By Michael Marley
It came as news, unwelcome news, to Big Gary Shaw that he and any other boxing promoter not named Golden Boy is obsolete in the current market.
Like Top Rank's Bob Arum, the New jersey based "Shawtime" was quick to deliver his own body shots in retaliation to Oscar de la Hoya's war declaration in an interview in TV trade pub, Broadcasting & Cable.
Oscar's basic theme is that boxing needs to be monolithic like the UFC is to mixed martial arts and that only his company can run the big shows.
"First thing, after I read the article, I see Oscar doing is to go out and hire Dana White. He can have Dana run his boxing like he runs the UFC," Shaw said.
"Second thing for Oscar is to get with his attoneys and HBO's attorneys to discuss how they can avoid an antitrust lawsuit."
Shaw said Oscar cuddles up to HBO, where his company has an "output deal" that favors it above all competitors, through the end of 2011, but that the Goldens real goal is to bypass the prime cable network.
"That, again, is the UFC model to have their own platform to telecast the events," Shaw said.
"I've been telling (HBO Sports president) Ross Greenburg this for a year or so. They don't think they need an HBO, they want to eliminate HBO and do their own platform. That's why I don't understand HBO paying for fights like (Shane) Mosley and (Sergio) Mora."
As for his own future, Shaw was sarcastic.
"I'll just dust off my resume, I guess, and go see Oscar. Maybe Oscar can give me a job."
