Golden Boy Promotions to introduce innovative quarantine programming

Apr

One of boxing’s leading media and entertainment brands will provide boxing fans with some much-needed entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Golden Boy Promotions announced on Tuesday the launch of a digital content initiative that will consist of videos from its broad library of classic fights and original programming, which includes new short-form content on social media featuring its vast stable of boxers.

The content will be distributed on Golden Boy’s owned-and-operated platforms such as RingTV.com, Facebook, YouTube and DAZN.

“These are difficult times for people all over the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Our job for almost 20 years has been to entertain and delight fans with the best that boxing can offer and we feel that it is our duty to continue doing so during this time. We will be successful if we can provide our fans just moments of solace and escape from this current global crisis as our talented team of editors and producers recreate both classic fights and barnburners into bite-sized segments that can be viewed in three to five minutes.”

The first slab of content will consist of features under a plethora of themes like “Best Knockouts,” which will showcase knockout performances from David Lemieux and Lucas Matthysse. The “Before They Were Stars” series will feature early performances from standouts Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia, along with professional debuts from several fighters.

The following is a list of the other branded series included in the package:

• “Mexico vs. Puerto Rico”: A highlight series showcasing one of the greatest rivalries in the sport.

• “The Breakdown”: A highlight series in which a fighter watches and breaks down three of his or her best performances.

• “Untouchable”: A highlight series featuring some of the greatest defensive fighters.

• “Pound 4 Pound Presented by Ring Magazine”: A collection of the best fights picked
by the staff at The Ring.

The second stage will feature condensed versions of classic fights. These shortened bouts will include performances from De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. The series will also include fights from several current Golden Boy fighters including Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jaime Munguia, Xu Can and Rene Alvarado.

The final portion of the initiative will feature a social media package. Vergil Ortiz Jr., one of boxing’s hottest prospects, will answer questions live on Instagram in a program called “Ask Me Anything.” Other fighters taking part in these discussions will include Seniesa Estrada and Blair Cobbs will provide training tips on the Sweet Science.

The following is a list of additional programs that will be featured as part of the initiative:

• “Ask Me Anything”: Weekly Q&As featuring Golden Boy fighters.

• “Catching Up in Quarantine”: Zoom interviews featuring fighters in their homes, hosted by Jessica Rosales on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• “Exclusive Footage”: Never before seen, behind-the-scenes footage, including interactions between Canelo and legendary rapper Nas.

• “Welcome to My Quarantine”: A feature in which boxers present their quarantine space to our social media followers.

“Golden Boy is the global leader in boxing’s transition to OTT [over-the-top programming],” said David Tetreault, executive vice president of Golden Boy Media and Entertainment. “With our partners at DAZN and Facebook Watch, we’ve been at the forefront of this historic evolution in sports media by creating and implementing strategic digital programming. Our goal during this difficult time is to provide new, high-value content to ensure that our fans are both entertained and informed. Our plan will also provide our sponsors with the tools to continually brand their products around our top stable of world champions, contenders and prospects.”