What has become one of the biggest stories (and continues to get bigger by the day) in what so far has been a more interesting year outside the ring than inside it aside from a handful of fights in 2012, Curtis Jackson A.K.A hip-hopper 50 Cent is throwing his promotional hat between the ropes with The Money Team, A.K.A., TMT (Currently, #TMT at 646 followers on Twitter).
Now, this is isn?t just your average Joe the Plumber starting up a promotional firm with the hopes of one day securing a big star on their roster.
No, instead, this is a well known public figure that has an Ace up his sleeve with his best friend for life Floyd Mayweather reportedly ?down with the plan?, (we?ll know way more after August 3) and has already been putting pens in the hands of some well known boxers to sign down to his new firm, supposedly confirmed Andre Dirrell and titlist Bully Dib, reportedly Yuriokis Gamboa and possibly Zab Judah, Celestino Caballero and welterweight Andre Berto.
There is an Ace in the hole already (Mayweather), and Fiddy also holds an ace of his own heading into professional boxing promoting.
Much like his soon to be rival and/or business partner Oscar De La Hoya (we all know about the now infamous Twitter scuffle, who started his company in the early 2000?s, Jackson will have the opportunity to be the face of the company that he promotes, riding off his own name into getting more rich or dying trying.
It?ll be interesting to see if 50 will co-promote with De La Hoya when he officially starts producing cards. Because while it?s interesting at the present time that 50 has procured the Gamboa?s and the Dib?s of the game, later on down the line, the company will be seeking to sign or co-sign a bona-fide superstar in the sport. The time will come when the company will need a pay-per-viewer that brings in the capital to put back into the business.
Just looking at what we know, Mayweather has been just as superior outside the ring as he has been in it, aligning himself with whom he knew was the premiere promotional company in 2007, (De La Hoya), fighting and beating him in the biggest PPV ever, and reluctantly continuing to do business with DLH and Golden Boy Promotions, who helped make Mayweather the highest paid athlete of 2011 and earning a boxing record $32 million guaranteed for his last outing this May against Miguel Cotto.
Mayweather hasn?t been shy about his dislike of his one-time rival and all-the-time promoter DLH, often over the years verbally sparring and unafraid to exude his dislike of the man who made it all possible for ?Money? to actually live out his moniker. Mayweather has shown his disdain for De La Hoya, (go to You Tube), even going as far as calling DLH?s firm ?Richard Schaefer Promotions?) yet has, since 2007, kept the business side of things all serious en route to million dollar pay per views and all the rest that comes with that.
50 would be wise to follow in Mayweather?s footsteps and align himself with De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions. Earlier this year, GBP was steering the Gary Russell Jr. train in the direction of featherweight title holder Billy Dib, and being now that 50 supposedly holds the reigns to Dib, that could make for a successful co-main or possibly main event later on this year.
The whispers are also that Mayweather may fight again this year, (again, we?ll know more after August 3) and if he indeed does, lets say, with the other whispers as a second go around with Cotto in NYC, it would be a fitting start for fiddy in his home-state to begin his new career in the sport.
Another attractive match up would be Gamboa (TMT) against Adrien Broner (GBP). Yet another interesting match could be across the street with Kelly Pavlik (read below for who promotes Pavlik) taking on Andre Dirrell (TMT).
Lets hope that if anything is done right by TMT, its not being afraid to make competitive matches.
And if 50 wants to make even more smart moves, he would also conduct business with GBP rival promoter Top Rank.
TR?s Bob Arum recently spoke to RingTV about TMT.
?I wish [50 Cent] and his company a lot of luck, because he has, in his business career, been able to energize the African American community and to reach out to them. If he does that as he expects to do in boxing, then that will help everybody in boxing,? said Arum.
And even further, if 50 wants to make the smartest move he can, it will be negotiating with Arum about that fight everyone has talked so much about in the past few years.
?I would think that if (50 Cent) promoted Floyd, then it would make a match-up between Pacquiao and Mayweather that much easier,? said Arum. ?You would have somebody that is a friend and a mentor that he can rely on and they would protect his interests in any kind of promotion, and I would be on the side of Pacquiao.?
