Larry Merchant claims Affliction paid Oscar De La Hoya $5 million ...
by MMAmania.com on Jan 25, 2009 10:39 AM EST
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... to attend and help promote "Day of Reckoning" -- a venture that his Golden Boy Promotions backed -- rather than sit ringside at a big boxing match that aired on HBO that same night.
Here's the Merchant rant via MMA Insider Blog:
"A celebrity who is here in bronze only [referring to a bronze statue of Oscar De La Hoya that stands outside the Staples Center]. Oscar De La Hoya, the live version, is in nearby Anaheim, where his company got a $5 million fee from a t-shirt maker so that he would be personally involved the promotion of a mixed martial arts show.It would take that much, Jim, to get me to go to one of those things."
Golden Boy Promotions helped promote a welterweight superfight between four-time world champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Mexican sensation Antonio Margarito last night (Jan. 24), as well as the Affliction "Day of Reckoning" pay-per-view (PPV) card. One was held at the Staples Center and the other at the nearby Honda Center. It appears that someone may be jealous, drunk (again) or perhaps senile -- or all of the above -- because promoting titan Oscar De La Hoya was visibly absent. At the very least the tandem of Merchant and Jim Lampley felt the need to provide a reason the Golden Boy chose one event over the other. There's no word from Affliction at this time whether or not the $5 million figure that Merchant suggests is legit or just more unnecessary bluster from the decrepit blowhard.
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I don’t buy this. If de la Hoya’s company was already heavily involved in the production of the event then why would he need additional money just to show up? Even an ounce of business sense would tell him that his presence and involvement would help make the event more successful, thereby putting more dollars into his and his company’s coffers.
by PW on Jan 25, 2009 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
People in boxing don’t even like Larry Merchant. He’s a senile old loudmouth. He should stick to what he’s good at.. making everyone feel uncomfortable with his post-fight interviews.
by R-Dizzle on Jan 25, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Pw: I think Oscar was going to go to the MOsely fight, and they paid him this to lure him away from the boxing event.
I believe this news! Doesnt seem like Affliction is in as much financial trouble as haters like to believe!
by john on Jan 25, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
They should have just offered him a couple free T-shirts and a comp meal at the hotel restaurant.
by PW on Jan 25, 2009 11:23 AM EST up reply actions
“I believe this news! Doesnt seem like Affliction is in as much financial trouble as haters like to believe!”
WTF? They’re not in financial trouble b/c they’re wasting money? Just because the owners have enough means to keep feeding money to a losing venture does not mean that the business is not in financial trouble. The owners are not in financial trouble, but the company is! Pity too, b/c they have a great product.
by Pat on Jan 25, 2009 11:37 AM EST up reply actions
there next card will either feature fedor fighting a can or not fighting at all.. no fedor=few buys=out of business
by randy murders on Jan 25, 2009 11:56 AM EST up reply actions
Mania forgot to put in the best line – “That’s how much you’d have to pay me to go to one of those things.” Anyways, we’ll have to see if a promotion can be survive by solely marketing to hardcore fans. History seems to say no.
by NameNotRequired on Jan 25, 2009 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
PW, LOL… “just offer him a couple of free T-shirts and a comp meal.” I liked that one.
But seriously, there is no way Affliction paid Oscar that much money just to show up. Oscar is not that big. The only person worth paying that much money just to Show up right now would be President Barak Obama. Then you would get so much news coverage that you would get a good return on your investment.
Ofcourse what I am saying is unrealistic for a few different reasons.
by ProKev on Jan 26, 2009 6:24 AM EST up reply actions
Hold on! Larry Merchant is still alive? I thought I read that he “begat” someone in the bible?
by naturalshadow on Jan 25, 2009 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of Larry Merchant’s mouth.
He’s a complete windbag who like Jim Lampley has an agenda to their own personal interest like praising boxing as a “sweet science” and taking cheap shots at MMA.
The guy couldn’t be more nauseating even if he were Frank Trigg.
by Tyler on Jan 25, 2009 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
It wouldnt surprise me if this were true, but it only adds to the hate that Merchant, “The Wife Beater” Lampley and others from boxings old school already have for MMA. I cant wait to see Dana’s response to this.
by El Mexicutioner, formerly The Mexicutioner on Jan 25, 2009 10:53 AM EST reply actions
What happens to these WAMMA belts if the holder(Fedor) signs with the UFC? Will they take the belt away or does Dana just throw it in the garbage?
by jay on Jan 25, 2009 10:57 AM EST reply actions
Unification match between Fedor and the Lesnar/Mir winner.
by PW on Jan 25, 2009 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
But if Fedor was to lose to Brock the WAMMA belt would stay in the UFC forever. It would always be attached to the UFC belt. Does that mean that the WAMMA belt disappears? This could happen to all future WAMMA belts, right?
by jay on Jan 25, 2009 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
Gettin waaaay ahead of yourself here. Nobody’s going anywhere yet.
by Crayze on Jan 25, 2009 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
theoretoically, YES! BUt Dana wont cross promote with ANYONE, and doesnt Acknowledge WAMMA! Most of the bloggers Bash Wamma, but I actually like what they are trying to do. If the UFC would join Wamma it would be amazing! Its not Wamma’s fault that the uFC wont join, so they have to proceed without UFC fighters.
I like the fact that Wamma titles will be decided in different organizations. I actually think its a pretty cool idea, I just question the people who are running it!
If the UFC were to join Wamma, we would get to find out who truly is the best fighter in the world in each weight class. so right now we have to settle for Wamma crowning the best NON UFC fighters in the world. In theory its not a bad idea….It would be great if the UFC would join, but it would take for an American mma organization to grow as big as the UFC for that to happen, and right now the UFC has at least a 5 year head start over any other company!
by john on Jan 25, 2009 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
I’m not saying Fedor is going to the UFC, but what about the other weights? WAMMA said they are going to hand out belts in other weight categories. If any of their current champs go to UFC that WAMMA belt dies and they’ll have to keep handing out belts because they won’t co-operate with the UFC.
by jay on Jan 25, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions
yeah but the ufc worked so hard to get where they are, all these upstart promotions arent going through half of what the ufc had to go through to become the big show. i dont think theyd ever cross promote another big league but id maybe something like m1 global.
p.s. i agree i hate the old fart he does make the boxers look uncomfortanble when he asks questions
by Jared on Jan 25, 2009 11:57 AM EST up reply actions
nope look what the ufc did with randy when he “left” its basically the same as a dude retiring to be honest sure he left as champion but he surrenders that label as the companies champion as he breaches his contract
by randy murders on Jan 25, 2009 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
WAMMAs alright, but the best fighters in the world are already fighting in the UFC. If Fedor signed with the UFC WAMMA would be screwed.
UFC
BJ – Best LW
GSP – Best WW
Anderson – Best MW
LHW Full stable of world class fighters.
HW – Sign Josh and Fedor and WAMMA is finished
Anyone that says the UFC sucks is new to MMA.
by rctrue on Jan 25, 2009 3:16 PM EST up reply actions
LOL no sh^t. I know hardcore fan’s want two top ranked leagues but WAMMA doesn’t have much to offer for their ticket prices or PPV prices. UFC can bring 15 great cards a year, I don’t know if Affliction can bring three around the same calibure? If this was one they have two left? MMA in a boxing ring? Oscar introducing the fighters was lame, UFC announcers are at least fan’s, Delayed replay’s, I was at our Casino lounge watching the fight(the only place that had it less than 20minutes away, usually every sports bar has the UFC)and half the crowd got up paid and left before the Fedor KO replay, there was empty seats everywere I think they were trying to blur them out?? To top it all off the fights themselves were pretty boring to haymaker KO’s didn’t help the cause and that can happen in any MMA card. All in all This Affliction will not help the next.
by Beaver on Jan 26, 2009 8:08 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not saying Fedor is going to the UFC, but what about the other weights? WAMMA said they are going to hand out belts in other weight categories. If any of their current champs go to UFC that WAMMA belt dies and they’ll have to keep handing out belts because they won’t co-operate with the UFC.
by jay on Jan 25, 2009 11:10 AM EST reply actions
BACK TO TOPIC
I think what he meant is that Affliction paid Golden Boy Productions $5 Million to help with with Affliction. That probably included Oscar’s personal involvement throughout the week and at the event last night as well as GBP producing the events using their cameras, camerament, lights and production team to cut and edit everything together live. The show last night did look MUCH better than the first.
If you think about it that makes the most sense. $5 M for delahoya’s involvement and all of the camerawork and editing sounds like a lot, but then again I have no idea how much it should cost for all of the lighting, cameras, microphones and the live editing of the event.
Thoughts?
by joseph.67 on Jan 25, 2009 11:44 AM EST reply actions
I could do without Scott Pharrell and Tito’s post fight interviews.
by muaythai_jitsu on Jan 25, 2009 3:40 PM EST up reply actions
what these boxing fans don’t want to admitt is that mma takes more skill than boxing. These mma guys would destroy any boxer in a real fight and they know it. Before mma boxers were reguarded as the toughest people to beat in a fight even more so than wrestlers. Boxing was the number one sport in the 60’s followed by baseball and horse racing. Two of the three are dead now and baseball is way down. MMA is far more popular than boxing and will only be more so in years to come.
When I did boxing I wanted to kick guys or slam and choke them. When I did wrestling I wanted to punch, and strike. With jiu-jitsu same thing. Kick boxing couldn’t use the jiu jitsu or wrestling I learned. MMA you can do it all. It requires skill in many areas and is the ultimate test.
by hatteras on Jan 25, 2009 12:00 PM EST reply actions
I just want to correct one thing. MLB is not really down at all. They broke the all time record last year in attendance. MLB is prob bigger than it ever has even though football replaced it as america’s pastime.
by fokman on Jan 25, 2009 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
Idk. I watched both fight cards. I watched the live version of Affliction, and the recorded version of Mosley/Margarito. I’m a big fan of both. But the action in boxing just takes too long to get to. The M/M fight was a good fight. But it had nothing on the action that Buentello/Sidelnikov had or Barnett/Yvel or Fedor/Arlovski or Lindland/Belfort or Sokodjou/Babalu or Lauzon/Nutkicker
Plus. When they shoed De La Hoya, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Espescially after Linland got destroyed. Oscar saw $$$$$ for the future.
by Mikey Gilz on Jan 25, 2009 12:02 PM EST reply actions
larry “it takes me 20 minutes to say a sentence” merchant and Jim “i beat my wife” lampely are both scumbags
by matt on Jan 25, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions
I crown thee Larry as “biggest douche in the universe.”
by cbrody on Jan 25, 2009 1:25 PM EST reply actions
Oscar is not selling out, he’s buying in…..uhhhhh?
by ruckaone on Jan 25, 2009 1:43 PM EST reply actions
I hope affliction drops golden boy…they tried to compete on the same night as affliction
by dk on Jan 25, 2009 2:56 PM EST reply actions
They paid him $5m to show up at his own event? yeah right.
And will someone please tell Teeto “it’s Fedor, not Feodor”
by observer on Jan 25, 2009 3:12 PM EST reply actions
Hey Merchant, you dinosaur, wake up and smell the present and the future. Sorry, boxing’s golden era is long over and the sport is drying up. Another Ali ain’t gonna walk through that door and revive it. I know that crusty old fossils fear change because it signals their pending extinction. A wise man would get on board with this new sport and see it for the amazing thing it actually is. But rather than doing that, you go with the knee jerk reaction and attack and belittle that which you don’t know or understand.
Fade away, little man.
by Shane on Jan 25, 2009 4:00 PM EST reply actions
I concur! I’ll bet he voted for McCain too! It’s a new world.
by MrFyer on Jan 25, 2009 5:35 PM EST up reply actions
Victor Belford ha wins over Wanderlie Silva and Randy C.
Belford is there biggest star other than Fedor who no one in affliction could beat and probably no one in UFC. How many more fights does Fedor have for Affliction? Cause when that contract is up he should get a UFC title shot.
by hatteras on Jan 25, 2009 4:39 PM EST reply actions
Merchant better shut his yammer. He still doesn’t get that MMA is taking over.
Also, most of us are Boxing fans too, so by being disparaging of us he is alienating the boxing audience further.People can be fans of both…this guy’s closed-mindedness is lame.
Merchant is threatened by MMA. Threatened by something he doesn’t understand, and he’s to ignorant to change. He’s not an expert so he has to put it down.
by Teep on Jan 25, 2009 7:02 PM EST reply actions
Boxing to fighting is like football with no passing the ball aloud. It makes it easier for the defence when the offense is reduced to one thing. MMA takes a hell of a lot more skill to learn than just boxing.
All that footwork and science in boxing is in MMA and you can elbow, knee, kick, pick the guy up and slam him, strike while cliched, Oh plus this whole ground fighting thing called jiu-jitsu takes years to get good at it while at the same time you gotta learn boxing, muay thia, wrestling and Judo throws. It takes tons of training and hard work to be an mma fighter. The boxing world crys because they have been replaced by a much more interesting sport with far more talent.
by hatteras on Jan 26, 2009 12:43 AM EST reply actions
You just said everything I was thinking while reading this article and it’s comments. That’s exactly whats happening is what’s going to happen. EXCELLANT!
by David on Jan 26, 2009 3:21 AM EST up reply actions
If Merchant dont like MMA then thats his choice.. I dont see him starting any campains to ban MMA or nuthin. Hes old and stuck in his ways, hes one of those extremly narrow minded people who can never understand new things or other peoples opinions. He is annoying but I feel sorry for him.
by MMA MASTER MIND on Jan 26, 2009 4:16 AM EST reply actions
Hey, didn’t I see Oscar ringside at the Mosely/Margarito fight? I must be imagining things, but I am pretty sure I saw Oscar at the boxing match and then at the Affliction card. I assumed they helicoptered him over there. Am I wrong?
by David Safir on Jan 26, 2009 11:45 AM EST reply actions
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