Tag: Mayweather Promotions

Boxing companies among those that received government relief

Boxing promotional companies received loans from a federal program established to help small business through the coronavirus pandemic.

The powers that be in boxing received a boost from the government.

Boxing promotional companies were among those that received loans from a federal program established to help small business through the economic challenges of coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press reported.

Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions were approved for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program for between $350,000 and $1 million to compensate for a lack of boxing shows during the COVID-19-related lockdown, which began in March.

Data released Monday revealed that a variety of industries – including sports-related companies – received help. The AP reported that none of the major North American sports leagues – the Major League Baseball, NBA, NFL and NHL – submitted applications.

The loan amounts were broken down into ranges so it’s impossible to determine specifically how much the boxing companies received. Bigger sports organizations received a lot more. For example, two Major League Soccer teams received between $2 million and $5 million each.

Congress approved $659 million in low-interest loans under the PPP. The loans will be forgiven if the money is used on payroll, rent and other essential expenses.

Boxing in the U.S. shut down in mid-March and returned early last month, meaning no income was generated for almost three months. And some companies – including Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy – have yet to get rolling again.

Forbes has reported that Floyd Mayweather earned more than $1 billion in his career. Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy, earned $510 million, according to Forbes.

Premier Boxing Champions, one of the biggest promotional firms in the sport, was not listed as a company that applied for assistance.

Gervonta Davis hopes to bring down the house in Atlanta

An impressive victory over Yuriorkis Gamboa on Saturday would be another step toward stardom for Gervonta Davis.

Gervonta Davis begins a new stage in his career this week with one eye on enhancing his celebrity with crossover fans and the other on furthering credibility in a career he hopes will eventually be worthy of pound-for-pound consideration.

It’s a plan straight out Floyd Mayweather’s past. Mayweather appealed to an urban market and then went on to prove himself with big victories and bigger money. The formula was simple and effective. Crossover fans will watch if you win. And spend.

Davis (22-0, 21 KOs) hopes to accomplish both, beginning Saturday against Yuriokis Gamboa (30-2, 18 KOs) in Atlanta, a city called “The Black Hollywood’’ by Mayweather Promotions executive Leonard Ellerbe.

The fight will be broadcast on Showtime.

“A very exciting bout,’’ Ellerbe said during a recent conference call. “This will be a night that will be filled with exciting music as well as we’re bringing both cultures together in an epic event in Atlanta.’’

The music will play on no matter what happens. For Davis, however, the key to winning over the audience is in his performance. Against Gamboa, he needs to be impressive enough for that audience to want an encore.

Gervonta Davis (right) has business role model in his promoter, Floyd Mayweather. Alex Pantling / Getty Images

Gamboa has a name, an Olympic gold medal. He also has a record that includes some of today’s leading pound-for-pound contenders. The most noteworthy: Terence Crawford, who as a lightweight stopped Gamboa, knocking him down four times and finishing him in the ninth round on June 2, 2014 in Omaha.

In many ways, that was the beginning of Crawford’s rise to pound-for-pound prominence. Now a welterweight, he’s No. 2 in Boxing Junkie’s ranking.

“That’s the fight I actually keep watching,” said Davis, who is moving up the scale to lightweight. “Gamboa was touching him up in the beginning of rounds, because Crawford was too wide. So, I took that and tried to not be wide, like throwing a lot of round punches.

“But the explosiveness was there, and he was actually right-handed when Gamboa was touching him up. So, once he turned southpaw, then that was a different story. I was learning from his mistakes: Just not be wide.’’

A key difference is time. More than five years have come and gone since Crawford beat Gamboa. Monday, Gamboa has a birthday. He turns 38, an age usually beyond a fighter’s prime.

Age, however, is no factor in Davis’ thinking.

“I’m always going to be me in the ring and do what Gervonta Davis does,’’ he said. “Be explosive, be fast, and if we go 12 rounds, I’m definitely here for it. But I don’t see this fight going 12 rounds.’’

Davis was asked if it’s important to finish quicker than Crawford did.

“Not really, but if I do, it would tell that I’m top five, pound for pound, for sure,’’ Davis said.

For sure, a quick stoppage would be good way to launch an already proven path to stardom.