Opening Bell: Al Haymon Snags Six U.S. Olympians
Photo by the Atlas Cops & Kids Boxing Program
by Gautham Nagesh
Those that were hoping Al Haymon’s run at the top of the boxing game would end with Floyd Mayweather’s retirement may be out of luck, judging by the shadowy manager’s recent signings. Staten Island light heavyweight Marcus Browne (above) joined 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing teammates Terrell Gausha, Dominic Breazeale, Jamel Herring, Rau'shee Warren, and Errol Spence Jr. in signing with Haymon this week. The promising youngsters join Haymon’s already impressive stable of Mayweather, Adrien Broner, Austin Trout, Andre Berto, and Gary Russell Jr., among others. So what does this mean?
In the short-term, you probably won’t be seeing any of the prospects mentioned above in any meaningful fights. I kid, but not really. Haymon is a Harvard grad with a background in concert promotion. The business model for his fighters is notably different from the traditional manager-promoter-trainer arrangement, particularly his emphasis on cashing in via the secondary ticket market. That means he’s an expert at earning his clients as much money as possible, while taking the minimum amount of risk in the ring. As a young boxer, he might be the best ally you could have if your hope is to line your pockets. Whether his approach truly produces elite champions remains to be seen.[[MORE]]
It’s also notable that all of the Olympians signed by Haymon happen to be black, evidence that the vilification of Haymon by (mostly white) American boxing writers has done little to affect the respect he commands in the sport. Haymon’s preference is to avoid long-term ties to promoters, but Golden Boy stands to benefit most from his increasing prominence. Their cards will likely feature many of these young stars for years to come, which certainly can’t hurt, given their pedigree and talent. Spence and Browne in particular have the look of future world champions. Hopefully Haymon won’t keep them from demonstrating that potential for too long.
Ricky Hatton Returns November 24: Former two-weight titlist Ricky Hatton recently announced his comeback against Vyacheslav Senchenko of the Ukraine on November 24th in his hometown of Manchester, England. The fight, scheduled for ten rounds at welterweight, will be Hatton’s first since being brutally knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in May 2009. Aside from that fight, Hatton has only one other blemish on his record, a 10th-round stoppage loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December 2007. There have since been reports of Hatton sinking into depression and substance abuse, massive weight gain followed by a renewed commitment to fitness.
We read that Hatton is in shape and working hard, and there’s no reason to view Senchenko as particularly dangerous, especially after he was stopped by former Hatton foe Paulie Malignaggi in April. An eventual rematch for Paulie’s WBA welterweight strap seems like a realistic late-career revival for Hatton, who has always been one of the most sport’s biggest draws at the box office. The income and attention would also likely bolster Hatton's fledgling career as a trainer and promoter, which could be floundering, depending on whom you read. Anything more, like a rematch with Pacquiao or Mayweather, would be foolish. We’ll have to wait and see what comes of Hatton’s attempt to play Sugar Ray Leonard.
Salido-Garcia Off? ESPN’s Dan Rafael tweeted today that featherweight titlist Orlando Salido broke a finger slamming it in a car door, forcing the cancellation of his November 10th fight against rising contender Mikey Garcia at The Wynn in Las Vegas. BoxingScene’s Miguel Rivera was able to confirm that Salido will be out 4-6 weeks and is hoping to re-schedule the fight for January of next year. Here’s hoping the two sides won’t scrap this appealing matchup, which would establish a prime challenger to Cuban phenom Yuriorkis Gamboa and set up a potential megafight at 126 lbs.
Garcia has been moved steadily by Top Rank, so hopefully the delay is temporary. Salido is a tough out, but he’s also exactly the kind of top competition that Garcia has been thirsting for. This fight was one of my most anticipated for the fall, so I’m crossing my fingers that it won’t fall by the wayside.
Burgos Wants Rocky Martinez: Thompson Boxing Promotions informs us 130-lb contender Juan Carlos Burgos is eager for a crack at the WBO strap held by Roman “Rocky” Martinez. Burgos has reeled off five straight wins since losing his first title shot against Hozumi Hasegawa in November 2010, most recently stopping the previously unbeaten Cesar Vazquez in the third round of their July matchup. Burgos is a favorite of the alphabet bodies, so it’s hardly surprising that the WBO has ordered Martinez to defend against him next.
Rocky is coming off a close but thrilling split decision win over Miguel Beltran Jr. on the Chavez Jr.-Martinez undercard. Burgos is hardly a stay-busy opponent, and would likely be our pick in that fight. We’ll be watching closely to see if Rocky rises to the challenge; the winner would have a solid claim at the top spot in the division, particularly with Adrien Broner’s recent move up to lightweight.