Corruption in boxing seems to not just linger in the sport, but thrive, as evident by Leonard Ellerbe’s ― CEO of Mayweather Promotions ― recent interviews prior to the event headlined by Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, which showcase a disturbing trend that seems to be encouraged, or ignored, within the upper echelons of boxing.
Leading up to the fight night between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, Mayweather Promotions’ CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, implied that there was a mole or spy of some sorts in Ryan Garcia’s camp. While Ellerby’s tactic might have just been something to throw off Ryan Garcia, his comments are more scrutinized because of his position as CEO.
Leonard Ellerbe has shown a particular bad side of himself during the week of the fight, after delivering a profanity-filled rant towards opposing promoter Oscar De La Hoya; behavior that blatantly contrasts the expected professionalism he was supposed to exhibit. He drove things even further when he alleged of there being spies in Ryan Garcia’s camp in another interview, which perhaps points towards this sort of unscrupulous behavior being normal for Gervonta Davis’ promoter, the PBC ― who Mayweather Promotions is closely affiliated to.
“This is the Art of War, I mean, I’m just going to be honest with you.” Leonard Ellerby said during a pre-match interview with Fight Hype. “We have so many advantages, man, this is so easy, really we can do this in our sleep.
“It’s like honestly, I know everything Ryan Garcia has been doing in his entire camp. Really, in his entire camp! I know exactly what they’ve been working on, I know who the sparring partners are, you know? I mean it’s just because, again, this is the Art of War and you’re never going to be able to out-think us and it’s all hands on deck over here.” The Mayweather CEO expressed confidently.
Aside from allegedly planting spies in the training camp of his fighters’ opponents, the CEO has also not shied away from revealing his role in the inclusion of a rehydration clause on Ryan Garcia ― a clause that is known to affect a fighter physically due to them being forced to rehydrate up to a certain limit. The implications of being unable to rehydrate is compounded with the fact that most fighters subject to such clauses would have to cut weight ― which is known to be physically- and mentally-taxing.
In essence, Ellerbe freely admitted to wanting Ryan Garcia as weak as possible ― though to his credit Ryan Garcia offered no excuses for his loss in the post-match press conference, though he himself admitted to not feeling at his best prior to his match with Gervonta Davis.
“I mean, from an honest like perception of it, I didn’t feel too good.” Garcia admitted during the post-fight press conference. “I mean, I felt a little weak, you know, going into the ring. My legs didn’t feel too much under me, but once the fight got going, you know, it kinda all came together. So, I can’t really pin it on that too much.“
This is not the first time the PBC ― or an entity affiliated to it ― have been suspected of unsavoury or even illegal practices within the sport of boxing. They are, first and foremost, heavily linked with the WBC who have been linked with corruption many times. In most recent cases, the PBC can be deemed responsible for several of their champions benefitting from a form of favoritism or privilege due to not being stripped of their belts when the circumstances would deem it but a formality ― as seems to be the case with Errol Spence Jr. and Jermall Charlo.
Leonard Ellerbe’s free reign to verbally spew profanity at Oscar De La Hoya and admittance of under-handed practices shows the level of comfortability that certain promoters and executives have attained within the sport. Though boxing is not unknown to such displays from boxers, it is rare to see the executive of a company or organization sound off with inappropriate language, and shows the decadence that has crept up within the sport and infected the highest echelons of the business.
