Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion

```

"Hey, Link, care for another chat?"

After the match, in the hallway of the locker room, Link ran into Greg Cohen, who was coming towards him.

Greg Cohen, a well-known promoter under a top promotion company, had been involved in the promotion of boxing matches for champions like De La Hoya and Mayweather and had a big reputation in the industry, being known as a Gold promoter.

Link had met him once before in Charleston, where Cohen had offered him a contract worth 10 million US Dollars in hopes of signing him.

It included a signing bonus of 2 million US Dollars in cash, with the remaining eight million to be paid out through the achievement of various milestones.

For example, a 2 million reward for a Golden Gloves championship, 1 million for an amateur championship, 2 million for an Olympic championship, 500,000 for a Pan American Games boxing championship, 500,000 for defeating an opponent after turning pro, and 2 million for obtaining a Golden Belt, and so on.

For a newcomer, the treatment was very generous.

But Link did not want to cooperate with a top promotion company.

"Mr. Cohen, please wait a moment!"

Link wiped the sweat off his body with a towel, drank a bottle of water, and then did a set of limb-stretching exercises on the mat to prevent lactic acid buildup in the muscles after vigorous activity, which would affect the afternoon's competition.

While he was busy, Greg Cohen leaned back in a chair, legs crossed, waiting with a smile, casually tapping his foot on the ground from time to time.

About ten minutes later, Link sat down easily on the bench opposite Cohen.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Haha, no problem, I've been an agent for De La Hoya and Mayweather, I understand the locker room routine very well, but they weren't as diligent and self-disciplined as you.

After every match, they would lie directly on the massage bed and let two voluptuous Spanish women massage them while sitting on them," Cohen said, raising both hands in the air and giving a suggestive smile, while also giving Link a look that all men understand.

Link chuckled with a hint of envy, "Who wouldn't want that? If I had the money, I'd hire three."

Greg Cohen laughed heartily, slapping his thigh, "Link, I like you; your temperament matches mine perfectly, so work with me. Join the top promotion company, we'll make a fortune together, and you'll become a boxing champion. Money, women, top-class sports cars, private jets, luxury yachts, you'll have everything they have."

Link's face showed a longing expression, "It sounds great, but..."

Before he could finish, Cohen raised his palm and continued, "Considering your brilliant performance, I specially consulted with President Arum, and we've decided to raise your contract to an A level, the same treatment as world champions.

5 million in signing bonuses, plus other rewards, will accumulate to 20 million US Dollars. Just agree to join the top promotion company, and you will become a multimillionaire in an incredibly short time, having everything you ever wanted."

As Greg Cohen spoke, he waved his arms vigorously, his voice loud and inspiring.

Link wore a smile, but his heart remained still.

Although the conditions Cohen offered were very favorable, and the 20 million bonus clause was the highest of all the promotion companies he had been in touch with so far,

Link was not swayed by Cohen's words because he had never considered cooperating with a top promotion company.

It wasn't that the top promotion company wasn't good, but there was a mismatch of concepts.

The predecessor of the top promotion company was Muhammad Ali's boxing agency, later taken over by legendary promoter Bob Arum and renamed as the Top Promotion Company.

Bob Arum is a seventy-five-year-old man of Judaic descent, bearing a resemblance to Churchill.

In the sixties and seventies, he had been a promoter for champion boxers such as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

In the eighties, he promoted the middleweight Four Kings: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, and Thomas Hearns, arranging a series of round-robin fights for them.

In the past decade, the Top Promotion Company successfully launched super-popular boxing champions like De La Hoya, Mayweather, and Pacquiao.

The upcoming 2015 "Fight of the Century" between Mayweather and Pacquiao, with boxing matches and related earnings exceeding one billion US Dollars.

The 2017 fight between Mayweather and trash-talker Conor generated more than half a billion US Dollars in profits and were both operated by him and the top promotion company.

It can be said that the Top Promotion Company has been very successful in boxing promotion.

By this year, the Top Promotion Company has surpassed main event promotion companies, Don King Promotions, and rival sports promotions in annual profits and influence, becoming the world's largest boxing promotion company, and is expected to continue to lead other promotion companies in the future.

For boxers, being signed by the Top Promotion Company is definitely an opportunity not to be missed.

But the Top Promotion Company has a problem with being overly commercialized, everything is manipulated by capital, controlling the matches, controlling the boxers, turning boxing matches into tools for making money rather than a professional sport.

This operation mode is similar to how the entertainment industry cultivates trainees.

They select promising newcomers in amateur matches, sign them, train them, use the media to build up the boxers, package them, then push them out to fight for money. After exploiting them, they move on to the next person until the sport of boxing is played out.

Because of the influence of the top promotion company, America's boxing industry is becoming more and more commercialized, with boxers caring more about earnings from matches than boxing itself.

It is also for this reason that good boxers can't survive, the hyped boxers are generally not strong, and the bad drives out the good, leading to an ever-decreasing watchability of boxing matches.

This is also one of the reasons he did not wish to join the top promotion company.

Link looked at Greg Cohen and said, "Mr. Cohen, the terms offered by the top promotion company are very tempting, but I care more about the issue of revenue sharing than cash rewards. If I join the top promotion company, how much of a share from each match can I take?"

```

"20%!"

Greg Cohen held up two fingers, and with a smile said, "Link, you're very strong, and with our help, becoming a world champion won't be difficult. After you've become the world champion, you'll get a 20% share of the prize money. You have to know, that's the treatment a top-tier promotion company offers to its famous boxers."

"Mayweather and Pacquiao only get 20% as well?"

Link asked thoughtfully.

"No, no, they're not just famous boxers, but top-level boxers, sports superstars. Their share is higher. If in the future your fame reaches Mayweather's level, the company will proactively increase your share. For real talent, our top-tier promotion company never skimps," said Greg Cohen, his voice booming confidently.

Link couldn't help but feel reflective.

In the sixties and seventies, boxers were key to influencing how much profit a match could make. The bigger the boxer's fame, the higher the match's profit, so many well-known boxers often got more than 70% revenue share.

By the nineties, boxing matches were controlled by boxing companies. Promotion, broadcasting, advertising, all were handled by capital operations, reducing the boxers' roles in events, and they received less and less money.

Top-level boxers like Mayweather and Pacquiao, who made their names first before cooperating with top-tier promotion companies, could get around 60%.

Average world champions got around 30%, some even less.

For example, former Heavyweight champion John Ruiz, after being defeated by Light Heavyweight Roy Jones Jr. in 2003, saw his popularity plummet and could only get a 15% share, earning the nickname 'Blue Collar Champion'.

Greg Cohen's offer of 20%, with the promise of a future increase, sounded good but couldn't satisfy Link's appetite.

Link chuckled lightly and said, "Mr. Cohen, do you think my future fame could reach Mayweather's level?"

"Of course, with your strength and our company's help, you'll definitely have a chance to catch up to Mayweather."

When Cohen heard him raise this question, a relaxed expression appeared on his face.

Link is interested! The negotiation should be steady from here on out, he thought to himself amusingly. During their previous meeting, Link had been firm, wanting to wait until after the match to talk contract, which made Cohen think Link would be tough to deal with.

Now, after offering him a $20 million contract and a 20% share, with the intention of building him into the second Mayweather, he seemed to have loosened up immediately, indicating his expectations weren't that high and that he was an easy young man to handle.

Just when Greg Cohen thought they could proceed to finalizing the contract, Link suddenly said, "Mr. Cohen, you're right. I also think I will outshine Mayweather in the future, so I want a 70% share of the match revenue. Can your top-tier promotion company accept my proposal?"

"How much?"

Greg Cohen was taken aback, a flicker of astonishment passing through his gray-green eyes as if he were looking at a madman.

"You want a 70% share?!"

"Yes, I have the ability, and I'm not lacking in fame. I'm only one world-championship victory away from becoming the world champion, so I want 70%!"

As he uttered these words, Link's expression remained calm, his voice steady, without a quiver—as if he were stating an objective fact, rather than a hypothetical scenario.

Greg Cohen's Adam's apple bobbed twice as he forced out a strange chuckle.

"Heh heh heh, you want a 70% share? Hahaha, you, an amateur who's only fought a few matches, dare to ask for a 70% revenue share? Are you sure you're not joking?"

His voice took on a tone of sternness and dissatisfaction with the second half.

"No!!"

Link said, unmoved.

"It can't be changed?"

Greg Cohen frowned, the muscles around his eyes twitching.

Link shook his head, his gaze bright and resolute.

With a sneer, Greg Cohen dusted off his blue trousers and started to walk towards the door. After two steps, he stopped, turned his head, and said,

"I heard that Franco Duvall from the main event company has also been in touch with you. Are you waiting for his offer?

Haha, don't bother waiting. Although he's the president of the main event promotion company, the real power is still in the hands of old Duvall. Old Duvall is getting on in years, he's sentimental and prefers veterans like Holyfield; he will never give an overly generous deal to a newcomer like you."

Link listened without saying a word.

"Link, you're not bad, but in boxing, having strength is just the bare minimum for entering the professional arena. There are many, so many, strong boxers, but only those with brains can make big money.

You're young, you might not understand the meaning of this yet. If one day you do, give me a call—I won't mind signing you with a 10% share contract."

Greg Cohen left a business card, glanced back at him with a meaningful smile on his shoulder, turned, and stomped vigorously on the floor as he left the locker room.

Link glanced at the business card and casually tossed it into the trash can.

Even if Franco Duvall didn't come through with a reasonable offer, he wasn't in a hurry to sign a contract.

In the boxing world, though capital's role was increasingly significant, someone with strength and fame would definitely not go unnoticed.