Across America, Starting with the Boxing Champion

Chapter 75 Multimillionaire

Not long after finalizing the contract with Franco, Link received a call from Greg Cohen, a top promotion company.

“Hi, Link, are you busy? How about we talk about the signing?”

Greg Cohen greeted in a familiar tone.

 “Mr. Cohen? What are you talking about?”

Link asked as he put down the dumbbell.

 “I heard that you are planning to sign a contract with Dynasty Promotion?”

Greg Cohen snorted disdainfully, “Link, as a senior boxing promoter, I can tell you responsibly that this is really a very bad decision.

Everyone knows that the operating model of boxing promotion companies is similar to that of Hollywood entertainment agencies. The more powerful the company, the stronger its ability to create stars. Small companies have too weak promotion capabilities. They simply cannot afford the early publicity investment for an event. There is no way to take you to a higher competition platform. Just like the five major agencies in Hollywood, everyone wants to be a signed artist with CAA, WMA, and ICM.

If you want to become a boxing champion like Mayweather and De La Hoya and earn a lot of dollars, it is best to choose to cooperate with a powerful promotion company, such as Top Rank Promotions, Don King Promotions, Main Events, and Arena Room. , they own almost all boxing champions and boxers who make money. Link, you are a smart man, I think you should know this. "

"Yes I know."

Link said with a shrug.

"Then why do you decide to sign a contract so hastily? Link, I am very optimistic about you. This is true. Even if I can't sign a contract with you, I would like to stand as a friend and senior and advise you not to sign a contract in a hurry. After the Olympics, if you can win a medal at the Olympics, I think there will be many companies willing to offer big contracts to cooperate with you.

The same is true for Top Promotions. During this period, I have been discussing with Mr. Arum to strive for a larger contract and a higher share of competition income for you, maybe up to 50%. This is before you become a world boxing champion. In the future Maybe we can give you a higher share, 70% is not a problem, but it’s a pity that you want to sign a contract with a small promotion company. Link, I advise you to think about it again. "

Greg Cohen said earnestly on the phone.

Link shook his head, feeling that this guy was here to cause trouble.

After the qualifying rounds, promoters from many promotion companies came to see me, including promoters from Top Promotions, but not Greg Cohen. Although the contracts they offered were larger than those after the Golden Gloves Championship, they It was still lower than my expectations and was very stingy in sharing the revenue from the competition.

Now that he was about to sign a contract with Dynasty Promotions, Greg Cohen suddenly called to persuade him. He only offered words of advice but no contract. Link was sure that the other party just wanted to cause trouble.

“Mr. Cohen, thank you for your advice, but I still decided to sign a contract with Dynasty Promotions.”

"Why?"

“Probably because Franco is more sincere.”

Link thought of an excuse and said.

"Sincerity? Humph, Link, I bet you will regret this decision in the future. Professional boxing is far more complicated than you think. You and Franco will definitely not be able to cope with that situation."

 “Maybe, but let’s talk about the future in the future.”

Link hung up the phone decisively.

  —

After the contract was finalized, Dynasty Promotions held a large-scale signing ceremony at the Palm Beach Hilton Hotel, inviting dozens of local Miami celebrities, including members of the State Sports Commission, boxing association executives, media and advertising company executives, and hundreds of A media reporter came to attend this event.

Link also put on formal clothes for the first time, got an exquisite haircut, and came to the venue of the Hilton Hotel.

More than two hundred people came to the scene. Except for Coach West, Manager Robinson, Raphael Varane and others, the others were all strangers. Link saw a few people present and went over to say hello.

“Haha, Link, you’re here at the right time, let me introduce you.”

Raphael took him and introduced some middle-aged and elderly men around him.

Several are senior executives in the local media and publishing industry in Florida, including the CEO of Miami Commercial Television, the southern circulation director of "Ring" magazine, the news director of "Florida New Herald", the general manager of McClatchy Publishing Company, Miami Herald executive editor Anderson Gyllenhaal. According to Raphael, the executive editor’s nephew is Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal. Link greeted several people politely, neither humble nor overbearing.

There is actually no need to be too flattering to those high-level people in the media and publishing industry.

At best, they are the icing on the cake for their own development. When they have made achievements in the boxing world, the media will cheer loudly and support him, but if he loses the game and exposes dirty information, these media will not hesitate. He stepped on the ground a few times and spat out dirty water.

 The role of the media is a bit like a small entertainment company that also handles weddings and funerals. No matter whether good or bad happens to public figures, they have the opportunity to join in the fun and earn a wave of circulation.

  If you want them to say good things about bad things and say bad things about other people's good things, it is easy, and you need to pay enough publicity expenses.

 After all, this is a world of capital, and everything depends on capital.

"Link! You once publicly told the media that as long as Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Chris Bird and others dare to challenge you, you can defeat them within three rounds. This Are you kidding, or do you really have the confidence to do it?"

Editor-in-chief Anderson Gyllenhaal said, holding up a champagne glass.

Link smiled and said: "Mr. Gyllenhaal, I never speak big words. As long as they dare to challenge me, I will never avoid fighting and I can defeat them. If they don't challenge me, I will turn professional in the future." After entering the boxing world, I will challenge them, after all, there are fewer and fewer people who can fight in the professional boxing world.”

　　“That sounds great, Link. We’re all looking forward to seeing your performance when you’re ready to play professionally.”

 Anderson Gyllenhaal asked, holding up a champagne glass.

Everyone nodded. If Link is really that good at fighting, everyone wouldn't mind supporting him.

Link smiled softly and was about to speak when he saw Franco and Nora walking side by side from the crowd. After Nora came to Miami, Franco's dress became neat and elegant again, wearing a black twill suit, The red tie matches Nora’s red party dress very well.

Link looked at the two of them and said, "Look, the boss's wife is here. Gentlemen, when can I play professional games depends on his arrangements."

“Haha, Link, we are partners. In addition, I will also serve you in the future. You are my boss.”

Franco patted him on the shoulder and smiled and said to everyone, "As for Link's professional competition, we started making arrangements after signing the contract. The time should be before Christmas, and the opponent will be at least an intercontinental boxing champion level boxer. , gentlemen, please come and support me when the time comes.”

 “Haha, definitely!”

 Everyone responded with a smile.

The signing ceremony began. Witnessed by celebrities, lawyers and media reporters, Link and Franco signed the boxing match promotion contract, becoming contracted boxers and second shareholders of Dynasty Promotions, and they also had eight more in their hands. More than a million dollars.

However, after signing the contract, negative news about him suddenly appeared in many newspapers, saying that his father was a smuggler and a gangster, that he had also participated in smuggling and trafficking, and was imprisoned twice. He was not a good person. They said that he liked The style of winning by KO may be due to the bad habits of the street.

 It’s just that these negative news didn’t last long. A profile report by “American Express” caused a greater sensation in North America.

 “Link Baker: A ‘Cinderella’ Champion, the American Dream for a New Era.”

"American Express" used more than 5,000 words to introduce his life experience in detail in this issue's new character article, saying that he was born in Miami Beach. Two generations of his ancestors were fishermen. His mother left home very early and his father died young. He was helpless. He was influenced by the surrounding environment when he was a child and became a bad boy. He was imprisoned twice and was almost killed on the street, etc. He did not shy away from the bad things he had done in the past.

But since he came into contact with boxing three years ago, he began to change his ways and practice boxing. Starting from the Golden Gloves competition, he gradually became the American qualifying champion.

Recently, he signed a promotion contract with Dynasty Company, with a signing bonus of tens of millions, and will soon represent the U.S. super middleweight boxing team in the Olympics.

"American Express" said that because of practicing boxing, he changed from a "bad boy" with a bad record to a "multimillionaire" at the age of 20. His life experience is greater than that of Ali, Tyson, and James J. Braddock. Waiting for the boxing champion to be even more inspiring, calling him the new idol of the young people at the bottom and a representative of the American dream.

This article has been reprinted by major newspapers and magazines such as People Weekly, Ring, and Chicago Tribune, causing quite a stir in North America.

Link's reputation has not only not been damaged by previous negative news, but has become even more famous.

 (End of this chapter)