Arum.
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Maybe he learned the magic of radio silence when it comes to the media while at Harvard Law School. Haymon doesn’t work out of a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan. Last time I checked, the man who pulls the strings in the Mayweather camp was comfortably situated in the San Fernando Valley.
Haymon hates Manny Pacquiao promoter and Top Rank top honcho Bob Arum like poison. Arum, famous for his various feuds and vendettas over four decades on top of the promotional heap, just hates Haymon regular, no salt added.
No Urban Turban: Bin Laden works out of well hidden caves, something like Mayweather mastermind Al Haymon (AP Photo)
Good news for fight fans is that, on Tuesday when the warring parties from the two fighter’s camps, sit across from each other in the JAMS Santa Monica office of high priced mediator and former Federal judge Daniel Weinstein is that Arum won’t looking into Haymon’s face.
Haymon is unlikely to show up but should a Mayweather decision need to be made on anything more important than fat free or regular milk for the afternoon coffee, you may be sure that acolytes Laughing Lenny Ellerbe and Golden Banker Richie Rich Schaefer will have Al on speed dial.
No doubt that Haymon is the decision maker on Mayweather business.
As recently as May 8, Arum voiced his disapproval of Haymon’s business practices.
“I have no dislike for Floyd whatsoever,” Arum told Philstar.com about his former charge.
“That’s not a factor. But I want to negotiate with somebody I trust. I don’t want to deal with any sleazebags.” Even Stevie Wonder can read “sleazebag” as meaning Mr. Haymon.
Arum continues to talk directly to Schaefer and, to a lesser extent, to Ellerbe.
Haymon, who made millions upon millions promoting concerts by Whitney Houston, MC Hammer, Janet Jackson and Boyz II Men, has exerted such influence over HBO’s boxing program that some have snidely called it the Haymon Boxing Organization (cited by Kevin Iole on Yahoo.com last Feb. 26).
Don King’s motley collection of fighters circa 2010 may be collecting only dust but, back when he was rolling strong, Arum’s historic archrival also took some verbal shots at Haymon and his smooth path with HBO. “There are things going on with Al Haymon and HBO that just aren’t right,” King said. “Somebody should do a striptease and expose that act.”
It’s no secret that Haymon had a close, personal relationship with former HBO chief executive Dick Parsons.
Having Arum and Haymon not together at the mediator’s conference table?
That is addition by subtraction because, boxing hyperbole aside, these two really don’t like each other. I hate it when rich men fight, don’t you?
I will make an exception for Floyd and Manny.
