"I think that if we can't get a fight working through Golden Boy, eventually we're going to have to go around them too. We'd hate to do that; we want to build a great relationship with them, but as you said and as has been shown, we're not getting the fights that we thought we would be able to get being associated with them. For all the power that they have in boxing, they can't do too much more than what we're doing ourselves. Basically, we are the ones doing it ourselves," stated former jr. middleweight champion Winky Wright as he discusses the difficulty he's been having securing a fight despite being associated with one of the top promotional companies in the world, Golden Boy Promotions. Check out what else he had to say in this revealing interview.
BT: Whaddup Wink? You know, I heard Bernard was doing some complaining the other day about Golden Boy allegedly keeping the brothas on the shelf. It's been a while since your last fight too, but I know Golden Boy is supposedly working hard right now to secure your next fight. Any thoughts on that?
WW: I think that if we can't get a fight working through Golden Boy, eventually we're going to have to go around them too. We'd hate to do that; we want to build a great relationship with them, but as you said and as has been shown, we're not getting the fights that we thought we would be able to get being associated with them. For all the power that they have in boxing, they can't do too much more than what we're doing ourselves. Basically, we are the ones doing it ourselves.
BT: I think Shane and Bernard were a little to blame for that too though. I mean, they tried to get Bernard the Adamek fight, but the money wasn't there to make both sides happy, which I believe since it's really not a big fight and Bernard was probably wanting $3-$5 million. Shane was holding out too hoping for a mega-fight with Manny or Floyd. He didn't want to fight Berto at first; that was a last resort to fight him. He could have fought Berto a lot sooner than now. That was just a move that backfired.
WW: Exactly! Exactly! You hit it right on the head. We gonna stay ready for anyone though, so we jut waitin' on that call. They puttin' Berto in a test though, you know what I'm saying, because Shane is going to be a tough fight. He's hungry, he's got the skills and that's going to be a tough fight. I've worked with both fighters and I just think that's going to be a real tough fight for Andre unless he can get off. If he can get off early and have his way, then maybe it will be something different, but if Shane can get off and impose his will on Berto, it's going to be a tough fight for him.
BT: Yeah, that's gonna be a test for him alright. (Laughing) They puttin' him in a big test against an older experienced brotha who happens to be the main man at welterweight. In a lot of ways, Berto's career is looking very similar to Jermain Taylor's career. They trying to get the brothas to knock each other off (laughing).
WW: (Laughing) Right! They'd rather we knock each other off. There's probably spanish fighters right there that they could put in, but they won't make none of them fight Shane Mosley or Andre Berto. Yeah, yeah, yeah, most definitely. They won't put...man, listen, they trying to market the latin and white fighters point blank. Floyd said it a long time ago. They looking for a Great White Hope or they looking for another Oscar De La Hoya, which there ain't. Right now, it's Pacquiao and he ain't black, white or none of that, but Pacquiao is an exciting fighter and they're going to try and ride that to the end.
BT: Take Arreola for example. It would be so easy for them to make a fight with James Toney. I mean, they've got the same promoter. James Toney, whether he's in shape or not, is the perfect kind of guy for Arreola to get some much needed experience with. Not to mention he's a far more impressive name on the resume than a Brian Minto, Jameel McCline, Travis Walker or Cliff Couser. They didn't have any problems with putting Sam Peter in there with Toney, so why aren't they as eager to put Arreola in there with him?
WW: Oh my God. They won't do that because they know Toney would destroy him. Then they'll say Toney ain't fighting nobody, but they ain't giving Toney nobody to fight.
BT: (Laughing) And now, ironically, there are some early rumblings about Toney and Tarver fighting each other. There you go; the brothas knocking each other off again (laughing). I'm telling you, maybe there's something to that. Call me crazy, but James Toney fighting Chris Arreola sounds like a more entertaining fight than James Toney fighting Antonio Tarver.
WW: Toney will fight anybody if they give him a chance. Chris Arreola would be a great fight for Toney, but they won't give him that. It's crazy.
BT: Maybe ol' Bernard is dropping some more wisdom on us (laughing).
WW: (Laughing) There you go.
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