Chapter 25 : Top Promotion Company

  "Hey, Link, how about some more chatting?"  

After the game, in the corridor of the locker room, Link met Greg Cohen who was walking towards him.

  Greg Cohen, a famous promoter under the top promotion company, 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 had met the other party once in Charleston, and the other party offered a big contract worth 10 million US dollars to sign him.

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

  For example, the Golden Gloves champion gets a reward of 2 million, the amateur championship champion gets 1 million, the Olympic champion gets 2 million, the Pan American Games boxing champion gets 500,000, and after changing jobs, if you beat an opponent, you get a reward of 500,000, and if you win a gold belt, you get 2 million, and so on.

  For a newcomer, the salary is very generous.

  But Link didn't want to work with a top promotion company.

  "Mr. Cohen, please wait a moment!"

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

  While he was busy, Greg Cohen leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and waited with a smile on his face, tapping the ground with his feet from time to time, looking relaxed and casual.

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

  "Sorry for the long wait!"

  "Haha, it's okay. I used to be an agent for De La Hoya and Mayweather, so I know everything about the locker room. But they are not as diligent and self-disciplined as you. After each game, they will lie directly on the massage bed and let two plump Spanish girls sit on them and massage them."

  Greg Cohen raised his hands and grabbed in the air, a hint of an ambiguous smile on his lips, and gave him a look that all men understood.

  Link understood what he meant and smiled with envy, "Who wouldn't want to? If I had the money, I would find three."

  Greg Cohen laughed loudly, patted his thigh and said, "Link, I like you. Your temperament is very compatible with mine, so cooperate with me and join the top promotion company. We will make a fortune together. In the future, you will also become a boxing champion. You will have money, beautiful women, top luxury cars, private jets, luxury yachts, and everything they have."

  Link had a longing look on his face. "That sounds great, but..."

  Before he could finish, Greg Cohen raised his hand and continued, "In view of your outstanding performance, I specially consulted with President Arum, and we decided to upgrade your contract to Class A, the treatment of a world boxing champion.

  The 5 million signing bonus, plus other rewards, adds up to 20 million US dollars. As long as you agree to join the top promotion company, you will become a multi-millionaire in a very short time and have everything you want. "

  Greg Cohen waved his arms as he spoke, his voice loud and powerful, very inflammatory.

  Link smiled, but his heart was calm.

  Although the conditions offered by Greg Cohen were very generous, the 20 million bonus clause was also the highest offer among all the promotion companies that had contacted him.

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

  It's not that the top promotion companies are bad, but that their concepts are different.

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

  Bob Arum is a 75-year-old Jewish man who looks like Churchill.

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

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

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

  In 2015, Mayweather and Pacquiao will have the "Fight of the Century", and the boxing match and surrounding profits will exceed one billion US dollars.

  The 2017 fight between Mayweather and Conor McGregor made a profit of more than 500 million US dollars, all of which was operated by him and the top promotion company.

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

  By this year, Top Promotions has surpassed Major Event Promotions, Don King Promotions, and Arena Promotions in annual profits and influence, becoming the world's largest boxing promotion company, 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 manipulated by capital. Capital controls the matches and the boxers, and treats boxing matches as a tool to make money 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, train them after signing them, use the media to hype up the boxers, package the boxers, and then push them out to fight in competitions to make money. After squeezing them dry, replace them with someone else until the sport of boxing is ruined.

  It is also under the influence of top promotion companies that the American boxing world has become increasingly commercialized, with boxers paying more attention to the revenue from competitions rather than boxing itself.

  It is also because of this reason that good boxers cannot survive, the boxers who are promoted are generally not strong, bad money drives out good money, and the viewing experience of boxing matches becomes worse and worse.

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

  Link looked at Greg Cohen and said, "Mr. Cohen, the conditions offered by Top Promotions are very attractive, but I am more concerned about the revenue share than the cash reward. If I join Top Promotions, how much share can I get for each game?"

  "20%!"  

  Greg Cohen raised two fingers and said with a smile: "Link, you are very strong. With our help, it will not be difficult for you to become the world boxing champion. After you become the world boxing champion, you will get 20% of the prize money for each match. You should know that this is the treatment that the top promotion companies give to their famous boxing champions."

  "Mayweather and Pacquiao only get 20%?"

  Link asked thoughtfully.

  "No, no, they are not well-known boxing champions, but top boxing champions, 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 ratio. As for real talents, our top promotion company will never treat them unfairly." Greg Cohen said in a loud voice.

  Link couldn't help but feel emotional after hearing this.

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

  By the 1990s, boxing matches were controlled by boxing companies. Promotion, broadcasting, advertising, etc. were all left 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 made a name for themselves and then cooperated with top promotion companies, and they can get about 60% of the profits.

  The average boxing champion's score is around 30%, and some are even lower.

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

  Greg Cohen said he would give him 20% and increase his share in the future. It sounded good, but it didn't satisfy him.

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

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

  When Greg Cohen heard him ask this question, a relieved expression suddenly appeared on his face.

  Link was tempted! The next negotiation should be stable. He secretly laughed in his heart. The last time they met, Link had a very hard tone and said that he would wait until the game was over before discussing the contract. He thought he was a very difficult person.

  Now he is offered a 20 million contract with a 20% profit share and is told to make him the second Mayweather. He immediately relents, which shows that he does not have high expectations and is a young man who is easy to deal with.

  Just when Greg Cohen thought that the contract could be discussed next, Link suddenly said, "Mr. Cohen, you are right. I also think that I will be better than Mayweather in the future, so I want 70% of the competition income. Can Top Promotions accept my proposal?"

  "How many?"

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

  "You want a 70% share?!"

  "Yes, I have the ability and I am not lacking in fame. I am only one step away from becoming the world boxing champion, so I want 70%!"

  When saying this, Link's expression was very calm, and his voice was also very calm, without a trace of trembling, as if he was stating an objective fact rather than a hypothesis.

  Greg Cohen's Adam's apple moved up and down twice, and he forced out a strange laugh.

  "Haha, you want a 70% share? Haha, you're an amateur boxer who has only fought a few matches and you dare to ask for a 70% share of the match income? Are you sure you're not kidding?"

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

  "No!!"

  Link said without changing his expression.

  "Can't change it?"

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

  Link shook his head, his eyes bright and determined.

  Greg Cohen sneered, dusted off his blue trousers, and walked out the door. He stopped after two steps, turned his head and said:

  "I heard that Little Duva from the Main Event Company has also contacted you. Are you waiting for his news?

  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 Duva. Old Duva is old and nostalgic. He prefers old people like Holyfield. He will never give you a newcomer too generous treatment."

  Link listened in silence.

  "Link, you are quite capable, but in the boxing world, being capable is only the minimum requirement to enter the professional boxing world. 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 in the future you understand this truth, call me and I don't mind signing you with a 10% profit share contract. "

  Greg Cohen put down a name tag, looked back at him, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth over his shoulder, he turned around, stomped hard on the floor, and walked out of the lounge.

  Link glanced 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 the contract.

  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)