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This is an old article (12/29/10) and since this article Andre Berto has lost.
A great read.
All Haymon’s rise to power in boxing could be over. The man many people predicted could become a major powerbroker in the sport – on par with Don King and Bob Arum – is now on the verge of crashing out.
Haymon suffered major setbacks this year. First there was Chris Arreola losing to Tomasz Adamek and then Jermain Taylor being forced to retire after another KO loss to Arthur Abraham. Then Daniel Jacobs, Haymon’s supposed future star, was knocked out with one punch in a world title fight by the unknown Dimitri Pirog. Another devastating blow was suffered when Paull Williams was destroyed with one hit from Sergio Martinez.
There is no question, Haymon’s previously impressive roster of talent was badly damaged in 2010.
But it got even worse for Haymon. His #1 meal ticket and stepping stone to future control – Floyd Mayweather – has plummeted from a star boxer into a coward fraud serial criminal. Mayweather has spent most of the year ducking and dodging Manny Pacquiao and getting himself tanlged up into embarrassingly pathetic personal problems and criminal situations.
Haymon had hoped to use Mayweather as his stepping stone to bigger and better things in boxing, like how Bob Arum and Don King had their careers basically launched by their involvement with Muhammad Ali.
Now with Mayweather virtually a dead duck, Haymon is left with Andre Berto, Williams, Jacobs, Antonio Tarver and Kendall Holt.
An insider who told me Haymon “is very, very careful about who he selects” as opponents for his fighters, has watched as his handpicking modus operandi has completely failed.
With Berto as his last viable asset, do you think Haymon is going to risk it all by matching Berto tough for his next fight? Fat chance, as the protected and manufactured Berto is known to have a very questionable chin and two left feet.
The interesting question will be how HBO will now handle Haymon, who has lost almost all leverage. The network has clearly given Haymon preferential treatment in the recent years, vastly overpaying for Haymon handpicked fights like Berto vs. Freddy Hernandez and various other desultory mismatches involving Mayweather, Williams, Arreola and Taylor. But now there is no reason to let Haymon to continue to have his way.
HBO has all the power and is in position to force Haymon to match Berto tough. HBO is in position to force Haymon and Mayweather to agree to box Pacquiao next. Haymon and Mayweather have no leverage, no other options. Showtime isn’t going to invest in a Mayweather handpicked “fight.” Nor will Jerry Jones or the people at Yankee Stadium or Giants Stadium.
As you see, it’s been a very, very difficult year for Al Haymon. And if Mayweather continues his downward spiral and Andre Berto has to fight Kermit Cintron or Selcuk Aydin next, it might get a whole lot worse for Al Haymon before it gets better.
Contact Scoop: MrBiofile@aol.com
A great read.
All Haymon’s rise to power in boxing could be over. The man many people predicted could become a major powerbroker in the sport – on par with Don King and Bob Arum – is now on the verge of crashing out.
Haymon suffered major setbacks this year. First there was Chris Arreola losing to Tomasz Adamek and then Jermain Taylor being forced to retire after another KO loss to Arthur Abraham. Then Daniel Jacobs, Haymon’s supposed future star, was knocked out with one punch in a world title fight by the unknown Dimitri Pirog. Another devastating blow was suffered when Paull Williams was destroyed with one hit from Sergio Martinez.
There is no question, Haymon’s previously impressive roster of talent was badly damaged in 2010.
But it got even worse for Haymon. His #1 meal ticket and stepping stone to future control – Floyd Mayweather – has plummeted from a star boxer into a coward fraud serial criminal. Mayweather has spent most of the year ducking and dodging Manny Pacquiao and getting himself tanlged up into embarrassingly pathetic personal problems and criminal situations.
Haymon had hoped to use Mayweather as his stepping stone to bigger and better things in boxing, like how Bob Arum and Don King had their careers basically launched by their involvement with Muhammad Ali.
Now with Mayweather virtually a dead duck, Haymon is left with Andre Berto, Williams, Jacobs, Antonio Tarver and Kendall Holt.
An insider who told me Haymon “is very, very careful about who he selects” as opponents for his fighters, has watched as his handpicking modus operandi has completely failed.
With Berto as his last viable asset, do you think Haymon is going to risk it all by matching Berto tough for his next fight? Fat chance, as the protected and manufactured Berto is known to have a very questionable chin and two left feet.
The interesting question will be how HBO will now handle Haymon, who has lost almost all leverage. The network has clearly given Haymon preferential treatment in the recent years, vastly overpaying for Haymon handpicked fights like Berto vs. Freddy Hernandez and various other desultory mismatches involving Mayweather, Williams, Arreola and Taylor. But now there is no reason to let Haymon to continue to have his way.
HBO has all the power and is in position to force Haymon to match Berto tough. HBO is in position to force Haymon and Mayweather to agree to box Pacquiao next. Haymon and Mayweather have no leverage, no other options. Showtime isn’t going to invest in a Mayweather handpicked “fight.” Nor will Jerry Jones or the people at Yankee Stadium or Giants Stadium.
As you see, it’s been a very, very difficult year for Al Haymon. And if Mayweather continues his downward spiral and Andre Berto has to fight Kermit Cintron or Selcuk Aydin next, it might get a whole lot worse for Al Haymon before it gets better.
Contact Scoop: MrBiofile@aol.com
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