In this article, we will discuss the following: “Which of the promoters will be “on the top” in the future?”. Competition between the best promoters is an important process that affects the events in professional boxing. In this case, we are only interested in the “battle” between the main “sharks” of the promotional business. In order to answer the question “Which of the promoters will be “on the top” in the future?” it is necessary to understand the evaluation criteria. So, the criteria for evaluating the best promotion companies are: The number of current world champions (as well as their quality – the ranking of fighters in the pound for pound rating as an additional indicator). The number of boxing shows in one calendar year. Interaction with various boxing versions (this criterion applies to the second tier of promoters, since the best companies always cooperate with all the main versions, namely, pay contributions to all sanctioning bodies.). Analysis of PPV views, as well as the amount of income from TV broadcasts. The number of world champions in various weight divisions (a look on the promotion of boxers in various weight categories). Organization of boxing shows in various regions of the world (an important, but secondary evaluation criterion). The above criteria are the basis for determining the “level” of a particular promotion, as well as for comparing it with other companies. By 2021, three leaders have been formed in professional boxing: Top Rank: led by Bob Arum. Premier Boxing Champions: led by Al Haymon. Matchroom Boxing: led by Eddie Hearn. The above-mentioned leaders surpass the second-tier promotions by the above criteria. Here are some of other promotional companies: DiBella Entertainment, Sauerland Event, GYM Promotions, Zanfer Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, Main Events, K2 Promotions, Queensberry Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions, Sports Network, Don King Productions, Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions, Universum Box-Promotion. We will not talk about the above companies. Instead, it makes sense to focus on analyzing the main “sharks” of the promotional business. It is the best promotions that influence the main events in professional boxing. So, which of the promoters will be “on the top” in the future? In April 2021, Al Haymon announced 9 large-scale boxing shows with will include world champions, among them 3 unification fights. Thus, the Premier Boxing Champions has a serious shot for becoming the best. It is worth noting that in 2020, Haymon returned to the big boxing. Al was supposed to become the best promoter in 2020, but Eddie Hearn received the award despite the fact that Haymon surpassed his colleague by the main criteria. Bob Arum has maintained the status of one of the best promoters for many years. On December 8, 2021, the leader of Top Rank will turn 90 years old. This is a very old age for managing such a large company. We would like to wish good health to one of the leaders of the promotional business. Bob has no plans to retire. However, due to his age, Arum was forced to delegate some of his powers. He also thought about the future. The Top Rank company will continue its business even after it loses its leader. For many years, Bob has been deeply engaged in the organization. He managed to create a team that has the necessary skills to take on the company. But Arum’s age-related weakness still affects the rating of his company. It is increasingly difficult for him to control the process and compete with the relatively young Hearn and Haymon. Most likely, in professional boxing of 2022, Bob will retain his position in the top three, but will no longer be able to become a leader. However, signed with the Top Rank company there are a number of fighters who are in the top 10 of the pound for pound rating (for example, Terence Crawford, Josh Taylor and Vasily Lomachenko), as well as a larger number of world champions. That is why the company will retain its place in the top 3. Who will be the leader in the field of promoters? Eddie Hearn? No. Hearn inevitably loses to his main competitor Haymon. The year 2021 will be decisive in the “battle” of the two main “sharks”. At the end of the year, El will seize the leader’s position. Important fact: Haymon has resumed his cooperation with Richard Schaefer, the creator of Golden Boy Promotions and a genius of the promotional business. Al has the most resources and the largest number of current world champions. The second important fact in favor of Haymon: cooperation with Showtime. This is not an advantage for Al, but rather a disadvantage for Eddie, who has a contract with DAZN, Len Blavatnik, the head of DAZN, can leave the sports segment at any time. Thus, Hearn will temporarily remain out of the picture, since for the sake of DAZN, he terminated his contract with Sky Sports. Even if DAZN will remain in the boxing industry, it will not solve the problems in the scope of television broadcasts. The platform did not meet the expectations of the audience due to external factors: the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). His cooperation with Saul Alvarez plays in favor for Hearn. However, the Mexican superstar is not able to lead the Matchroom Boxing company to the leaders alone. Moreover, the cooperation is not of a long-term nature. Bottom line: based on the main criteria, we can assume what the hierarchy of promotional companies will look like in 2022: Premier Boxing Champions, Matchroom Boxing, Top Rank. It is worth noting that new companies are unlikely to enter the top three. Triller Fight Club quickly gained its respect in boxing promotional business. The company relies on fights between media personalities, and also has almost unlimited monetary resources. However, in the near future, a promising promotion will not be among the leaders. The main question is, which promoter from the second tier is still able to get closer to the coveted top three? Frank Warren. Oddly enough, but the British promoter, who lost the European leadership to Eddie Hearn, significantly strengthened his position thanks to cooperation with heavyweights, in particular with Tyson Fury. Warren’s company has a stable development. Queensberry Promotions will not be among the leaders, but the promotion is able to get closer to the “sharks” from the major league. However, it must be understood that Warren directly depends on Arum, since 80% of Frank’s fighters perform under the auspices of Top Rank on the ESPN platform. Thus, Warren simply physically unable to bypass Arum. The situation is similar with Lou Dibella, who also depends on Haymon and will not be able to bypass his shadow patron. Now you know which of the promoters will be “on the top” in the future. We looked at what the professional boxing will look like in 2022, and also analyzed the main criteria for evaluating promotion companies.
