Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a boxing promotional firm started by former boxer 10-time world champion in six weight divisions Oscar De La Hoya (whose nickname is The Golden Boy). De La Hoya owns a majority interest in the firm, with Bernard Hopkins being a minority owner. Previously Winky Wright, Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton held interest in the company.[1]
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2006, their fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions broke a record by selling over 2 million in pay-per-views. Golden Boy Promotions is also one of boxing's most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, Showtime, EstrellaTV, and ESPN. They present the monthly boxing series Fight Night Club sponsored by DeWalt Tools,[2] in association with AEG. It is held at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles and televised live on Fox Sports Net and others.[2][3] Golden Boy Promotions also co promotes fight cards with other boxing promoters/companies i.e. Bob Arum's Top Rank, Main Events, Gary Shaw Productions, Lou Dibella, Murad Mohammad, etc. Golden Boy Enterprises has a diverse portfolio of investments including ownership in several Spanish-language newspapers in major markets throughout the U.S., and select investments in a number of consumer products. The company continues to seek additional business investments and opportunities that fit with its mission. Golden Boy Enterprises also holds a majority interest in Golden Boy Promotions. The company holds a 25% interest in the Houston Dynamo soccer team. It also acquired The Ring magazine. The promotion produces bi monthly boxing cards on Estrella TV.[4]
Key people
| Name | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar De La Hoya | Chairman and CEO | |
| Eric Gomez | Senior Vice President | |
| Robert Diaz | Head Matchmaker | |
| Erick Penarrieta | Chief Financial Officer | |
| Robert Gasparri | Chief Operations Officer | |
| Monica Sears | Vice President of Operations |
Current boxers
Source:[5]
| Name | Weight Class | Nationality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sadam Ali | Welterweight |  American | |
| Rene Alvarado | Junior Featherweight |  Nicaragua | |
| Canelo Álvarez | Middleweight |  Mexican | Ring Magazine Lineal Middleweight Champion |
| Manuel Avila | Junior Featherweight | American | |
| Randy Caballero | Super Bantamweight | American | |
| Robinson Castellanos | Featherweight | Mexican | |
| Pablo Cesar Cano | Light Welterweight | Mexican | |
| Diego De La Hoya | Junior Featherweight | Mexican | |
| Joseph Diaz | Junior Featherweight | American | |
| Taishon Dong | Heavyweight |  Chinese | |
| Yamaguchi Falcao | Middleweight |  Brazilian | |
| Mercito Gesta | Lightweight |  Philippines | |
| Keandre Gibson | Welterweight | American | |
| Frankie Gomez | Junior Welterweight | American | |
| Eddie Gómez | Welterweight | American | |
| Antonio Gutierrez | Middleweight | Mexican | |
| Mauricio Herrera | Junior Welterweight | American | |
| Eric Hernandez | Welterweight | American | |
| Bernard Hopkins | Light Heavyweight | American | |
| Tureano Johnson | Middleweight |  Bahamanian | |
| Yoshihiro Kamegai | Welterweight |  Japanese | |
| David Lemieux | Middleweight |  Canadian | |
| Jorge Linares | Lightweight |  Venezuelan | WBC Lightweight Champion Emeritus Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion |
| Everton Lopes | Lightweight | Brazilian | |
| Fidel Maldonado | Junior Welterweight | Mexican | |
| Lucas Matthysse | Welterweight |  Argentine | |
| Travell Mazion | Junior Welterweight | American | |
| Jorge Melendez | Middleweight |  Puerto Rican | |
| Christian Mijares | Featherweight | Mexican | |
| Carlos Molina | Junior Welterweight | American | |
| Ivan Morales | Bantamweight | Mexican | |
| Zachary Ochoa | Junior Welterweight | Puerto Rican | |
| Anthony Ogogo | Middleweight |  British | |
| Antonio Orozco | Junior Welterweight | American | |
| Johan Pérez | Junior Welterweight | Venezuelan | |
| Jason Quigley | Middleweight |  Irish | |
| Lamont Roach Jr | Lightweight | American | |
| Ronny Rios | Featherweight | American | |
| Kevin Rivers Jr | Featherweight | American | |
| Gabriel Rosado | Middleweight | American | |
| Yoandris Salinas | Junior Featherweight |  Cuban | |
| Bastie Samir | Super Middleweight |  Ghana | |
| Alan Sanchez | Welterweight | Mexican | |
| Vyacheslav Shabranskyy | Light Heavyweight |  Ukrainian | |
| Humberto Soto | Super Lightweight | Mexican | |
| Jesus Soto Karass | Welterweight | Mexican | |
| Todd Unthank-May | Light Heavyweight | American | |
| Patrick Teixeira | Junior Middleweight | Brazilian | |
| Sergio Thompson | Junior Lightweight | Mexican | |
| Niko Valdes | Light Heavyweight | American | |
| Francisco Vargas | Junior Lightweight | Mexican | WBC Super Featherweight Champion |
| Jayson Velez | Featherweight | Puerto Rican | |
Promoting the biggest boxing match in history
Golden Boy promoted the May 5, 2007, "super fight" between De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather won the bout by a split decision. The fight once held the record for most pay-per-view buys and once held the record as the second highest grossing fight in the history of the sport.[6] They also co-promoted along with Top Rank, The Dream Match: Oscar De La Hoya Vs Manny Pacquiao on December 6, 2008.
Mixed Martial Arts promotion with Affliction
Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing started a mixed martial arts promotion that has been extremely aggressive in pursuing free agents. It has been rumored that their new promotion has already worked out deals with Aleksander Emelianenko, Vitor Belfort, Matt Lindland, and Gilbert Yvel, as well as pursuing Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, Renato Sobral, and Fedor Emelianenko, and a TV deal with HBO.[7]
However, the promotion would fold before airing its third PPV event, "Affliction: Trilogy" - a steroid scandal and being unable to find replacement fighters would lead to the eventual cancellation of the event.[8]
Projects
In 2005 Golden Boy Enterprises announced the formation of Golden Boy Partners, a company focused on urban development in Latino communities.[9]
In June 2009, Golden Boy Enterprises became embroiled in a dispute over who would fight for the WBA junior welterweight title. On the one hand, undefeated Dmitry Salita (the WBA's No. 1-ranked 140-pounder) was told by the WBA in writing that he will face the winner of the June 27 fight between titleholder Andreas Kotelnik and Amir Khan. On the other hand, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy said that he had it "in writing" that that fight would face the winner of the Victor Ortíz-Marcos Maidana fight.[10] The WBA's top executives were unavailable for comment. Salita was extremely upset over the prospect that he could lose what would be his first title shot. "They're a big company", he said of Golden Boy. "They're trying to bend the rules. They're trying to kick everyone to the side and get their way, rules or no rules. When Oscar De La Hoya formed Golden Boy, he said he wanted to change boxing, to bring honor to the sport. This isn't the honorable thing to do. This isn't good for boxing. This isn't justice. This goes against the right to pursue happiness, which is why my family immigrated to this country (from Ukraine) and why I've worked so hard. We'll see what happens."[10] Salita ended up fighting Khan, losing by 1st round TKO.
References
- ↑ De La Hoya's Promotional Strategy Packs a Wallop
- 1 2 "Southern California's finest square off on the return of "Fight Night Club" on February 24". Golden Boy Promotions. February 11, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- ↑ "Fight Night". The Ring online. August 25, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- ↑ :: Golden Boy Promotions Inc. ::
- ↑ http://www.goldenboypromotions.com/fighters/
- ↑ :: Golden Boy Promotions Inc. ::
- ↑ Five Ounces of Pain | Exclusive: Ben Rothwell considering offer from new Golden Boy and Affliction fight promotion
- ↑ Sherdog | Update: Affliction Cancels 'Trilogy'
- ↑ :: Golden Boy Promotions Inc. ::
- 1 2 www.ringtv.com