By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
Premier Boxing Champions Ambassador Sam (aka Sammy) Watson will be the first to climb between the ropes at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday July 29 when Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KO) collides with Terrance Crawford (39-0, 30 KO) televised live to a global audience on Pay Per View.
It is the most highly anticipated boxing event since Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquaio more than eight years ago, an event in which Sammy and PBC was also instrumental in.
The evolution of PBC boxing series is the genius of the ghost of boxing Al Haymon, the Cleveland raised Harvard economist who also has mastered the concert promotion business.
Sammy throughout the years has been Haymon’s right hand man in the live event space until the mastermind was convinced by Sammy to take a dive into the sinister sport of boxing often ran by cons, crooks and in some cases thugs.
Although Haymon is a registered boxing manager and earned Manager of the Year for his brilliance with Mayweather, taking ‘Money’ from talented fighter to the brink of billionaire status garnering the attention of every fighter in the sport.
The auspicious foray of the duo of Sammy and Al was launched when their first fighter the late Vernon Forrest was knocked out by Ricardo Mayorga for the WBA and WBC welterweight titles more than 10 years ago.
They haven’t lost since.
Sammy had inspected the sport for years by obtaining press credentials and befriending pugilist and all of the decision makers involved in the sport.
He ultimately convinced the much reserved Haymon to take a shot.
And on Saturday night during their anniversary year it will be a shot felt and heard around the world.
Fighters Black, white, Mexican and many other nationalities flocked to Haymon seek that ‘Money’ Mayweather payday that was so elusive for so many who have fought for years to only leave the sport broke and brain damaged.
Spence Jr./Crawford is a culmination of the trust fighters like Saul Canelo Alvarez have in the team of PBC.
Sammy, the Ambassador is the face of that and the organization that he represents consist primarily of Black operatives like his two sons Brandon and Marcus.
In the sport of boxing there are only two big players in the sport PBC and Top Rank in that order with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar de la Hoya a distant third.
Crawford like Mayweather before him left Top Rank, Alvarez had long since left Oscar and recently joined PBC.
The company hires promoters such as Tom Brown who’s is the promoter for the mega fight with Spence and Crawford as independent contractors, fighters have much more input with PBC and their checks are actually what the contract says.
Premier Boxing Champions is a live boxing television series that features the greatest array of boxing talent in all weight divisions, with fighters representing over 10 countries including the United States and Mexico. From former Olympians to Champions of all nationalities, the series can be seen on various networks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and many other countries.
Name a great young fighter and the chances are he will be featured in the PBC series, a model that is not by any means revolutionary but never executed to this extent independently.
That credit goes to Haymon and his Ambassador Sammy Watson who was a staple in Inglewood long before SoFi Stadium broke ground on Century Blvd.
Sammy moved on from Inglewood to bigger and as you can see better things.
However, he has never forgot where he came from and consistently gives back through The Watson Foundation, scholarships and donations to individuals and organizations from money raise by their celebrity basketball and softball events.
So, when you tune in to watch the big fight, any big fight and notice the gray haired man with the suit standing in the center of it all it’s likely Sammy Watson.
