One of the most refreshing pieces of news boxing wise for Ghana is the long-term contract confirmed between Top Rank Promotions and Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe’s Rising Star Africa Promotions. Team Dogboe have aligned themselves with an age-long business practice. What’s the practice? When a brand grows to assume market dominance, there is the need for mergers and acquisitions for bigger dominance, equity and bigger profitability. Dogboe is the WBO super bantamweight champion, the highest height any professional boxer can reach. But beyond that, there is the next stage, which is, weight division unification, the command of big purses, endorsements and the best opportunities commercial image exploration can bring. So to all intents and purposes, strategic alliances are needed.
And one must not downplay the weight of an earlier announcement done by Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum himself on the continuous alliance between his outfit Top Rank and Rising Star Africa Promotions who have been responsible for growing the young champion’s talent. The announcement by Arum has undertones of a clear direction and will turn the highly-disciplined and focused Dogboe into a true global sports star.
Photo: Isaac Dogboe with Bob Arum
Ghana being a nation of great pedigree in terms of producing world champions on the African continent has a story to tell in this regard. At least, Africa’s greatest boxer Prof. Azumah Nelson, ex WBA welterweight champion Ike Quartey, ex IBF welterweight champion, Joshua Clottey and ex IBF bantamweight champion, Joseph Agbeko at certain points in their respective careers aligned themselves with big name promoters and managers which brought them great gains and prominence.
Joshua Clottey under Top Rank
After a troubled relationship with his previous managers, Base Sports Management based in the UK, Clottey switched to Italian American Vincent ‘Vinny’ Scolpino. They may not have had a perfect working relationship but at least Clottey made his biggest achievements under Scolpino as a manager. During that contract, Clottey signed on to Top Rank promotions and this got him some big dates. In August of 2008, the IBF welterweight title was vacant and Clottey who was ranked in the top five got the opportunity to fight Zab Judah for the belt which he eventually won. This opportunity came by virtue of Clottey’s status as a stablemate within the Top Rank Family. Clottey was eventually stripped off the title by the International Boxing Federation for his decision to fight Miguel Cotto rather than defend it to the mandatory challenger Isaac Hlatswayo of South Africa. Clottey had opted for a big money bout with WBO champion Miguel Cotto who was also signed by top rank. Eventually, the fight became a WBO title fight. The biggest of them was the Manny Pacquiao fight which earned Clottey a minimum of 3 million dollars the physical audience in excess of 50,000 fans also broke an attendance record which had been held for a decade preceding the event.
Joseph Agbeko under Bob Arum & Don King
Agbeko back in September 2007 was number 13 on the IBF bantamweight rankings and was also in search of big opportunities to enable him make his mark. The Ghanaian boxer had signed with Don King Promotions and had a managerial agreement running with Vinny Scoplino who had been introduced to him by his compatriot Joshua Clottey. Under Don King Promotions, Agbeko challenged and defeated the then champion Luis Alberto Perez, and defended it against William Gonzalez and Vic Darchinyan. He lost to Yonnhy Perez and reclaimed it from the same boxer and then lost to Abner Mares in a double-header. After moving on from Don King, Agbeko then signed with Top Rank and fought then WBO and WBA super bantamweight champion, Guillermo Rigondeaux. These fight opportunities are enough evidence of ripple effects of alliances with the longtime movers and shakers of the sport.
Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey under Acaries/DiBella/Golden Boy
The former WBA welterweight King was an amazing talent and an Olympian and paid his dues to the sport when he turned professional – having one of the deadliest jabs as rated by the Ring Magazine. Under his had working manager Yofi Boham made major strides to start off his career. Later on and Ring Craft Promotions Headed by Mr John Kermah with Seth Asah and Dr Oko Kwatekwei helped Ike to make massive strides in the sport. Ring Craft Promotions then partnered with Acaries Brothers Promotions of France under whom he dethroned Venezuelan Crisanto Espana as WBA welterweight champion. The story thereafter has been seven title defences, which have earned good money. Ike fought on HBO and established his brand within the world of crème boxers.
The De la Hoya fight which was one of the biggest clashes in the sport at the time was also rated as one of the most entertaining fights. When Ike went into temporary retirement for almost four years, he went into agreement with American Lou DiBella under whose DiBella Entertainment; Ike fought Vince Philips in Memphis Tennessee, Carlos Bojorquez in Las Vegas and the late Vernon Forrest at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Quartey’s final career fight against his childhood boxing make Ronald Winky Wright in Tampa Florida was under Oscar d La Hoya’s Golden boy promotions. The highly-rated contest which Quartey lost earned him a minimum of a million US dollars. It attracted many big names at ringside from business to movies and music.
Putting it simply, Dogboe’s team at Rising Star Africa Promotions have taken an accurate turn in this journey which will bring with it many positives. Of course, we cannot also turn a blind eye on some of the love stories gone bad between big name boxers and their promoters or managers. It is hoped that the journey will be smooth especially considering that new faces are needed as the Mayweathers, Pacquiaos and the like bow out gracefully. Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is disciplined, well-spoken educated, talented and exciting to watch. The future can only be bright.
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