By Norm Frauenheim
LAS VEGAS – Oscar De La Hoya, founder of Golden Boy Promotions, said he is fighting for his company and that he doesn’t want to fire his CEO, Richard Schaefer.
“Look, nobody is going to dismiss Richard,’’ De La Hoya said Saturday during a news conference before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana fight at the MGM Grand. “I don’t want him to leave.’’
But De La Hoya could not be certain that he won’t. He was asked whether the relationship could be healed.
“I don’t know,’’ he said.
De La Hoya conceded that he had alternate plans if he and Schaefer are unable to end a feud that has disrupted their business.
“I have a Plan B, C and D,’’ said De La Hoya, who hired Schaefer, a former Swiss banker to run the promotional company that is named for him. “I found Richard from the banking world to help me out. I can do that again.’’
The De La Hoya-Schaefer feud is marked by disagreement over whether to have any sort of relationship with rival Bob Arum, De La Hoya’s primary promoter throughout his Hall of Fame career. Schaefer has vowed to never do business with Arum again. De La Hoya visited Arum Thursday at the Top Rank promoter’s home in Los Angeles.
De La Hoya said he only wanted “to bury the hatchet” with Arum. He said no business was discussed. However, De La Hoya did not rule out the possibility that business might be discussed if there is another meeting with Arum.
Another issue involves questions about how many fighters are under contract to Mayweather advisor Al Haymon instead of Golden Boy Promotions. Schaefer has developed a close working relationship with Haymon and Mayweather. Schaefer has said that some fighters have contracts with Haymon and not Golden Boy.
“I don’t have the number,’’ De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya said he hoped to talk to Schaefer about the issues that divide them
“Like Richard said, here are a few things we are not agreeing on,’’ he said. “But it’s nothing that can’t be worked out.’’
“I said what I had to say and I stand by those statements,’’ Schaefer said. “Whatever the future holds, hopefully, we can have this resolved within the next couple of weeks.”
It is believed that De La Hoya reached out to Arum as part of his rehab from substance abuse. De La Hoya went into rehab last September before Mayweather’s victory over Canelo Alvarez.
“Bottom line, I was not well,’’ De La Hoya said. I got caught up in stuff. I was down and out. I really was. Right now, I want to be the real Golden Boy. This company is named Golden Boy for a reason. This is the fight of my life right now. I can win. I know I can.’’