PBC Spokesperson Addresses Saudi Collaboration – ‘Go Out And Make Money’
Tim Smith, the vice president of communications at Haymon Sports, has spoken on PBC’s cooperation with the Saudis.
Riyadh Season held its first event overseas, as the card took place at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Several PBC fighters, such as Andy Ruiz Jr. and Isaac Cruz, appeared on the card. That was a major shift in the narrative with perceptions that PBC only likes to make fights in-house. Their biggest stars, Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez, were offered chances to fight on other platforms. But the failure to bring about those aims led to fingers being pointed at PBC. Smith wanted to clear up any misconceptions as he outlined PBC’s next steps.
Smith Reacts
“Contrary to popular belief, we’ve never been against letting our guys go out and make money when there’s an opportunity for them to make money. I think we’ve had guys that have gone to fight other people on multiple occasions. We were talking [earlier in the podcast] about Andy Ruiz.
“There’s a case where this guy had literally just signed with PBC [in 2019] and the opportunity comes along for him to fight Anthony Joshua for a world title. And he goes and makes that fight, makes some money and makes a name for himself. You can’t stand in the way of guys being able to go out and make money,” Smith said
Several major shifts in the boxing industry have potentially brought about the shift in thinking. Showtime’s departure from boxing last year was a big blow for PBC. They were the mainstay network for their fights. In the final year of their relationship, Showtime put on three of the biggest fights in 2023. Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis was the highest-grossing event last year.
Meanwhile, Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo produced over $20 million in live gates. However, following PBC’s deal with Amazon Prime Video, they have had to be more selective about which PPVs they put on.
Leonard Ellerbe also stepped down from his role as CEO of Mayweather Promotions. Ellerbe worked closely with PBC. Richard Schaefer, the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotion, has replaced Ellerbe. That could be part of a new strategy to develop more ties outside of PBC.
PBC’s Future
There are naturally rumors over PBC’s future. Reports indicate that the Saudis wanted to create a Saudi Boxing League. Rumors of a $5 billion deal to buy a stake in Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, and Queensbury Promotions emerged. That would form a monopoly, leaving PBC out in the cold. While the rise of the Saudis presents new challenges, it also offers opportunities for growth, which Smith welcomed.
“There were some rumors that PBC was going to be a league, and I just remember how everybody reacted to that. Here somebody is talking about forming a league and [there is] not nearly the kind of negative reaction that the PBC got when they were talking about forming a league,” Smith revealed
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