Why are people happy about the GBP split?

There's no anger this time around, because ethics aren't in this equation. This is stone cold analysis. I think he made a serious strategic misstep that allowed GBP's top rival to get a significant competitive advantage in a massive potential market. How I feel about Shimeng means absolutely nothing. How China feels about him is what matters. How Japan feels about Murata matters.

And all those facilities to filled all over the globe? That reinforces the need to sign top global talent to develop to fill them. GBP missed out on alot of it to focus on homegrown, easier to market fighters from the Americas. That's his choice to focus on the home market they're already established in, but they forfeited being competitive in Asia with Top Rank to do it.

So, yes, I stand by my assertion that he lacked and continues to lack a global view. That doesn't mean he didn't have success in the U.S. and Mexico (he did, and those are huge markets). I'm happy to give credit where it's due. I'm not going to give him a free pass for something I'd grill him over if I were a GBP shareholder, though.

 

And every other GBP shareholder would be wondering why we are signing and launching Asian campaigns around a 32 year old mediocre talent like Zhiming and a 28 year old may-never-be Murata and hosting fights in a relatively unproven boxing location (Macau) where our venue-owning partner (AEG) has no footprint.

 

Only if they hate money and love giving the first-mover advantage to arch rivals.

Macau's a massive growth story - the biggest opportunity the sport's had since Vegas. Schaefer had the chance to get in on the ground floor and missed it. He never recruited any Asian talent on the roster to take advantage of it even if he wanted to.

And I'm supposed to buy that he had a global vision? With all that, and the one fighter on the entire roster that's not from the Americas? :rofl

No deal, my friend. :hat

 

Um, Golden Boy does have a globally marketable, mutli-cultural fighter not from the Americas: Amir Khan. And you ignore that just last year, Schaefer and GBP were pushing hard to set up fights for Khan in Dubai (another emerging hotpsot) against Devon Alexander. And a STRONG argument could be made that Khan is a better asset (from a promotional standpoint) than BOTH Shiming and Murata.

But hey, let's just act like Schaefer never made any inquiries into non-US markets.

You know what the ultimate irony of all of this is? The very fact that a less than 10 year old promotional outfit is even in position to be held to the standard of having to beat out one of the most famous promotional company in boxing history for international markets is a testament to the job Schaefer has done at the helm of Golden Boy.