"YOU BE THE JUDGE"
BY STEPHEN S. JOHNSON
(IB-February 7, 2010) Ricardo Lois of THE BOXING TRUTH.com interviewed Mario Margossian (who represents junior welterweight contender Marcos Maidana) by telephone in Argentina last night.
Ricardo Lois pulled no punches and immediately "cut to the chase" in what turned out to be a revealing conversation...one that all boxing fans should pay close attention to.
As you are all probably aware, there have been many questions, and until now even fewer answers, regarding the rumors of Maidana being offered money to hold off on a mandatory title defense due him by the current WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan.
Amir Khan just recently signed a 3-fight promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions who is on record as saying that they would deliver the "big fights" that British promoter Frank Warren (allegedly) could not deliver for Khan.
Amir Khan wanting to leave Frank Warren Promotions was his own personal choice. But the controversy surrounding that departure may have been cleared a bit when Ricardo Lois interviewed Margossian, who obviously felt no need to disguise the truth of the matter to anyone.
Margossian: "I make the decisions when it comes to Maidana. The WBA, Golden Boy, Universum and myself talked and it has been decided that Khan will fight Maidana later down the road".
Lets make sure we all comprehend what Mr. Margossian said. "The WBA, Golden Boy, Universum and myself talked and it has been decided that Khan will fight Maidana later down the road".
In case you missed it, Margossian said, "The WBA, Golden Boy, Universum and myself talked and it has been decided that Khan will fight Maidana later down the road".
Now that (after ingesting a portion of the conversation several times) you completely understand what transpired in some "back room dealing" regarding the mandatory title defense by Amir Khan versus Marcos Maidana, there's absolutely NO WAY you cannot be scratching your head.
We now have Golden Boy Promotions not only maneuvering its way around rival promoters in securing as many fighters as possible into their stable, but (according to Margossian) they now have flexed their muscle in apparently taking control of a recognized sanctioning body in the the WBA.
The now out of control ( or should we believe completely in control) and dictatorial Golden Boy Promotions has made it crystal clear their intentions. Controlling the sport of boxing completely is what is obviously their intent, and with the inclusion of the WBA they are well on their way to accomplishing that goal.
The WBA, Golden Boy and Universum all have a duty to us, the boxing public, to clarify what happened with the WBA mandated junior welterweight title defense by Amir Khan against Marcos Maidana. This type of situation demands scrutiny that cannot be entrusted to any of the conspirators involved.
We can easily see the position of GBP. They "do what they do". The question remaining heavily in the lap of the others is "just when did the promotional company named Golden Boy Promotions acquire the authority to have you change your own rules"? For the WBA "when did you start allowing promoters and their competitors to make their own rules"?
The WBA is on the hottest seat of all. As a sanctioning body they have in the past moved rather quickly in demanding the defense of their championship title be scheduled in a timely manner. For the WBA to be involved in this obvious conspiracy, they have no choice but to "come clean".
As it stands right this very moment, the credibility of the WBA is at stake. GBP has no credibility problem because they have already established themselves as being unconcerned with such issues. They have been very consistent in one thing. They continue to "do what they do".
The WBA and president Gilberto Mendoza must publicly explain the conspiratorial efforts they have engaged in with Golden Boy Promotions, Universum and Mario Margossian should they wish to maintain any semblance of credibility in the sport of boxing.
Waiting for an explanation from any of the above mentioned entities is probably a waste of time, but as fans of the sport don't you believe there has to be some sort of separation between the business dealings of the promoters and a sanctioning body? Is Golden Boy Promotions currently in negotiations with the WBC and the IBF in arranging mandatory title defenses be delayed pending approval of GBP?
It is readily understood that state boxing commissions' deal with promoters. Those issues mainly pertain to the individual states' regulatory standards and require interaction between the two.
There is no such cooperation or interaction required, nor should be accepted, between any sanctioning body and a promoter. It reeks of collusion and if for no other reason, the perception of impropriety. The mere thought of the WBA, WBC, the IBF and all other sanctioning bodies being targeted as cooperating in the Golden Boy Promotions' scheme to monopolize boxing is terrifying.
Let me put this in a sort of "reality show" based perspective...
Your daughter tries out for the cheerleading squad and doesn't make the final cut. Another girl holds the last spot on the team, and you are able to offer her a guarantee of making the team for the next two years...if she will let your daughter have that spot. There is obviously some type of other compensation offered, but this main obstacle is down.
You then inform the school that you, your daughter, the other cheerleader and her parents have all come to this agreement and ask them for their blessing in the matter. The school reminds all that in the past, the cheerleaders are selected by a committee and that group determines who the cheerleaders are for that year. There would have to be a consensus from any number of individuals and groups to pull this off.
The school decides, in a conversation involving all, that since the parties involved are all in agreement, they will not interfere with what seems to be an agreement everyone can live with and allow your daughter to have the last spot on the cheerleading squad.
The fallout from that scenario would forever rock the structure of the selection committee, the school, and the moral character of all involved. The question of there possibly having these "back room dealings" determine the cheerleading squad by who had made "the better deal" would run rampant.
Oscar de la hoya and Golden Boy Promotions have put themselves in position to broker seemingly "better deals" for quite a few boxers wanting to make as much money as possible as soon as possible. Nothing wrong with that except for the fact that GBP has apparently moved into new waters.
The WBA did not allow Amir Khan to keep the junior welterweight title without the mandatory defense against Marcos Maidana without some other type of financial compensation. If that is not the case the WBA and its' president Gilberto Mendoza have every opportunity in the next few days to "set the record straight".
We should all anticipate a response from the co-conspirators in the next few days.
When hearing of dealings that involve both Oscar de la hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, the term "conspiracy" has never seemed more obvious that it does right now...
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