Golden Boy CEO roots for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has offered a bit of insight on the most anticipated fight in professional boxing.
In a recent Ring Magazine article, the Swiss banker turned big-time boxing promoter argued that, contrary to popular opinion, “Pretty Boy Floyd” is not scared of Manny Pacquiao, and that when the time is right he'll prove it in the ring.
More than that: Schaefer said Floyd Mayweather will beat Pacquiao.
“I can assure you that when the time is right, he’ll [Mayweather] fight Pacquiao and beat Pacquiao,” Schaefer said with the savvy of a confident bank investor.
Boxing fans have been waiting on the edge of their seats for a clash between Mayweather and Pacquiao for the better part of two years. They are the top rated fighters in the sport, and would generate unimaginable revenue.
Negotiations, however, have suffered terribly due to a slew of complications including Mayweather demanding ‘Olympic style drug testing’ of Pacquiao and Pacquiao refusing.
It doesn’t help that Golden Boy, who have co-promoted Mayweather in recent bouts, is involved in an ongoing legal and personal dispute with Top Rank, who promote Pacquiao.
The two promotional companies have been at each other’s necks for months, with the result that each stable’s fighters have been forced to steer clear of each other, affecting the legitimacy of boxing’s ratings and the quality of fights altogether.
Schaefer confirmed that he hadn’t heard from Mayweather since Pacquiao’s last fight against Antonio Margarito on November 13: “We haven’t heard anything from Mayweather’s side,” he said.
The Golden Boy CEO attributed Mayweather’s silence to his own ongoing legal issues.
“People should be smart enough to realize that he’s in the middle of legal proceedings. His focus and energy is on that, clearing his name, not on making a fight. That’s just common sense.”
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