Great storms announce themselves with slight breezes...
"I think 30 million 10 years ago would have been worth more than 50 million now"
has there been that much inflation in just the last 10 years?
Regardless, what DLH has been able to do as a non-heavyweight is staggering and the fact that he has been able to maintain his level of marketability for as long as he has, even through the losses, is incredible.
"the fact that he has been able to maintain his level of marketability for as long as he has, even through the losses, is incredible."
- That's a great point. He is so much bigger than the sport itself that he is bigger than actual results, to the point that he is able to transcend the losses unscathed. The results become almost irrelevant and incidental to his greater persona.
The only other fighter you could say that about was Tyson, albeit for entirely different reasons revolving around the unpredictable spectacle that might come with him.
This latest loss still hasn't devalued Oscar at all. He will still go on to make 8 figures a fight should he decide to keep fighting. It's truly amazing how he has retained his popularity and massive drawing power. (Although it also doesn't hurt that he has never really been outclassed, has only been stopped once, and frequently goes up against the very best.)
the fight with Mayweather might have actually improved his status, seeing as how competitive he made it when a lot of people thought he would get dominated. If he was able to bounce back from the embarassing loss to Hopkins, then he could bounce back from anything.
Compare him to Ray Leonard. Ray was MASSIVE in the 1980s when he was battling Duran, Hearns, and Hagler, but within a year and a half of beating Duran in their rubber match, he was fighting infront of a half empty Madison Square Garden, on a regular Showtime card, against Terry Norris who at the time was a top young boxer. By all accounts that fight should have been a big draw, but for whatever reason Leonard's fanbase had already dried up. Ray's popularity sunk extremely quickly by the time he was Oscar's age (34), and Ray didn't have half as many losses in big fights as Oscar has.
DLH and Ray Leonard are almost exact analogies of each others, except DLH's career coincided with the more lucrative PPV era's prime.
PPV hadn't really hit its stride yet and in fact, SRL was really the seminal pioneer who helped usher in the era and establish the idea in people's heads that fights could be worth paying to watch on TV.
He was the most popular fighter in the post-Ali era and became a true household name. Everybody knew and rooted for him.
But as I recall, people eventually lost interest with his comeback because he lost credibility with his lackluster final few performances (the gift draw with Hearns, a win over a clearly over-the-hill and out-of-shape Duran, and culminating with the decisive loss to Norris).
The prevailing feeling was that Ray was clearly past his prime and out of his depth, becoming an embarrassment to his former glory, and should retire for good this time.
Oscar isn't there yet, and he has been able to maintain the successful marketing of himself far better than SRL did in his twilight.
But you gotta remember, being an athlete in your 30's nowadays doesn't nearly mean what it used to back in Ray Leonard's day. It was almost always a threshold that marked time to be put out to pasture.
Ray's image was also somewhat tarnished when it came out that he had abused his wife and that he had a cocaine habit throughout the 80s.
Closed Circuit in the 80s, while not as lucrative as PPV, was still BIG business for boxing. Even during Ali's prime, all his biggest fights were closed circuit, dating all the way back to the Liston fights.
oscar has made a lot of money outside of boxing. doesnt he have that property development project in south central LA where he is helping redevlop the inner city for the predominantly mexican people.
much like magic johnson, oscar has seen that sports is just a foot in the door to bigger financial rewards
"much like magic johnson, oscar has seen that sports is just a foot in the door to bigger financial rewards"
The most Magic made in one season was $11 million and has turned it into a $450 million fortune through his business.
and tyson is way broke...
"and tyson is way broke..."
And that boggles the mind!!...How the hell???...500+ million to zero in under 10 years...My fucken god!
"and tyson is way broke..."
Although he currently lives in a $2.2 million home in Phoenix
http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/mike-tyson-sells-paradise-valley-home-bail-money/323
"Oscar is a great boxer and a very smart businessman. Good for him. He earned it all on his own blood, sweat and tears."
Good post by rockhardazn
"Tyson, Holyfield and Bowe had multiple $20 million plus payouts during there prime. Oscar paid Roach $500,000. It was $500,000 and double if he won. Tyson is the only athlete in history to make over $100 million in one year with no endorsements."
What does he have to show for it? A sweet tribal tat on the side of his face....he is by far the dumbest beast on the planet (yes after gorillas).
That's fucking insane. Good for him though. Boxing payouts should rely 50% on finishing the fight within the distance to avoid fights like the one we saw last weekend. If an extra 25 million was at stake, that fight would have been unreal. But I guess when you promote your own fight you're unlikely to do that to yourself.
Wasn't Oscar the promoter of the event? "Golden Boy Promotions" was all over the place. So some of that must be due to his role as promoter, not just as a fighter.
"like what, 2 mil? "
thats like 40 years of work at my current job.
"Havokk 15, you say Tyson never made close to what Oscar made for this
fight..I think 30 million 10 years ago would have been worth more than
50 million now."
not even close....30mil 10 years ago is worth 35-40mil in today's money
Wow, great for both of them. That's definately a long way from East L.A.
Oscar = boxing
As well as a very smart businessman (unlike Tyson).....pretty amazing considering he was raised a poor kid from East LA.
Who's gonna be drawing those megamoney fights when he's gone though?
"dreams of the day mma champs earn millions per fight"
Like Chuck, Tito, Randy, etc. already do?