Richard Schaefer says Top Rank is a 'sinking ship'

Richard Schaefer, who never worries about Bob Arum, spoke about Bob Arum again today, and recommended that Bob Arum worry about Bob Arum, which Richard Schaefer does not.

Joking aside, Schaefer's latest Arum rant is pretty interesting (usually they are - Schaefer is crafty and says meaningful stuff), because of one thing in particular. Recently, Arum said that he did want to do a Nonito Donaire-Abner Mares fight, but couldn't because of the usual promotional stuff between Golden Boy and Top Rank, and that he was waiting for Mares' GBP contract to expire so he could make that fight happen, presumably by signing him to Top Rank.

Schaefer, of course, knows how the game is played, and knows that in boxing, that's precisely when you get the lawyers involved.

"The fact is, look at his stable...he can't even get fights done. It's a sinking ship and I don't have the time to talk about a sinking ship. Obviously it's undermining an existing and a valid fighter contract with comments like that. It's clear [those comments] will have legal repercussions, that goes without saying. ... He only wants to do things his way. The same with the Mayweather thing, he can tell you what he wants but unless he is totally in control of everything he doesn't want to do fights. When he did the fight with Chavez and Martinez, he was in charge of everything and I know why but I'm not going to go there."

Schaefer says he doesn't want to talk about Bob, but he does, and says he's not going to say anything about lots of topics, but he does, and "leaves it at that" or "doesn't go there," or whatever, which is Tricky Richard's sly fox way of totally slammin' his rival while looking like he's taking the high road. He's not, like, at all, but it's a good tactic. It keeps people going, "Boo, that Bob Arum," and that works for GBP, and it's not even like it's not deserved. Everyone's full of it, but while Arum's latest stance is mostly to stay quiet and then go, "Who me?" Schaefer has taken a more passive-aggressive approach.

I find this about as interesting as I do fighter trash talk -- actually, more interesting, because for the most part, these guys are a lot more savvy, political, and sneaky than fighters. Vic Darchinyan, Edison Miranda, Ricardo Mayorga, Floyd, Fury -- nobody has anything on the sport's promoters when it comes to digging remarks intended to piss off their rivals.

Anyway, Arum should have known better than to make the Mares comment. This reaction was predictable, and it's fair, too. Arum would do the same thing.

Schaefer also added this colorful nugget:

"Bob Arum should worry about his own stuff. Because I will tell you one thing - the lights are almost out in Arumville. He should really worry about his own stuff and not be sooooo, soooo, soooo preoccupied with us - and come up with all of these things. It was a good fight the other night [with Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado], he should just keep doing that. Don't worry about what Golden Boy is doing and just worry about your own stuff. That's my advice to the old man."