Across America, Starting with the Boxing Champion

Chapter 25 Top Promotion Companies

 “Hey, Link, how about we talk a little bit more?”

 After the game, Link met Greg Cohen walking towards him in the corridor of the lounge.

Greg Cohen is a well-known promoter under Top Promotion Company. He has participated in the promotion of boxing champions such as De La Hoya and Mayweather. He is very famous in the industry and is known as a gold medal promoter.

 Link met him once in Charleston, and the other party offered him a big contract worth $10 million to sign him.

 Including the signing fee of 2 million US dollars in cash, the remaining 8 million will be distributed by completing various achievements.

 For example, the Golden Gloves champion will be rewarded 2 million, the amateur championship winner will be 1 million, the Olympic champion will be 2 million, the Pan American Games boxing champion will be rewarded 500,000, and after changing his job, he will be rewarded 500,000 for defeating an opponent, and a gold belt will be awarded 2 million, etc.

 For a newcomer, the treatment is very generous.

 But Link doesn’t want to cooperate with a top promotion company.

 “Mr. Cohen, please wait a moment!”

Link wiped off the sweat on his body with a towel, drank a bottle of water, and then did a set of limb stretching exercises on the mat to prevent the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles after strenuous exercise, which would affect the afternoon game.

While he was busy, Greg Cohen leaned on his chair, crossed his legs, and waited with a smile. The soles of his feet tapped the ground lightly from time to time, relaxed and casual.

About ten minutes later, Link sat down on the bench opposite Cohen with ease.

"Sorry for the wait!"

"Haha, it doesn't matter. I have worked as an agent for De La Hoya and Mayweather, and I know very well about the locker room. However, they are not as diligent and self-disciplined as you. After every game, they will lie down directly. Let two plump Spanish girls sit on them and massage them on the massage table.”

Greg Cohen raised his hands and grabbed them in the air, with an ambiguous smile on his lips, and at the same time gave him a look that every man knew.

Link understood it and smiled enviously: "Who doesn't want to? If I have money, I will find three."

Greg Cohen laughed loudly, patted his thigh and said: "Link, I like you. Your temper is very compatible with mine, so cooperate with me and join a top promotion company. We will make a fortune together, and you will too in the future." Become a boxing champion and you will have money, beautiful women, top-notch luxury cars, private jets, and luxury yachts.”

Link had a longing look on his face, "Sounds great, but"

Before he could finish speaking, Greg Cohen raised his palms and continued, "In view of your wonderful performance, I specifically went to discuss with President Arum, and we decided to upgrade your contract to Class A, the treatment of a world boxing champion.

 5 million signing bonus, plus other incentives, the total amount reaches 20 million US dollars. As long as you agree to join a top promotion company, you will become a multi-millionaire in a very short period of time and have everything you have. "

Greg Cohen waves his arms when he speaks, and his voice is loud and powerful, which is very provocative.

Link was smiling, but there was no emotion in his heart.

Although the conditions offered by Greg Cohen are very generous, the 20 million bonus clause is also the highest offer among all the promotion companies that have been contacted so far.

 But Link was not affected by the other party's words, because he had never thought of cooperating with a top promotion company.

 It’s not that the top promotion companies are bad, it’s that they have different concepts.

Top Promotions was formerly the boxing agency of Muhammad Ali. It was later taken over by legendary promoter Bob Arum and renamed Top Promotions.

 Bob Arum is a seventy-five-year-old man from Judah who looks similar to Churchill.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he worked as a promoter for boxing championship events such as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

In the 1980s, he promoted the four middleweight kings Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Robert Duran, and Thomas Hearns, and organized wheel fights for the four of them.

In the past ten years, top promotion companies have successfully launched super-popular boxing champions such as Golden Boy De La Hoya, Mayweather, and Pacquiao.

 In the future Mayweather and Pacquiao’s ‘fight of the century’ in 2015, boxing matches and related profits will exceed one billion US dollars.

 The fight between Mayweather and Conor in 2017 made more than $500 million in profit, all of which was run by him and top promotion companies.

 It can be said that top promotion companies have been very successful in promoting boxing.

By this year, the top promotion company has surpassed major event promotion companies, Tang Jin Promotions, and Arena Promotions in terms of annual profits and influence, becoming the largest boxing promotion company in the world, and will continue to lead other promotion companies in the future.

For a boxer, being signed by a top promotion company is definitely an opportunity not to be missed.

 But one problem with top promotion companies is that they are too commercialized. Everything is controlled by capital. Capital controls the competition and the boxers. They regard boxing matches as a money-making tool rather than a professional sport.

This operating model is similar to the training of trainees in the entertainment industry.

Select potential newcomers in amateur competitions, sign them and then train them, use the media to build momentum for the boxers, package the boxers, and then push them out to fight and sell them for money. After squeezing them dry, another person will be replaced until the sport of boxing is eliminated. Play bad.

 Also under the influence of top promotion companies, the boxing scene in the United States has become increasingly commercialized, and boxers value the benefits of the game more than boxing itself.

It is also because of this reason that good boxers cannot survive, the boxers who are praised are generally not strong, and bad money drives out good money, making boxing matches less and less enjoyable to watch.

 This is one of the reasons why he is unwilling to join a top promotion company.

Link looked at Greg Cohen and said: "Mr. Cohen, the conditions offered by Top Promotion Company are very tempting, but I am more concerned about income sharing than cash rewards. If I join Top Promotion Company, I will get How much share can you get?”

"20%!" Greg Cohen raised **** and said with a smile: "Link, you are very strong, and with our help, it is not difficult for you to become the world boxing champion. After you become the world boxing champion, You will get 20% of the bonus for each game. You know, this is the treatment given to famous boxing champions by top promotion companies. "

 “Mayweather and Pacquiao only get 20%?”

Link asked thoughtfully.

"No, no, they are not well-known boxing champions, but top boxing champions and sports superstars. Their share is higher. If your fame reaches Mayweather's level in the future, the company will take the initiative to increase your share. For True talent, we at Top Promotions never give short shrift,” said Greg Cohen in a booming voice.

Link couldn’t help but feel a little emotional after hearing this.

In the 1960s and 1970s, boxers were the key to determining the profit of a match. The more famous a boxer was, the more profitable the match was, so many well-known boxers often received more than 70% of the income share.

In the 1990s, boxing matches were controlled by boxing companies. Publicity, broadcasting, advertising, etc. were all handed over to capital operations. Boxers played a smaller role in the events and received less and less money.

Top boxing champions such as Mayweather and Pacquiao first make a name for themselves and then cooperate with top promotion companies, and they can get about 60%.

 General boxing champions are around 30%, and some are even lower.

For example, former heavyweight boxing champion John Ruiz was defeated by light heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. in 2003. His popularity dropped sharply and he could only get 15%. He was known as the blue-collar boxing champion.

Greg Cohen said he would give him 20% and increase his share in the future, which sounded good but did not satisfy his appetite.

Link smiled softly and said: "Mr. Cohen, do you think my popularity will reach Mayweather's level in the future?"

“Of course, with your strength and the help of our company, you will definitely have a chance to catch up with Mayweather in the future.”

 Hearing him ask this question, Greg Cohen's face suddenly showed a relaxed expression.

Link is tempted! The next negotiation should be stable. He was secretly amused. During the previous contact, Link had a very tough tone and said that he would wait until the game was over before discussing the contract. He thought he was a difficult person to deal with.

Now he is offered a 20 million contract with a 20% share, saying that he will be made into the second Mayweather, but he immediately relents, which shows that his expectations are not high and he is a young man who is easy to deal with.

Just when Greg Cohen thought that the contract could be negotiated next, Link suddenly said: "Mr. Cohen, you are right. I also think that I will be more outstanding than Mayweather in the future, so I want 70% of the income from the competition. Share, can the top promotion company accept my proposal?”

"How many?"

Greg Cohen was stunned for a moment, a trace of shock flashed in his gray-green eyes, as if he was looking at a madman.

 “You want 70% share?!”

“Yes, I have the strength, and I don’t lack fame. I am only one step away from defeating a world boxing champion, so I want 70%!”

When he said this sentence, Link's expression was very calm, and his voice was also very calm, without a trace of tremor, as if he was stating an objective fact, not a hypothesis.

Greg Cohen’s Adam’s apple slid up and down twice, and he squeezed out a weird laugh.

“Hahaha, you want a 70% share? Hahaha, you, an amateur boxer who has only fought a few matches, dare to ask for a 70% share of the match income? Are you sure you’re not joking?”

 His voice turned harsh and dissatisfied in the second half of the sentence.

"No!"

Link said without changing his expression.

"Unchangeable?"

 Greg Cohen frowned, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched.

Link shook his head, his eyes bright and firm.

Greg Cohen sneered, patted the dust on his blue trousers, walked out the door, stopped after two steps, turned his head and said:

“I heard that Xiao Dewar from the Main Event Company has also contacted you. Are you waiting for news from him?

Haha, no need to wait. Although he is the president of the main event promotion company, the power of the company is still in the hands of old Dewar. Old Dewar is old and nostalgic, and prefers old people like Holyfield. He I will never give you an overly generous treatment as a newcomer. "

Link was speechless after hearing this.

“Link, you have good strength, but in the boxing circle, strength is only the minimum requirement to enter the professional boxing ring. There are many, many, capable boxers, but only those with brains can make big money.

You are still young and may not understand the meaning of this sentence. If one day you understand this truth, call me and I will not mind signing you with a 10% share contract. "

Greg Cohen put down a name tag, looked back at him, with a meaningful smile on his shoulder, turned around, stepped **** the floor, and walked out of the lounge.

Link took a look at the business card and threw it into the trash can.

 Even if Franco Duva can't make a reasonable offer, he is not in a hurry to sign.

In the boxing world, although capital plays an increasingly important role, a person with strength and fame will never be buried.

 (End of this chapter)