“It is very difficult for other boxers to obtain Canelo’s earnings”

There is a reality of Mexican boxing that was revealed after the cluster of titles obtained over the weekend. The majority of the tricolors that won a world championship work with foreign promoters, while the profits, despite being paid in dollars, are still far from the millionaire sums obtained by Saúl Canelo Álvarez.

“Mexican boxing is always producing champions. Canelo “He has earned a lot of money and can get more, but you can’t buy the prestige and affection of the people with anything,” said Ignacio Beristáin, emblematic trainer of world monarchs, remembering that to be an idol requires many aspects.

Isaac’s achievements Pitbull Cruz, Oscar Valdez, Gilberto Left handed Ramírez and Sebastián Fundora, of Mexican origins, after each winning a global title, as well as Julio César Rey Martínez, who retained the flyweight belt of the World Boxing Council (WBC), reiterates the national sporting prestige in the discipline. However, the road is still long to be idols and achieve economic success.

While Canelo Álvarez pocketed at least 50 million dollars in September when fighting against the American Jermell Charlo, the Mexicans who have now been crowned obtained profits of less than a million dollars.

Pitbull Cruz earned more than 600 thousand dollars in the fight where he took the super lightweight title of the World Boxing Association (WBA) from Rolando Romero, according to the American portal NY Fight. The same media reported that Left handed Ramírez won around $300,000 by winning the WBA cruiser belt against Frenchman Arsen Goulamirian.

“In sports, I am very pleased with the Pitbull, He has improved and comes from a boxing dynasty. But it is very difficult for someone to win the Canelo. Very difficult. Within that group there can only be people like Floyd Mayweather,” said Beristáin.

Domain of foreign promoters

Beyond the earnings of the fighters, there is another transcendental aspect of Mexican boxing that has been exposed with the world titles obtained by the tricolors; the expansion of foreign promoters in the face of a complex moment experienced by national boxing companies such as Zanfer and Promociones del Pueblo, which a couple of years ago had a greater presence.

Of the four Mexicans who were protagonists in winning a world belt, only Julio César Rey Martínez has a contract with coach and representative Eddy Reynoso, who is part of the team Canelo Álvarez.

He Pitbull He is represented by the American Sean Gibbons and has an agreement with the promoter of former world champion Manny Pacquiao, Pacman Sports and Entertainment. Óscar Valdez, who regained his status as monarch after two years by winning the interim super featherweight title of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), works with the American Top Rank.

He Left handed Ramírez is part of the talent group of Golden Boy, the company of Mexican-American Óscar de la Hoya. Sebastián Fundora, born in the United States but with Mexican and Cuban ancestry, is represented by the Uruguayan-American Sampson Lewkowicz.

The panorama reflected by the contracts of the Mexican world champions with foreign promoters has several reasons. The main one, Beristáin points out, is that the national currency cannot compete (against the dollar). In addition, the US market is one of the best paid, with greater reach and marketing.

However, another factor is added, the departure of the breweries as sponsors of this sport. Televisa lost the support of Corona in 2015, which affected an agreement it had with Promociones del Pueblo, while Tecate ended a contract it had with Tv Azteca in 2019, which had repercussions for Zanfer.

It was just last year when Televisa signed with Latin KO, formerly Promociones de Pueblo, to once again broadcast boxing fights on a more regular basis.

Few are faithful

There have always been foreign representatives who come to look for Mexicans, but in some cases they deceive themexpressed Beristáin from his legendary Romanza gym.

When a fighter seeks to take flight, that’s fine, no one is going to prohibit them, whether they go with Mexicans or Americans, but they should not leave through the back door. It is very common for boxers to be hacked here.

He recalled the case of one of his former pupils, who was undefeated in 23 fights and one day received an offer of a pseudo-representative. The fighter negotiated without Beristáin’s knowledge, which is why the famous coach decided to end the working relationship they had, while the boxer was also unable to compete in a fight in the United States, because had been deceived.

There are few faithful fighters. In my case, there are few who spent his entire career only with me, like Juan Manuel Márquez, who even received proposals from Don King and big promoters, but he rejected them.Beristáin recalled when evaluating the act of trust on the part of one of the last idols of national boxing.