RING MAGAZINE?S CREDIBILITY SHOT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Apr 2012
Ever since Oscar de la Hoya and his Swiss banker CEO Richard Schaefer acquired Ring Magazine, its credibility has been shot.
How could a promotional outfit which handles fighters own a magazine that ranks and rates them without subverting the essential integrity demanded of media?
Suddenly moving Manny Pacquiao from the No.1 spot and moving Floyd Mayweather Jr with whom Golden Boy Promotions obviously has a business relationship with to the top spot demonstrates the bias of the Ring Magazine's new management.
Mayweather has done nothing since his last fight against Victor Ortiz to merit moving ahead of Pacquiao.
We can understand a change should Mayweather put on an impressive performance against Miguel Cotto in May but to make him No. 1 without even a fight taking place further undermines the credibility of Ring Magazine which has sunk to a new low since De La Hoya bought the magazine and then replaced several of its top writers including the respected and fair Nigel Collins who sought desperately to maintain Ring?s integrity.
As Collins pointed out when he was replaced as Editor-in-Chief, ?based on my experience, I have serious doubts that a partnership between a legitimate journalistic enterprise and a promotional company could ever work.?
The Ring?s drop in sales is a clear reflection of the public?s dissatisfaction with the manner in which it is run and the bias that finds its way into the magazine articles.
If we follow the long-time philosophy of Ring that to be the man, a fighter needs to beat the man who is on top, then Mayweather cannot lay claim to the pound-for-pound No. 1.
Ring seeks to mitigate its position by banking on ten boxing writers who apparently voted including Nick Giongco of the Philippines in order to project a semblance of fairness and balance. But that ploy won?t work for sure.
As Ivan Goldman wrote in his arbticle ?The Ring Is Counted Out? -Of course, Golden Boy?s purchase posed an immediate conflict of interest. It was like CBS or Fox buying TV Guide. De La Hoya addressed the issue the day he announced the deal, pledging the magazine would ?be held in an editorial trust? and operate ?totally independent of any influence from me or others from the Golden Boy Companies as it relates to editorial direction or content.?
Added CEO Richard Schaefer: ?If we do something wrong, we destroy The Ring value and the brand, and that means we made a pretty poor investment.?
Yes Mr. Schaefer, you?ve done it!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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