Golden Boy Promotions has quickly solidified itself as the premier boxing promotional company within the past decade. Through the careful cultivation of talent and the strong relationship is has with HBO, Golden Boy has become the new millennium’s version of Don King Productions and Top Rank.
Unfortunately with great success comes the criticism from the masses. The more people that are exposed to your product, the more people that will be quick to point out the flaws within those items. It’s a typical cycle that occurs within any business whether it be fast food, high tech, and even boxing promotions.
I thought it’d be interesting to speak with a man who’s played a significant role in the development of Golden Boy Promotions in addition to having an unblemished record when it comes to ethics within the sport of boxing, Don “War-a-week” Chargin. For those of you that don’t know, Mr. Chargin was originally hired by Golden Boy Promotions as a senior advisor due to his knowledge of boxing promotions from the ground up not to mention having over fifty years in the business.
Here is “The Boxing Bookie’s” interview with War-a-week:
BB: So Don, I know you work with Golden Boy Promotions and that you have a good relationship with all the staff within the company. However, being that you’ve always been considered among the most honest and straight forward men in boxing, I think the boxing world wants to know exactly your thoughts on the company as well as the certain criticisms it’s faced in recent times.
DC: No problem John. Ask me anything you’d like.
BB: Were do you think all the criticism and “hate” of Golden Boy Promotions has come from in recent times? It seems like prior to the reconciliation between them and Top Rank, the disdain that certain outlets of the boxing media had for them was at an all-time high.
DC: I think it’s just the trend within the sport. When you have the talent that Golden Boy has in their roster, they have the preferential treatment when it comes to television dates and more specifically HBO. I remember years back when ESPN was virtually impossible to book due to Top Rank having control of so many talented fighters. People like to always find a scapegoat to point the finger at but it has nothing to do with the quality of the product.
BB: What about the criticism that GBP has never actually developed their own fighters and have relied on signing big-name fighters to support the company?
DC: You know John it takes a very long time to develop a fighter. Golden Boy is a young but powerful company that is trying to involve themselves in all aspects of boxing which includes young prospects as well as veteran fighters. I don’t know if you knew this but Ponce De Leon is a fighter that has been with Golden Boy Promotions since his first bout and he’s quickly becoming a well known attraction.
BB: I wasn’t aware of that.
DC: Also, like we saw this past weekend, Golden Boy is becoming very active in signing these young exciting prospects out of the Philippines. It’s just not true that all GBP does is rely on veteran names to get the job done. I feel that there’s a good mix of contenders and stars within GBP.
BB: What about the criticism that GBP relies too much on casino and HBO money and therefore never sells out an arena which affects the atmosphere of these big fights?
DC: Well it’s hard to say what sells and what doesn’t. Take for instance this upcoming fight with Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga. The Staples Center sold almost a million dollars worth of tickets already for that fight in which both guys are coming off knockout losses. For some reason it’s selling well and it has more to do with the public buying it rather than just heavy promotion. I think GBP has done a solid job at the gates for their bouts and will continue to do so in the future.
BB: How about the complaints of…Golden Boy overdoing it in terms of the amount of pay-per-view events bombarding the fans with expensive costs in recent times?
DC: I agree that the amount of pay-per-views makes it tough on the average boxing fan to keep up with the sport. Unfortunately there are only so many television dates available throughout the year and with the deep talent pool that GBP has they need to keep their fighters fighting and active.
BB: Do you think the criticism comes from people who don’t know enough about the business and logistics of television dates that bombard GBP with negativity?
DC: Yes, that’s probably part of it.
BB: What about GBP seemingly working exclusively with HBO? Do you think that hampers their ability to showcase their fighters on other outlets such as Showtime and ESPN?
DC: I think that if an opening came up and the timing was right, Golden Boy wouldn’t be averse to working with Showtime or ESPN.
BB: So what’s your overall feeling of GBP as a promotional company? A lot of detractors will say that they don’t know what they’re doing and that they are just a flash in the pan.
DC: Well John. The proof is in the fact that fighters want to sign with GBP. It’s astounding at the numbers of fighters that they have to turn down due to prior contractual obligations and what not. The media can paint any picture they want but I believe that the proof is in the fighters coming to GBP and receiving a fair shake. The treatment they receive is the thing that makes GBP the premier promotional company in my eyes.
BB: So tell us a bit about your involvement with GBP and what kind of developments you’ve seen transpire over the years.
DC: For the first couple of years working with GBP, I was in the office day in and day out. I worked with their current match-maker Eric Gomez, who I’m very proud of, in setting up their cards and trying to create the match-ups that the public wanted. Eric has learned so much and is developing into a very good match-maker. I check in with him 3 or 4 times a week to discuss the future cards that will be taking place but other than that, he’s on his own.
BB: What about Oscar and Richard Schaeffer?
DC: Oscar I’ve known for years and have always had a great relationship with. I think ten years from now boxing will look back and thank him for his involvement within the sport. I think it’s great to have an ex-fighter with the amount of financial leverage he has trying to do good within the boxing. He has numerous other business ventures going on as well which can only help the industry out in the future.
As for Richard, when I first met the man, I found him to be among the most astute and brilliant figures I have ever met. He’s a very smart individual and the fact that he’s involved with this company is just great. Oscar was very smart in bringing Richard on as now everything must go through Mr. Schaeffer. Great move in my eyes.
BB: Well I think we covered pretty much all basis for now when it comes to Golden Boy Promotions. Thanks for you time Don and tell Lorraine I said hello.
DC: Will do John. Talk to you soon.
So there you have it Boxingconfidential readers. The man, the myth, and the living legend Don “War-a-Week” Chargin has given his thoughts on the always controversial subject of Golden Boy Promotions. These thoughts come from a man who, with his wife Lorraine, has basically seen it all and done it all when it comes to boxing promotions.
Only time will tell whether Golden Boy Promotions will remain at the top for the years to come but with the right people surrounding and working for them I can’t see anything but success for the young company. In my opinion it’s comparable to a young restaurant who is working towards fluidity in the transitions in all aspects of the dining experience. While there are the unavoidable bumps and bruises along the way, the end result is what counts and I feel that we haven’t seen the best of what Golden Boy Promotions has to offer just yet.
