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by David P. Greisman - Last week’s legal settlement between Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions may have been the biggest news in combat sports since the March announcement that mixed martial arts promoter Ultimate Fighting Championship was acquiring competitor Pride Fighting Championship.
One-on-one sports produce the prospect of dream matches, bouts that leave everyone from fans to journalists salivating at the idea of a great fight and/or a great event truly and finally occurring. For mixed martial arts fans, the infusion of talent from Pride FC means that the sport’s best can finally be decided, for the creation of a virtual promotional monopoly means that no company will prevent a bout from being made because of an unattractive risk-reward ratio.
Top Rank and Golden Boy’s contentious relationship had been an insurmountable roadblock that kept many top fighters from facing their divisional rivals, the quarrel between the Capulets and Montagues affecting the careers of their brethren. The two companies last worked together in November 2004, when Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales wrapped up their excellent trilogy with Barrera winning a razor-thin majority decision. Since then, it seemed as if Top Rank and Golden Boy were, at best openly ignoring one another, or, at worst, working against each other.
The drama culminated in a feud over Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino junior lightweight superstar who is among the most exciting (and thus most marketable) stars today. Both companies asserted promotional rights to Pacquiao, and both were willing to battle for him in court.
Instead, they went into mediation. The result? Both won.
Pacquiao’s bouts against marquee Golden Boy fighters will be co-promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy, a press release announced last week. When Pacquiao faces those not within the Golden Boy stable, his matches will be promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy will retain a promotional interest. [details]
One-on-one sports produce the prospect of dream matches, bouts that leave everyone from fans to journalists salivating at the idea of a great fight and/or a great event truly and finally occurring. For mixed martial arts fans, the infusion of talent from Pride FC means that the sport’s best can finally be decided, for the creation of a virtual promotional monopoly means that no company will prevent a bout from being made because of an unattractive risk-reward ratio.
Top Rank and Golden Boy’s contentious relationship had been an insurmountable roadblock that kept many top fighters from facing their divisional rivals, the quarrel between the Capulets and Montagues affecting the careers of their brethren. The two companies last worked together in November 2004, when Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales wrapped up their excellent trilogy with Barrera winning a razor-thin majority decision. Since then, it seemed as if Top Rank and Golden Boy were, at best openly ignoring one another, or, at worst, working against each other.
The drama culminated in a feud over Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino junior lightweight superstar who is among the most exciting (and thus most marketable) stars today. Both companies asserted promotional rights to Pacquiao, and both were willing to battle for him in court.
Instead, they went into mediation. The result? Both won.
Pacquiao’s bouts against marquee Golden Boy fighters will be co-promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy, a press release announced last week. When Pacquiao faces those not within the Golden Boy stable, his matches will be promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy will retain a promotional interest. [details]