Schaeffer jus went in on Arum
Schaefer Rips Arum Over Khan/Floyd, Advises Bradley
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was fuming after reading a recent article on BoxingScene.com, where Top Rank's CEO, Bob Arum, took shots at Floyd Mayweather Jr. and advised Amir Khan, who is under contract with Golden Boy, to find a new promoter.
Arum, speaking with Gareth Davies of The Telegraph, was very vocal with his belief that Khan is being mistreated by Mayweather and Golden Boy - as it relates to Khan sitting on the shelf for the last few months while waiting to find out who Mayweather will face on May 3rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Khan, along with Marcos Maidana, are the two frontrunners to face Mayweather. Arum feels very strongly that Mayweather is simply stringing Khan along and expects the unbeaten boxer to select Maidana as his May opponent.
"What he has done to Amir Khan is absolutely disgraceful, whether he ends up fighting him, or he doesn't. My feeling is he is not going to fight him, but it's disgraceful to do that to another human being because you are in a position to do that. Just because he has the power where you can do something like that," Arum said.
"If a promoter did it, if a Bob Arum or a Frank Warren did it the press would be all over them. They have allowed Mayweather to get away with this sh*t. It's terrible. Amir Khan has put himself in a position where he can be humiliated. He's like a laughing stock. Terrible. Absolutely terrible."
"He's not fighting back and telling these guys to get lost. Get another promoter, maybe go back to Frank Warren, get another opponent and tell them to piss off."
Schaefer was in disbelief with Arum's comments, because the two promotional powers have not traded words in several months.
"Bob Arum should worry about his own fighters and his own fights, like his Ring of Gold bullsh*t from Macau. And I don't think Frank Warren wants to be dragged into this either, because Frank worries about his own fights and takes care of his own stuff. Arum always feels like he's the godfather of boxing and has to comment on other people's fights. I can understand that because he's not that busy over there, so he has time to do that. He is better off dealing with his own stuff," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"As far as it relates to Amir Khan. Me and Amir have a very special relationship. He knows that I have his back. I have been with him through the ups and downs. We have a friendship, which is something that Bob does not understand. Of course, there is always a Plan B [if Mayweather does not select Khan]. There are plenty of things for Amir Khan. Like I said, me and Amir have a very good relationship. And if Floyd is going to decide on Maidana, then Amir is going to have another fight. And if Floyd is going to fight Khan, then Maidana is going to have another fight. These are big names, big stars and there will always be other fights."
Schaefer makes it clear that if Arum starts providing advice to Golden Boy fighters in the press, then Schaefer will return the favor by providing advice to Top Rank promoted fighters.
"What is a bit troubling is that Bob wants to give Golden Boy fighters advice. I would be happy to do the same with Top Rank fighters, and maybe I would start with Timothy Bradley - who had a signed rematch provision with Manny Pacquiao for $10 million dollars. But instead of Pacquiao he got Provodnikov, and instead of $10 million he got $2 million for an HBO fight, where it almost cost him his life," Schaefer said.
"So now, how is Bradley getting rewarded? He's getting Pacquiao. That's great. But is he getting the contractual $10 million dollars? No he's not, and why is nobody bringing up that sh*t. If I would be Bob, I would leave it at this. Let's not go down the line, because if he wants to go and give Golden Boy fighters advice - I'll be happy, I'll be very happy to do the same with Top Rank fighters."
Schaefer also said he was very disturbed by a recent set of interviews where Arum compared Mayweather to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
"This is a disgrace and numerous media members have actually called me about this. And it wasn't just once, but numerous interviews where he keeps repeatedly mentioning Hitler and people like that from Nazi regime when talking about Mayweather. If somebody does it once, you think 'what an idiot' - but if he keeps doing it and doing it - then there is seriously something wrong with him. This is bad for boxing, to have somebody out there who keeps bringing up stuff like that, it's just horrible for boxing, horrible," Schaefer said.
"And look at this interview [regarding Mayweather-Khan], just leave Floyd alone. He must have said it 100 times that he doesn't want anything to do with Arum. But somehow he is so naive about that, he keeps telling people that Floyd is his friend. That Floyd and Todd are friends. That they have no issues and no problems. And then goes and rips Floyd like that. "
"And every time, and I can tell you to watch and see at the next Pacquiao press conference - he's going to tell all of you media guys what great friends him and Floyd are, and how they have no problems whatsoever and you guys are going to believe it, and the fans are going to believe it, and even worse - so will Pacquiao."
"Everybody knows that Arum talks sh*t. It's just his personality and how he is. But now to go and compare Mayweather to the Nazi regime, to a Hitler and things like that. Floyd said it best, he doesn't care about him. He doesn't wish him bad and he doesn't wish him good. Do you really think Floyd Mayweather gives a sh*t about Bob Arum, or Todd or anyone in that Top Rank clan. He couldn't care less. That's why you don't see him comment on that kind of stuff because he's totally unfazed."
"I'm not here to defend Floyd Mayweather. he's more than capable of defending himself. But as a major stakeholder in the sport of boxing, I just think it belittles the sport when you to have someone influential like Bob talking sh*t like that. Young people are reading those stories, like this one with him talking about Khan and attacking Mayweather. Why was that done? It was totally unnecessary. There was nothing good about it and it seems to me that its a desperate attempt to draw attention to himself. I cannot explain it in any other way
