Top Rank, which was founded in the early '70s, boasts an exclusive and plummy output deal with ESPN to showcase its talent, Probellum does not have a comparable relationship with a major US broadcaster.Įver since the ESPN story went up on Monday, Ramirez has scrambled to defend accusations that he “ducked” Prograis, a notion that Ramirez has had to deal with in the past, particularly from 2018-2019, when their names were first linked. There is a significant discrepancy, moreover, in the size and influence of the two companies. Probellum has repeatedly denied that Kinahan has anything to do with their operations and have even sued a British competitor, Boxxer, for defamation, for suggesting Kinahan was backing their business. An additional 5%, in other words, was a bridge too far.Ĭomplicating the business aspect of the kerfuffle is the fact that Top Rank does not work with Prograis’ promoter, Probellum, in essence making a purse bid the only available way to make a Prograis-Ramirez bout since negotiations between the two sides would be a nonstarter.Įarlier this year, after the US Department of Treasury placed sanctions on alleged Irish cartel boss Daniel Kinahan and his associates, Top Rank head Bob Arum declared that his company would not do business with any entities that had ties with Kinahan, including Arum said, Probellum, the upstart company led by industry fixture Richard Schaefer. While Ramirez wanted an even 50-50 split he was willing to work with a 40% share-but no more than that. The WBC normally sets the purse split for mandated title fights at 75-25 when there is an incumbent champion, but Ramirez’s promoter, Top Rank, managed to close the gap by successfully lobbying for a 65-35 split. The same, Ramirez and his team argued, cannot be said of Prograis, who grew up in New Orleans but lives in Houston.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |