By Mohamed Horomtallah: Fresh off paying its multibillion debt, DAZN is looking for a fresh start in the US market. While a potential future contract with the NFL is all but uncertain, boxing is, for now, the only option for the app to stay relevant in America.
Despite Eddie Hearn delivering two or three Canelo Alvarez fights this year, his position as the main promoter and the go-to guy at DAZN is fragile.
Aside from Canelo, who could very well spend next year doing business with PBC, what other meaningful fight can he deliver for his employer?
Gennadiy Golovkin is out the door, just waiting for his retirement check against Canelo.
Demetrius Andrade is rumored to leave after Hearn couldn’t get any big name to step in the ring with him, specially Golovkin who joined DAZN for a financial goal and was certainly not going to please the fans and risk losing out on his exit check by unifying with Andrade.
The more I think about it, the more I struggle to see any exciting, big fights that Matchroom USA can stage.
Enter Oscar De La Hoya! The timing is perfect to take over and, in the process, get revenge against Hearn who took his cash cow away from him.
Golden Boy Promotions has a great opportunity to solidify their position and become the main player of the app.
They can multiply the budget they get and have Matchroom take a backseat.
But in order to accomplish that, Oscar needs to gamble. High risk, high reward!
He’s in possession of three pieces that can put him on top provided he makes the right moves.
Those pieces are Ryan Garcia, Jaime Munguia, and Virgil Ortiz. Three fighters that have the potential to become household names and catapult Golden Boy promotions to new heights.
These fighters have the backing of the Mexican fan base and all they need is a signature win for them to become huge stars. Golden Boy promotions can all of the sudden have three cash cows in their stable and DAZN will be thrilled to throw huge checks their way.
Furthermore, it will attract more fighters as Golden Boy Promotions will be the place to be. It will be the renaissance of the company and a great comeback after everyone left them for dead as a consequence of Canelo leaving them.
But in order to accomplish that, they need to put those three fighters in big, though, risky fights.
Let’s imagine for a moment that before the year is over, Ryan Garcia beats Gervonta Davis and Munguia stops Jermall Charlo while Ortiz shines against Jaron Ennis, their stock will go up so high that the sky will be the limit. And even if it means being the B-side in those fights, they will become instant PPV stars, bringing in huge revenues every time they fight.
Needless to say, there’s a flip side to this coin. If his fighters lose those fights, Oscar will take heavy damage, maybe even a fatal hit.
It’s a gamble that can put Golden Boy on top of the world. The question is: will De La Hoya continue to play it safe or does he trust his fighters enough to go all in?