Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mayweather Promotions have pledged their loyalty to Richard Schaefer after he split from Golden Boy Promotions, but hedged their bets shortly after. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said Floyd will no longer fight against members of Golden Boy's stable. An exception is apparently being made for Canelo Alvarez.
Schaefer-Golden Boy split will help end "Cold War?"
Together with Alvarez in September 2013, "The One" pay-per-view made the most money of any boxing pay-per-view ever and generated over two million purchases. The pay-per-view cards sandwiching that Alvarez fight, against Robert Guerrero and Marcos Maidana both failed to break the one million buy barrier.
Initially Ellerbe told ESPN.com that Mayweather Promotions would "absolutely not" be working with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy going forward. He softened that stance regarding Canelo though, and left the door slightly ajar for future business to take place.
De La Hoya wants to "bury the hatchet" with Bob Arum
"The door is open for future business with Golden Boy," Ellerbe said. "The only person that I see in their stable that we can see doing a future fight with where there is big business, that would be against 'Canelo' Alvarez."
Paying lip service to their availability to work with De La Hoya though doesn't mean those words will be put into practice. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum for years has claimed he's willing to work with anyone in the sport, and yet a "Cold War" has raged on for a decade. Ellerbe and Mayweather remain firmly entrenched in Schaefer's corner, and Schaefer's notably staunch when it comes to not working with an enemy.
"We have a great working relationship with Richard Schaefer and that will never change. Richard is a good friend and a great businessman and an excellent promoter," said Ellberbe.
"Richard will have an impact in anything that he decides to do, a tremendous impact. He built that company from the ground up and did a phenomenal job. We've had a very close relationship for a number of years and worked hand-in-hand on a number of great fights."
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