After knocking off Marcos Maidana in a fight that was closer than expected, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was expected to most likely take on El Chino again in a rematch in September. In the wake of a major shakeup at Golden Boy Promotions, which saw CEO and close associate Richard Schaefer resign, Mayweather's future is cloudy.
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He had already sworn off fighting Top Rank fighters because of a sour relationship with Bob Arum, and now has said he won't work with Golden Boy. While that seems to cut off just about every possible opponent, there are unseen mechanics at work. Many of the fighters who appear in Golden Boy fights are actually under contract with manager Al Haymon, and not necessarily Golden Boy. These issues are unique to each fighter, and can't be determined at the moment.
That still leaves the door open for Schaefer, Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe to grow themselves into bigger players in the promotion game. It also means Floyd can continue fighting people in Haymon's stable, and hurt Oscar De La Hoya's promotion in a big way.
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De La Hoya's business partner Bernard Hopkins, who is also close to Schaefer, made some curious comments that seemed to rip Oscar for his rough dealing with Schaefer that helped the split along.
"A guy like Richard...really can't be replaced. I'll reiterate: Richard Schaefer cannot be replaced. ... Richard is a man who is stern when he needs to be stern, and fair when he needs to be fair. It's hard to find people like that in boxing," Hopkins said.
"He's one of the biggest and most respected players there is. Even the people who don't care for him too much on a personal level have got to respect him when it comes to the way he does his job. Think about it. Who really ran Golden Boy? I'm not talking about popping up in the office once or twice a year. Who was there, doing the deals, on a day-to-day basis?"
De La Hoya's current plan seems to re-open talks with Arum and begin cross promoting fights with him now that Schaefer, Arum's enemy, is out of the picture. The matter of who actually is in Oscar's stable must be resolved before the picture gets clearer.
As for Floyd? Well who knows who he even can fight. The smart money is on him working out something with Maidana though.
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