Fresh on the heels of losing Nonito Donaire to Golden Boy, it appears that Top Rank are preparing for a promotional coup of their own with the imminent signing of soon to be free agent Juan Manuel Marquez.
Statements from GBP’s Richard Schaefer in a recent interview with BoxingScene accused Bob Arum et al of attempting to steal Marquez away through the use of a third party. Namely the Top Rank affiliated Mexican outfit Zanfer promotions, who Marquez said offered him a fight with Manny Pacquiao if he agreed to leave Golden Boy.
Arum of course denied all knowledge but it should be noted he has hinted about the possibility of a third fight between Manny Pacquiao and Marquez taking place in the near future several times recently.
This in itself doesn’t mean anything but is probably enough to subtly suggest to all parties that if Marquez leaves Golden Boy and signs with Top Rank then the fight he wants will happen.
Some would call that an underhanded tactic from Top Rank, others would rightly point out as Arum has continued to, that he has had no contact with Marquez since he last fought Pacquiao back in 2008.
Is the biggest difference between the two promotional giants then that Top Rank have mastered a more subtle way of getting what they want and that Golden Boy simply don’t care to?
Nonito Donaire facing fan backlash over Golden Boy move
It would appear on the surface that Golden Boy’s more direct approach was the better one. Donaire is undoubtedly in the long term a better commodity to have on board than Marquez, and if he continues to win will only increase in value as time goes on.
The drawback in this case is that the lawsuit resulting from the fact that Donaire may or may not have been still under contract with Top Rank when he was signed could mean forking over a substantial portion of the income he generates.
Meaning essentially that in a reversal of the situation some years ago with a different Filipino talent named Manny Pacquiao, (some of you may of heard of him) Top Rank could end up making money from Donaire’s career without having to actually promote him.
Given that Juan Manuel Marquez looks set to retire in the next couple of years and only has perhaps a handful of fights left, it does seem odd that Golden Boy would be that aggrieved about losing him anyway.
Other than defending his lightweight crown ad infinitum, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t a big money-spinner for Golden Boy, it isn’t as if either party is getting a whole lot out of the relationship these days.
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Certainly Golden Boy made Marquez into the star he is today and have made him millions of dollars when Top Rank before them essentially froze him out, but at this stage of his career other than being used as fodder for one of Golden Boy’s light welterweights, the best fights for him would appear to be under Top Rank.
They can give him his long sought after third fight with Manny Pacquiao. Tilts against the likes of fast rising Brandon Rios or perhaps in a couple of years even Juan Manuel Lopez would also make for interesting viewing.
So while Golden Boy and Top Rank will no doubt continue to tear chunks out of each other in the courts and the media, essentially they are using different approaches to achieve the same purpose. And in the end the fighters involved usually end up better off than they would have been had they stayed where they were.
Tony Regent, Pitt: “Marquez would counter Rios all night long, easy fight for him”
Sammy Abraham, Philly: “Arum and Schaefer are just as bad as each other, Arum’s just better at hiding it”
