06.05.08 – By Nate Campbell: I just read an interview where you asked the question “is Nate Campbell only good at giving interviews, or is he willing to fight somebody the caliber of Marquez?” You should really think before you open your fat mouth. Who the hell are you to question my heart as a fighter? See, if you were actually a boxing guy, and not just some suit that by chance happened to marry someone in Oscar’s family, then you’d have sense enough not to say something like that about a fighter. Especially about a World Champion. But you just don’t know any better.
Well, I’ve got a question for you too Richard. Do you actually know how to promote a show, or do you just have to wait every time for HBO to pull out their nipple for you to nurse on? When’s the last time your company actually promoted a fight on it’s own? Or do you just beg for HBO dates, and site fees, and call yourself a promoter? And don’t try and take credit for Oscar-Floyd, and Floyd-Hatton, and other high dollar shows. You didn’t promote those fights, HBO did..
If you think for one second that I’m gonna sit around till November waiting for Marquez, then you’re even dumber than you look. Sure, it’s an attractive fight, and one I would take, but I don’t need to sit around and wait for Marquez, or anyone else for that matter. See, my thing is this. I have a REAL promoter, one who doesn’t just close up shop just because no tv dates happen to be available. As soon as this WBO mess is cleared up, I’ll be fighting SOMEBODY. If you’d like that somebody to be Marquez, then give Don a number, get out of the way, and let a REAL promoter do the fight in July-August. But you know what? You won’t do that. That’s not in Golden Boys’ “best interest”. What’s in your best interest is making Pac-Juan Diaz in November or December. So you try and get me and Marquez out of the way, so Arum has no other high profile fight for Pac other than Diaz or maybe Hatton, both of whom you happen to control. So don’t act like you’re giving me Marquez as some kind of mission about “making the best fights”. Or you could at least fake it and come up with some really stupid number, and then you can issue press releases saying something like “We made a good offer, but Campbell obviously doesn’t want to fight someone on the level of Marquez”.
Now some people might wonder why I’m assuming Diaz beating Casamayor is a given. Everybody knows Casa screwed up your plans when he beat Katsidis. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Everybody knows that. Especially after you screwed the Santa Cruz kid out of his rematch with Casa, and gave the fight to Katsidis as a “door prize” to Samson. I know, I know, you’re doing “what’s best for boxing”, right? Well, I’ll say it out loud right now. As long as Diaz finishes the fight on his feet, there’s NO WAY Casamayor gets a decision.
Don’t think for a second that I don’t know what goes on in this game. I see the whole chessboard. You are trying to devalue the sanctioning bodies, and market your little “Golden Boy Belt” as the lineal title, thinking you can force everyone to sign with you in order to fight for that so-called “title”. You want to be Dana White, and control everything within your own little world.
You are fooling some people with that hogwash, but not everyone. Unfortunately, most media people are so afraid of being denied credentials and access if they open their mouths, so they look the other way. But I’m you’re worst nightmare Richard. I’m a fighter who knows the game, and isn’t afraid to speak out about what you’re doing. I am the IBF / WBO / WBA Lightweight Champion, and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it. Unless of course you think you have someone in your stable who can beat me and shut me up. Do you?? Let’s see…. You have Casamayor. Nope, you don’t want him to fight me. Gotta keep that “Golden Boy Belt” in house. You have Juan Diaz. The kid still has nightmares about me. You have Katsidis. Ha, you’d only let that fight happen if he were allowed to keep that helmet on. You have Marquez. Sounds good to me. How’s July or August for you guys? Oh, that’s right. You can’t do anything without HBO there to prop you up. And the fight only serves your purpose if it happens later in the year. My bad. What was I thinking?
You should stay away from interviews, and just stick to press releases telling everyone how great you are, and how good for boxing you are. And unless you have a serious fight offer, and NOT one happening 7 or 8 months down the road, then just keep my name out of your mouth. I’m not about these games you’re playing.