Dean Lonergan has heard whispers of a split in the Terence Crawford camp. If true, he can understand why the former world junior welterweight champion is at odds with his long-time trainer and manager Brian ?Bomac? McIntyre.
?If you have a look at his record, he is one of only three guys who unified a division I think in the last 20 years,? said Lonergan, director of Horn?s promoter Duco Events. ?He has had 12 defences over two weight divisions and he is headed right now, without any more fights, to the boxing Hall of Fame.
?So when you live in such rarefied air as a fighter, there are other benefits that come your way. You specifically look at the likes of Floyd Mayweather, who ended up making $100 million and $200m a fight ? before that he got lots of paydays of $20m, $30m and $40m.
?You look at the other rarefied fighters such as Canelo Alvarez right now and they are making spectacular money. You have this athlete who is headed to the Hall of Fame and he is making nothing like that.
?You would have to say based on that he is probably the most poorly managed fighter in the history of boxing. Most people at this stage of their career, when they have had 12 defences, are making megabucks.
?This bloke is making Bomac bucks. Bomac bucks are when you are a fighter who is poorly managed and make a third or 10 per cent of what you should be getting because you haven?t taken on board that you are not only in the boxing business, you are in the ?entertainment business.
?The entertainment business means you have to talk to the media and build your fights up. Crawford doesn?t do that. It is up to his manager to make sure he does do that.
?As a result instead of working for his 45 minutes in the ring for $10, $20 or $30 million, he is in their for chump change compared to what he should be making.
?I can see why this is making Terence Crawford think: ?What am I doing this for?? ?
Lonergan?s comments are likely to further inflame tension between the two camps, the parties having traded barbs across the globe in the lead-up to Sunday afternoon?s (AEST) fight at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas.
While Horn has adopted a more diplomatic approach, both Lonergan and Horn?s trainer-manager Glenn Rushton have been happy to fire shots across the bow of the Crawford camp.
Rushton has openly taunted McIntrye, the pair to cross paths for the first time later this week at the pre-fight press conference and weigh-in.
Lonergan?s comments also put Top Rank boss and boxing legend Bob Arum on notice. The pair have an agreement to co-promote Horn fights ? they joined forces to bring Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao to Brisbane last year ? but that will come to an end after the Crawford bout.
Should Horn prevail, he would suddenly become one of the most coveted fighters on the planet. Arum will no doubt be keen to extend their deal should that happen, but Lonergan will hold the whip-hand and Horn will benefit to the tune of millions.
Lonergan has also urged Crawford to reassess his situation.
?If you have a look at what Glenn Rushton has done since the Manny Pacquiao fight, he comes up with brilliant stuff. He gets it,? Lonergan said.
?He is in the entertainment business. So here is my advice to Terence Crawford ? your fate was sealed young man when your matchmakers at Top Rank yet again underestimated the abilities of Jeff Horn.
?In round six or seven, when you haven?t trained quite as hard as you should, if you feel your nose breaking, your eye socket falling apart and your cheek being shattered by Jeff Horn?s punches ? think very carefully about the job your management has done.
?If you want a real manager, you should ring Glenn Rushton because he will get you making the tens of millions you deserve and also rebuild the career that Jeff Horn is about to destroy.?
