I’m having one of those streams of consciousness mornings.
I’m happy to share it with you.
Diego Corrales decided to leave long-time promoter Gary Shaw for Golden Boy Productions. I was taken aback by this news. All indications were that Shaw has done right by Corrales. If it ain’t broken why fix it?
I’m not saying Chico is right or wrong. After all, it is his career and his decision to make.
Anyone can see the allure of Oscar De La Hoya’s company. Great fighters promoting fighters. I understand.
But what a difference a year makes. TigerBoxing rightly named Shaw “Promoter of the Year” for 2005. He was involved in Diego’s epic triumph over Castillo, Winky Wright’s schooling of Tito Trinidad and Jeff Lacy’s rise to prominence.
Since, though, Manny Pacquiao came and went.
Wright walked away, as did Lacy. And now Corrales.
Pacquiao was a one-fight deal for Shaw. He reportedly made $250,000 for handling Pacman’s Vegas business dealings for the rematch with Erik Morales. While that fee has been called excessive by some, all of the pre-fight distractions that plagued Pacquiao before the original fight with Morales vanished under Shaw’s supervision.
But Pacquiao, with more people in his ear than President Bush, left Shaw and seems back and forth on leaving his management team, which includes Shelly Finkel. He recently signed a deal with Golden Boy, even though Bob Arum has said “not so fast.”
Wright has formed Winky Promotions. I wonder why.
Wright isn’t the most exciting fighter on the planet, an understatement perhaps. His technical skills don’t light a fire in the belly of the average boxing fan. And yet, Shaw guided his career into the upper echelon. After two wins over Shane Mosley, Wright made a ton of money shutting out Trinidad and subsequently fought middleweight champion Jermain Taylor to a disputed draw.
Yet Winky wanted to bolt as soon as he thought his star had risen to independent status. He tried to take a shortcut directly to HBO, to co-promote the Taylor fight that Shaw had already been working on with Lou DiBella. Problem was, Winky had yet to secure a valid promoter’s license and apparently didn’t understand his contract with Shaw. HBO wisely told Wright that the road to Taylor went through Shaw.
After the draw, Wright became a true free agent and has made some sort of alliance with Golden Boy. If you are a promoter, why do you need a promoter?
Boxing has two parts. One is the boxing itself. The other is business. Just because you have the boxing part down doesn’t automatically mean you’ve got the other, too.
Wright told ESPN’s Brian Kenny that he wasn’t sure his behind-the-scenes business was being handled the way he’d like — a non-specific shot at Shaw.
Lacy’s choice is puzzling as well.
Nearly everyone thought he was going to beat Joe Calzaghe, at least on this side of the Atlantic. We were wrong.
Before that fight, all seemed great with Lacy. There were no public complaints about Shaw. Not even a hint of discord. The IBF super middleweight champion was hailed as the lighter-weight version of Mike Tyson. He started popping up on credible pound-for-pound lists.
And like a true champ, he was defending his title often, making money and heading for superstardom.
All under the guidance of Shaw.
Yet after the blowout loss to Calzaghe, Lacy decided he needed a change. Was Lacy rushed into the bout? Hindsight is 20/20, but before the fight, few thought it premature.
Later, mirroring Winky’s comments, Lacy alluded to things not being quite right behind the scenes.
One wonders what went on that got by the rest of Lacy’s team. After all, there is more to a team than a promoter. There is a professional trainer, a manager and advisors. Just what is it that Shaw is faulted for?
On that note, we go back to Corrales.
The reed-thin power-puncher signed on with Shaw shortly after a two-year layoff that included a prison stay.
Upon his return, he split two fights with Joel Casamayor, handed Acelino Freitas his first loss and met Jose Luis Castillo in a pair of fights talked about for both their intensity in the ring and weight-related controversies outside. He won three world title belts in the process.
A third bout with Castillo was later scrapped entirely due to weight.
Most recently it was a third bout with Casamayor, marked by yet another weight controversy, this time when Corrales failed to reach 135 pounds. He forfeited his title even before coming out on the short end of a close 12-round verdict.
Now Shaw is apparently out.
Was it Shaw’s fault that Castillo failed to make weight twice and then Corrales himself couldn’t make 135? Hardly.
Meanwhile, in signing with Golden Boy, Corrales said “At this point in my career, it is important that I can go into a fight knowing that the business outside is taken care of.”
Winky, Lacy and now Corrales have all alluded to something not being taken care of outside of the ring.
What’s going on?
Shaw has a reputation as a man who cares about his fighters. He’s worked with fighters on a handshake, showing complete trust for another man’s word. And no fighter that I am aware of has come out with a specific or credible accusation that Shaw does not take care of business properly.
But Shaw also works with fighters by signed contract. And after Golden Boy announced the signing of Corrales, Shaw has stated that he remains the promoter of record for Corrales with valid contract in hand.
If you want to leave your promoter for a new promoter after your deal is up, fine. But if you are going to allude to impropriety by the promoter you are leaving, then let’s have the specifics. And if you really don’t have anything concrete, then why allude to any?
If you want to leave your promoter after your deal is up, then do so. But it would be great to hear someone say something like “I’ve decided to go in a new direction with my career, but I want to thank my former promoter for all of the work he did and all of the money I made while working with him.”
You can call me a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.
This is by no means an indictment against Golden Boy. De la Hoya said he wanted to change boxing and the business of boxing when he entered the promotional game and things are changing. GBP is the new 800-pound gorilla in the room.
Love him or not, it is what it is.
Oscar is definitely doing it his way. Instead of just signing Bernard Hopkins, Mosley and Marco Antonio Barrera as clients, he made them partners. As much money as De La Hoya and Arum made together, Oscar was never made a partner at Top Rank.
With his appeal as the premier boxing superstar of this generation and a large stable of top fighters already on hand, it is not hard to understand the appeal of wanting to be with such a company.
Golden Boy states that they strive to become the leading promotional company through integrity, honesty, hard work and determination. Those who say that boxing is the most corrupt sport in all of sports would agree that, if Golden Boy delivers on its mission, boxing will be changed for the better.
I’ll go out on a limb here. If Mayweather beats Carlos Baldomir in November, Mayweather will sign a multi-fight deal with Golden Boy before year’s end and the De La Hoya-Mayweather super event will take place next May.
But I digress.
Oscar and company may deserve all of the hoopla and buzz given them. He now promotes the most exciting roster of boxers on the planet. And he’s just getting started.
Yet, you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel for Gary Shaw. And sadly, the philosophy of “dancing with the one who brung ya ” seems to be officially dead.
