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Both Golden Boy and Loeffler vow not to negotiate through the media

Fighters Network
11
May
Photo: German Villasenor

Photo: German Villasenor

The negotiations for Floyd Mayweather’s bout with Manny Pacquiao last May was a public spectacle. There were literally daily reports in the media on disagreements between the various factions. All that was missing was Bob Arum and Al Haymon live tweeting at the bargaining table.

If negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao were fit for a reality television lens, then talks to make Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin for the fall may as well play out in subtitles in a silent movie.

After a flurry of reports that Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya had reached out to Tom Loeffler on Sunday and again on Tuesday to kick off talks, both sides have apparently decided to put a lid on excessive gabbing to the media and regular updates until a deal gets done (or doesn’t).

“Both sides have decided we’re not going to negotiate through the media,” Loeffler told RingTV.com on Wednesday afternoon. “There’s really not much to say other than that we’re in contact and from our side we’d like to get a deal done as quickly as possible. If there’s some major development — that would be something to divulge. But as of now there really hasn’t been anything of significance.”



Former three-division champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley caused a mini uproar on Twitter on Wednesday when he said a deal for Alvarez-Golovkin had been finalized for Sept. 17. The 140-character dispatch was retweeted 680 times by a public hungry for this fight to happen. Loeffler, who desperately wants to make the fight for WBA/IBF titleholder Golovkin, kept a good sense of humor over the first of many rumors sure to come. Sept. 17 is the working date for Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 knockouts) to face Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs), though no deal has been struck. Golden Boy reps couldn’t be reached for comment.

“I would venture to say that if there was anything set for the fight it would come from either our side or the Golden Boy side,” said Loeffler, who promotes Golovkin while Golden Boy handles Alvarez. “It’s fair to say that although I worked with Shane (as a co-manager) in the past, getting him the title shot with Phllip Holiday (in 1997) — he’s not involved in these discussions. I would imagine that until you hear something from Oscar or myself, there’s probably not much to go on. Only speculation.”

The WBC sent both sides letters on Monday ordering them to start negotiations. If after 15 days the camps can’t come to a deal, the WBC will conduct a purse bid hearing on May 24. If Alvarez, who holds the RING and WBC titles, opts to not face Golovkin, he would then be stripped of the WBC title and it would go to Golovkin, who would have the interim tag removed from his resume.

WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Jr. vowed on Wednesday to stay on the sidelines until the negotiations for the fight run their course. If the fight doesn’t happen, he will then order that Golovkin face his mandatory in Danny Jacobs, the WBA’s “regular” titleholder. “The WBA will not interfere in the Golovkin-Canelo negotiations because that is the fight the fans want,” Mendoza Jr. said on Twitter. “However, should they not reach an agreement, (the) WBA mandatory fight for Golovkin will be against (Danny) Jacobs.”

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