If you’re a boxing power broker not aligned with Al Haymon, Haymon Boxing or Premiere Boxing Champions, a strong argument can be made that you are now obsolete in the sport. Haymon, the uber-adviser who appears to operate as promoter, manager, adviser and mastermind behind the largest stable of fighters and cache of US TV dates in the North American boxing landscape , has taken control of the sport presently. How? In a sense, Haymon bought it, one fighter, promotion alliance, and network date at a time. The scraps of dates, locations and fighters left to other companies still acting independently of each other are perhaps the final remains of the old way of promoting boxing. In it’s place is a unified brand known as Premiere Boxing Champions (PBC), a league if you will, filled with legit name boxers at varying stages of their careers.
How does Mayweather vs Pacquiao factor into this? Mayweather is advised by Haymon. Mayweather is, in essence, the carrot that brings in fighters to Haymon’s stable. Either fighters want a shot at Floyd or they want to eventually be Floyd. Haymon is the king maker, either way.
If Haymon’s PBC and it’s coming hurricane of fights on multiple networks weren’t on the schedule, Mayweather-Pacquiao doesn’t happen. That fight, broadcast by Showtime and HBO in a joint PPV venture, and it’s marketing lead-up will be perfect advertising for the PBC and where fighting in it can lead you. If Mayweather dismantles Pacquiao in Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad-esque fashion, it will signal the end of the lucrative but declining Pacquiao PPV franchise. Towering above the rubble will be Floyd Mayweather and the PBC, sitting victorious in the shadow of Haymon.
Like that final uppercut and little shove that sent Trinidad to the canvas, Mayweather beating Pacquiao decisively will not signal a quick death for any company not aligned with the PBC. But rather, it will be the final bit of dirt shoveled out of a growing moat surrounding Castle Haymon and the rest of the sport. Traditionally, PPV stars are built by beating other PPV stars. After May 2, there will be two left: Golden Boy Promotions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 25, and RocNation’s Miguel Cotto, 34. Mayweather has beaten them both. Rematches seem farfetched at this point. Beyond them, if it took five years to make Mayweather-Pacquiao, how long will it be before Al Haymon lets his next PPV star fight someone not under his advisory contract? Try never.
