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What we know about Haymon pt. II summary
Highlights. Read it for yourself http://goo.gl/dXyLpf
The also finally added this to his article
Thomas Hauser can be reached by email at thauser@rcn.com. His most recent book – A Hurting Sport – was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. He also is a paid consultant for HBO Sports.
Al Haymon’s first view of boxing was through the eyes of his older brother. Bobby Haymon was a journeyman welterweight who fought from 1969 to 1978 and compiled a record of 20-8-1 (8 knockouts). In the last fight of his career, he was stopped in three rounds by a young prospect named Sugar Ray Leonard. Al is said to still be resentful over the way his brother was treated by the lords of boxing.
Haymon worked with a half dozen different promoters. But despite their involvement, he often dealt directly with HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg and Davis during contract negotiations while the promoter of record was limited to doing basic nuts-and-bolts work on the fight. Because of his relationship with HBO, Haymon rarely had to give a promoter long term contractual rights to any of his fighters. The promoter had little more than a handshake and Haymon’s word that he had a future with a particular fighter. That gave Haymon enormous leverage over promoters in terms of how income generated from each fight was split. Promoters put up with this arrangement because, over the years, HBO was remarkably generous when giving out dates and paying license fees for fights involving Haymon’s fighters.
On January 14, 2015, NBC announced that it had entered into an agreement providing for 20 Premier Boxing Champions telecasts in 2015 (five on NBC on Saturday nights, six on NBC on Saturday afternoons and nine in prime time on NBC Sports Network). But it wasn’t a traditional licensing-fee deal. Instead, Haymon was buying the time from the network, would be responsible for most costs associated with the telecasts and would recoup his expenditures as best he could by selling advertising himself.
On Jan. 22, a similar agreement with Spike was announced; only here, Spike was to cover approximately $350,000 in expenses in conjunction with each telecast.
The announcement of time buys on CBS (February 17), Bounce TV (March 2) and ESPN (March 18) followed.
The ESPN deal was a $16 million time buy that ran over a two-year period with Haymon having an option to extend the contract for another six months for an additional $4 million. The shows were to run in prime time on ESPN with at least two Saturday afternoon shows on ABC. ESPN would foot the bill for production.
The ESPN deal was particularly significant for two reasons. First, ESPN is a pipeline to the brain of virtually every sports fan in America. And second, it meant that the long-running ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” series would end.
On Aug. 4, Fox Sports announced an agreement pursuant to which Premier Boxing Champions would be the exclusive boxing provider for Fox Sports 1. There were to be 21 Tuesday-night shows from Sept. 8 through June 28, 2016, with the shows being simulcast on Fox Deportes. On Oct. 18, 2015, Fox announced that there would be three prime time PBC telecasts on its broadcast network in 2016 (Jan. 23, March 12, and July 16).
On Jan. 22, a similar agreement with Spike was announced; only here, Spike was to cover approximately $350,000 in expenses in conjunction with each telecast.
The announcement of time buys on CBS (February 17), Bounce TV (March 2) and ESPN (March 18) followed.
The ESPN deal was a $16 million time buy that ran over a two-year period with Haymon having an option to extend the contract for another six months for an additional $4 million. The shows were to run in prime time on ESPN with at least two Saturday afternoon shows on ABC. ESPN would foot the bill for production.
The ESPN deal was particularly significant for two reasons. First, ESPN is a pipeline to the brain of virtually every sports fan in America. And second, it meant that the long-running ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” series would end.
On Aug. 4, Fox Sports announced an agreement pursuant to which Premier Boxing Champions would be the exclusive boxing provider for Fox Sports 1. There were to be 21 Tuesday-night shows from Sept. 8 through June 28, 2016, with the shows being simulcast on Fox Deportes. On Oct. 18, 2015, Fox announced that there would be three prime time PBC telecasts on its broadcast network in 2016 (Jan. 23, March 12, and July 16).
At the same time, Haymon reached out through an intermediary to make a two-year contract offer to Michael Buffer. The proposed deal would have been exclusive insofar as Buffer’s boxing work was concerned. The Hall of Fame ring announcer would attend approximately 24 Premier Boxing Champions shows per year, tape announcements for others and allow Haymon to use his “let’s get ready to rumble” trademark in conjunction with the promotion of PBC telecasts. In return, he would receive $1 million for the first year of the contract and $1.1 million for the second.
Then the offer was withdrawn. A source close to the situation says that the idea was nixed in deference to Showtime, which felt Buffer was too closely associated in the public mind with HBO and that the deal would marginalize Jimmy Lennon (Showtime’s own ring announcer).
Then the offer was withdrawn. A source close to the situation says that the idea was nixed in deference to Showtime, which felt Buffer was too closely associated in the public mind with HBO and that the deal would marginalize Jimmy Lennon (Showtime’s own ring announcer).
Haymon signs fighters to an “Exclusive Management Agreement” that gives him the exclusive right to render services in securing the boxer’s participation in professional boxing matches, exhibitions, entertainment performances, personal appearances, endorsements and sponsorship opportunities that arise out of the fighter’s boxing career.
In return, Haymon is required to (a) use his “best efforts” to secure remunerative boxing matches for the boxer; (b) advise and counsel the boxer in the overall development of his career; (c) secure proper training facilities and equipment for the boxer; (d) publicize and promote the talents and abilities of the boxer in the media; and (e) attempt to secure commercial endorsements, personal appearances and entertainment opportunites for the boxer.
Haymon often charges 10 or 15 percent of a fighter’s purse for his services. That’s less than the standard manager’s share. Sometimes, he’ll pay an advance (or interest-free loan) to a fighter and only cut the fighter’s purse after the purse reaches a certain level. The advance (or loan) is paid back only when the purses reach a still-higher number.
In return, Haymon is required to (a) use his “best efforts” to secure remunerative boxing matches for the boxer; (b) advise and counsel the boxer in the overall development of his career; (c) secure proper training facilities and equipment for the boxer; (d) publicize and promote the talents and abilities of the boxer in the media; and (e) attempt to secure commercial endorsements, personal appearances and entertainment opportunites for the boxer.
Haymon often charges 10 or 15 percent of a fighter’s purse for his services. That’s less than the standard manager’s share. Sometimes, he’ll pay an advance (or interest-free loan) to a fighter and only cut the fighter’s purse after the purse reaches a certain level. The advance (or loan) is paid back only when the purses reach a still-higher number.
In sum, Haymon is changing the structure of the marketplace in a way that’s threatening to drive out competing promoters.
He has also been poaching fighters. Cameron Dunkin manages Terence Crawford. He has lost several fighters to Haymon, including Leo Santa Cruz and Mikey Garcia.
“It’s a constant battle to hold onto your fighters,” Dunkin says. “Haymon has his guys whispering in their ear, ‘Danny Garcia is making more money than you are because he’s with Al and you’re better than Danny Garcia. Al is flying his fighters around in a private jet.’ All I can tell my guys is, ‘Stay with me. If you do your job in the ring, I’ll get you on HBO. HBO isn’t going to disappear and Haymon might.’”
“Haymon is screwing up the marketplace,” Pat English (the attorney for Main Events) says. “That’s for sure.”
He has also been poaching fighters. Cameron Dunkin manages Terence Crawford. He has lost several fighters to Haymon, including Leo Santa Cruz and Mikey Garcia.
“It’s a constant battle to hold onto your fighters,” Dunkin says. “Haymon has his guys whispering in their ear, ‘Danny Garcia is making more money than you are because he’s with Al and you’re better than Danny Garcia. Al is flying his fighters around in a private jet.’ All I can tell my guys is, ‘Stay with me. If you do your job in the ring, I’ll get you on HBO. HBO isn’t going to disappear and Haymon might.’”
“Haymon is screwing up the marketplace,” Pat English (the attorney for Main Events) says. “That’s for sure.”
A source close to Haymon says, “So far, Al is resisting discovery. But if discovery really goes forward, he’s going to go after every piece of paper that involves Top Rank’s relationship with Manny Pacquiao. Al takes pride in the fact that his representation of Mayweather is the antithesis of the way Arum has dealt with Pacquiao. And yes, I know that Arum is Pacquiao’s promoter, not his manager, so he has a different fiduciary duty. But that doesn’t relieve him of the obligation to give Pacquiao an honest accounting. And by the way, why should Michael Koncz (Pacquiao’s business advisor) get a free pass?”
Thomas Hauser can be reached by email at thauser@rcn.com. His most recent book – A Hurting Sport – was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. He also is a paid consultant for HBO Sports.
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