Golden Boy joins USA Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya thinks he can provide the one-two punch that will help turn the U.S. boxing team into an Olympic powerhouse. How? De La Hoya's Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions today announced that it had signed an agreement to help USA Boxing improve the training and promotion of this country's amateur boxers.

"Boxing is light years behind the other sports," Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions' chief executive, said during a phone interview. "I can open up the L.A. Times and read about Amanda Beard and these other athletes, but I don't read anything about young kids who have decided to participate in boxing."

De La Hoya returned from the 1992 Barcelona Games with the boxing team's only gold medal and then fought his way to a lucrative professional career in the ring. De La Hoya plans "a hands-on involvement" with up-and-coming amateurs, Schaefer said.

Golden Boy Productions plans to use its ties to arena managers, including L.A.-based AEG, to move amateur bouts to more-visible locations. It also hopes to use its media connections, including its ownership of Ring magazine, to publicize amateur boxers.

USA Boxing CEO Jim Millman said in a news release today that "Golden Boy Promotions has set the gold standard in terms of a top-quality approach to the sport and business of boxing. This alliance will help USA Boxing accelerate its growth and development in many areas, while giving our elite athletes the benefit of more time spent with Oscar De La Hoya."

Want to feel old? Check out this picture of De La Hoya in Barcelona in 1992 from the USA Boxing website.

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: Oscar De La Hoya celebrates on May 3 after getting the decision over Steve Forbes during their junior middleweight bout at the Home Depot Center. Credit: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Comments

[Gerardo Hernandez]

I agree with the fact that the amateur boxing programs are subpar. I am a coach for the Borderland Brawlers boxing club in El Paso TX. We tried to bring more boxing shows into the city but we hit a rock wall called the border boxing association. This association does not want to improve the amateur class. Instead it holds events that no one hears about. We held to shows one June 5 2005 and august 14 2005 both shows were the best cordinated events that have been held in the amateur ranks but it was like pulling teeth trying to obtain a sanction from the border boxing association. I hope that Oscar can help the organization.