Golden Boy Promotions: record, next fight and profile →
According to former champion Humberto Soto, he might sign a promotional agreement with Golden Boy Promotions in order to secure a future fight with fellow Mexican Erik Morales. A few months ago, Soto declared himself a free agent from Zanfer Promotions and Top Rank, although technically his contract with Top Rank had expired years ago. Since the announcement, several offers have been presented to Soto.
By Mitch Abramson - Golden Boy Promotions is revving up its efforts to stage a monthly boxing series at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn next year with a significant hiring this week and change of address for another key mover- and-shaker. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told BoxingScene.com that fight agent Don Majeski will be the matchmaker for the Big Apple boxing series, while Golden Boy COO David Itskowitch has already moved back to the city he grew up in and will be heavily involved in the show’s promotion, Schaefer said. A number of New York-based promoters were initially upset that an L.A. based company such as Golden Boy swooped in and struck a significant deal in July of last year. The furor has died down, but the activity by Golden Boy has not. While Itskowitch acknowledged his move back east was “personal” and was unrelated to Golden Boy’s venture in Brooklyn, it does place him a stone’s throw away from the boxing arena and future home of the Nets.
NEW YORK, NY – DiBella Entertainment has added Irish middleweight contender Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin to its ever-growing stable of fighters. Macklin, 29, is an intelligent boxer-puncher, who has shown that he is not afraid to engage or press the action when necessary. He is currently ranked #4 by the WBA, #7 by the WBO, and #12 by the IBO, and has nothing but big fights on his mind as he joins the same promotional roster as middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and middleweight contenders Andy Lee, Brian Vera, Ronald Hearns, Peter Manfredo, Jr., and Ishe Smith.
By Jake Donovan - Red hot prospect Leo Santa Cruz scored his seventh straight knockout on Saturday evening, turning back the challenge of former title challenger Evert Briceno in their Televisa-televised main event live from the International Center in Mazatlan, Mexico. It was hardly an easy night’s work for the standout bantamweight prospect, who had to work hard in order to preserve his undefeated record but eventually surged ahead in the second half of the bout.
The promoters of a July 9 junior middleweight clash of southpaws between former three-time world champion Paul Williams and unbeaten Erislandy Lara would be interested in matching the winner opposite undefeated WBC king Saul Alvarez, according to indications by each during a recent conference call promoting the Williams-Lara bout that is slated for Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
By Jake Donovan - Junior welterweight prospect Omar Figueroa remained unbeaten after scoring a lopsided decision win over game but overmatched Eric Cruz on Friday evening at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Scores were 78-74 (twice) and 79-73 in their eight-round main event battle. In the televised co-feature, undefeated featherweight prospect Gary Russell Jr. looked sharp in scoring a fourth-round stoppage of Antonio Meza.
By Jake Donovan - Once upon a time, Ryan Rhodes was supposed to follow his good friend Prince Naseem Hamed on the fast track to superstardom. He was even responsible for introducing the flip routine that the brash featherweight ultimately popularized by incorporating into his ring entrance. Greatness was already bestowed upon him before he ever had a chance to prove it in the ring. He was known as “Spice Boy” at a time when the UK-based Spice Girls were among the hottest pop bands in the world. The nickname came about when Dominic Ingle – son of Rhodes’ former trainer Brendan Ingle (who also trained Hamed at the time) – commented that the scene inside of Rhodes’ locker room was so crazy that it resembled a Spice Girls convention. The nickname stuck around for years. What never followed was the greatness so often promised. Instead, Rhodes would spend much of his career living in the shadow of others like Hamed and considered to as an afterthought, yet another overhyped prospect who never came close to measuring up to the lofty expectations. Eventually, even the nickname would become outdated and inappropriate – can’t remain a boy forever, nor would following generations even understand the reference. Fittingly enough, after discovering redemption through maturity, awaiting the Sheffield-bred boxer in perhaps the biggest fight of his 16-year career is perhaps the most famous spice in the sport today as he challenges undefeated Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a junior middleweight crossroads bout. The bout marks his first trip outside of the United Kingdom, and also his first ever shot at a major junior middleweight belt. For this challenge, Rhodes travels to Alvarez’ native Mexico for their 12-round title fight, which will be carried live on HBO’s Boxing After Dark (Saturday, 10:30PM ET/PT).
LOS ANGELES - Already home to a roster of the best boxers in the world, Golden Boy Promotions is proud to announce the latest addition to its team, former Welterweight World Champion Luis Collazo, who today signed an exclusive promotional agreement with the Los Angeles based boxing promoter.
By Robert Morales - Although Manny Pacquiao agreed to a settlement regarding his defamation lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions executives Oscar de La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, the same is not true for Floyd Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Roger Mayweather. The five were named in the suit filed in December 2009 in Nevada District Court. It claimed remarks they made suggested Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs. "The lawsuit, just for purposes of clarity here, continues against all the other parties," Pacquiao's hot-shot attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said Wednesday. "All the Mayweathers. It was resolved only with respect to the Golden Boy parties." Petrocelli was asked whose idea it was to come to the settlement with De La Hoya and Schaefer. "I don't feel like discussing how we got there because there is a confidentiality agreement," Petrocelli said. The settlement, reached Tuesday, came with a statement from de la Hoya and Schaefer that basically said they were sorry if their remarks were taken to mean that they believed Pacquiao was on PEDs. "Manny was satisfied with the terms and Golden Boy issued the public statement," Petrocelli said. Petrocelli would not say if money was involved in the agreement.
LOS ANGELES - Manny Pacquiao has settled his defamation lawsuit against Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya on confidential terms. In connection with the dismissal, Mr. Schaefer and Mr. De la Hoya made the following statement: