Conquer America, Start with a Boxing Champion

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

"Hey, 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 the dumbbell down.

"I heard that you are planning to sign a contract with Dynasty Promotions?"

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 spoke 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 advice but did not see the 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 said after thinking of an excuse.

"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 just in 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.

In fact, there is no need to be too flattering to these senior executives 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 somewhat 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 bad things about other people's good things, it's 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 brag. As long as they dare to challenge me, I will never avoid the fight and I can beat them. If they don't challenge me, I will challenge them when I switch to professional boxing in the future. After all, there are fewer and fewer people who can fight in the current professional boxing world."

"It sounds great, Link. When are you going to play professional games? We are all looking forward to seeing your performance."

Anderson Gyllenhaal asked, holding up a champagne glass.

Everyone nodded repeatedly. If Link is really that good at fighting, everyone doesn't mind going to show their support.

Link smiled lightly 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 stylish again. He wore a black twill suit and a red tie, which matched Nora's red banquet dress very well.

Link looked at the two and said, "Look, the boss and his wife are here. Gentlemen, when I can play professional matches depends on his arrangements."

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

Franco patted his shoulder and said to everyone with a smile, "As for Link's professional matches, we will start to arrange them after signing the contract. The time should be before Christmas. The opponent should be at least an Intercontinental Champion-level boxer. Please go and support us 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 promotion contract and became the contracted boxers and second largest shareholders of Dynasty Promotion Company, with more than 8 million US dollars in their hands.

However, after signing the contract, negative news about him suddenly appeared in many newspapers, saying that his father was a smuggler and gangster, that he had also participated in smuggling and trafficking, and had been imprisoned twice, and was not a good person. He said that he liked to win by KOing his opponents in the boxing ring, perhaps because he was infected with the bad habits of the streets.

However, these negative news did not last long. A character report in the American Express caused a greater sensation in North America.

"Link Baker: A 'Cinderella' champion, the American dream of the new era."

In this issue of the new character article, the American Express used more than 5,000 words to introduce his life experience in detail, saying that he was born in Miami Beach, his ancestors were fishermen for two generations, his mother left home very early, his father died early, and he was helpless. When he was a child, he was influenced by the surrounding environment 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 reform himself and practice boxing. Starting from the Golden Gloves competition, he gradually became the champion of the American qualifying competition.

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

The American Express said that because of boxing, he changed from a bad boy to a multimillionaire at the age of 20. His life experience was more inspiring than that of boxing champions such as Ali, Tyson, and James J. Braddock. He was called a new idol for young people at the bottom and a representative of the American dream.

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

Not only did Link's reputation not suffer from the previous negative news, but it became even more famous.