Chapter 37: Between Husband and Wife

"Attack his brow bone!"

"Yes!!! That punch was great! The angle was so tricky!"

"KO! Fifth KO! It's the fifth KO, that punch was too heavy, Andre definitely won't get up."

"Link is the champion! Link is the champion!!!"

In Manhattan, New York, Mr. Franco Duva was watching the HBO sports channel's match. Seeing Link knock Andre to the ground with one punch, he excitedly jumped up and punched the wall, but couldn't help but retract his fist and rub it.

Mrs. Nora Duva came down the spiral staircase from the second floor, wearing a coat. Seeing her husband yelling and punching the wall like a child, she couldn't help but shake her head.

"Franco, be quiet, you're going to wake Vera up."

Mrs. Nora Duva reminded him softly.

"Okay, okay, I know."

Franco Duva turned down the volume of the stereo, sat on the sofa, took a sip of beer, stared at Link on TV, and suddenly sighed.

"Alas, why couldn't my father agree with me? Link is very strong, and when he enters the boxing world in the future, he will definitely become a boxing champion, a very profitable boxing champion.

The boxers under our Main Events promotion company are either old or retired, and the rest are mostly not strong. Do you know how others evaluate our company? Humph, they say our company is a nursing home for boxing champions.

Now is the time to make a change, but why doesn't my father agree to sign Link?

If we had Link, give me five years, and I'm confident that Main Events can surpass Top Rank and become the strongest promotion company in the boxing world again."

Franco clenched his fists tightly and crushed the beer can.

But when he thought of the day he returned to New York and found his father to discuss signing Link, only to be rejected and scolded by his father, saying that he was too impulsive and not a qualified boxing promoter, and asking him to go back and reflect, he couldn't help but feel discouraged. He let go of his hand, and the crumpled beer can fell to the floor with a clatter.

"Stop thinking about Link. If your father doesn't agree, he must have his reasons."

Nora picked up the beer can and threw it into the trash can.

"What reasons does he have?

Stubborn, rigid, opinionated, thinking it's still the 70s or 80s, that he can open up the situation by relying on fists and favors.

His methods haven't worked in the boxing world for a long time, but he still refuses to change and won't let go and let us do it.

If he continues to be stubborn like this, Main Events will be dragged down by him sooner or later."

Franco said helplessly.

Nora gently persuaded him, "Father... he rejected your proposal because he was a bit rash, but Link's asking price is too high, a $100 million signing bonus. This is a sky-high price that even Ali and Tyson wouldn't dare to ask for. How could he, an amateur boxer, dare to do so?

There's still a long way to go from an amateur boxer to a professional boxer, and this road is not easy. If there's any accident, the loss will be huge.

You also know that our company's situation is not as good as it used to be, and we can't afford such a big loss.

Honey, you also have to understand your father's concerns."

"I understand, I understand, but..."

Franco looked at Link on TV and shrugged, "Link is really a great boxer, and this is really a good opportunity.

Nora, you've worked in the boxing industry longer than me and know more than I do.

I ask you, if you go back to the 60s or 80s, would you be willing to use $30 million to sign Ali and Tyson before they became famous?"

"No!"

Nora Duva answered cleanly.

"Ah, why?"

Franco looked at his wife in surprise.

His wife, Nora Duva, was originally one of his father's administrative assistants. She had worked as a boxing promoter in the company for twelve years and was now the president of Main Events' international development department. She had been in the boxing industry longer than him.

He would usually discuss his work with his wife, and his wife would mostly support his opinions. He also understood his wife, but her answer this time was unexpected.

Nora Duva said calmly, "30 million dollars back then was no less than 100 million dollars now. Even if I knew they would become super boxing champions in the future, I wouldn't sign them.

First, the company didn't have that much working capital. Spending too much money to sign a boxer would definitely affect the company's subsequent development.

Second, the development of the company depends on a group of people working together, and it must not rely on just one person. A company or collective that relies on only one person cannot develop for a long time, and it is also an unhealthy development model.

Take Ali as an example. In 1967, he was revoked of his boxing license by all state sports commissions in the United States for refusing to serve in the military, and he couldn't participate in boxing matches for the next four years. In 1971, he made a comeback and challenged champion Joe Frazier, but was knocked down and lost.

In 1973, he made a second comeback and challenged champion Ken Norton, and failed again. It wasn't until 1974, when he successfully challenged champion George Foreman, that he returned to the boxing world. There was a seven-year gap in between. If Top Rank had placed all their hopes on him alone back then, they would have gone bankrupt long ago.

And Tyson, he had more problems, fighting, sexual assault, jail, upset losses. Don King Promotions spent more than 50 million dollars to sign him back then, and although they made a lot of money afterwards, it was far below expectations.

And Link Baker, who you are optimistic about, is not a person who follows the rules. From Link's performance during this time, he is indeed not a person who plays by the rules.

The probability of success and failure for this kind of person is 50%. If the company puts all its hopes on him alone, and something happens to him in the future, how will the company recover the funds invested in him?"

Franco felt a little disheartened by his wife's words. He slumped on the sofa, his shoulders drooping, and his eyes saw Link fighting on the ring again.

He murmured, "But this is a good opportunity, a 50% chance of success is also a very high probability, it would be a pity to miss it."

Nora gently squeezed his shoulder and said softly, "Don't feel too sorry, there are many, many opportunities. Besides Link, there are other good boxers in this championship.

For example, heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, cruiserweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr., light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr., middleweight champion George Groves, they are all very good candidates."

Franco shook his head, "How can they compare to Link? Link is a person who can change the trend of the boxing world, he is Caesar, and they are at most Labienus, Mark Antony, followers of the trend."

Nora's massaging hand paused, she brushed her bangs, her expression helpless.

She didn't know what Link had said to her husband or what he had done to him, but ever since her husband met Link, he would talk about Link whenever he talked about boxing, and he would mention Link whenever he watched boxing matches. At home, he often watched Link's match videos.

He praised Link greatly, saying that Link was stronger than Ali, Tyson, George Foreman, Mayweather, and other super boxing champions.

Now he even used Caesar to describe Link. This was not just appreciation, but extreme admiration, even obsession.

If she didn't know that her husband's sexual orientation was not a problem, she would have thought of something else.

"Link is very good, but his appetite is too big. He asked you for a $100 million signing bonus and asked Greg Cohen for a 70% share. This is too exaggerated.

He wants the promotion company to work for him as a boxer, this is impossible, I don't think anyone in the boxing promotion industry can meet his requirements."

In order to make her husband "change his mind", she didn't mind whispering some pillow talk in her husband's ear.

Franco shrugged, "Link is a capable person, he will make a lot of money in the future, it's only right to ask for more share."

Nora was helpless, "But he's just an amateur boxer now, who can predict whether he will become a boxing champion in the future, orend up in jail?"

"No, he's a person with clear goals and clear thinking, a person with ideals, ambitions, and the ability to realize them. He won't easily do anything dangerous, he won't go to jail, and it's not easy for him to have an accident. And he's not an amateur boxer, he's the Golden Gloves super middleweight champion, a very promising and outstanding amateur boxer."

Franco clenched his fists and said excitedly.

Nora looked at her husband, helplessly let go of her hand, got up and went upstairs to sleep. After a while, there was a shout from downstairs.

"Nora, come down quickly, I have a plan, a great plan, help me think about it, this time even old Duva can't stop me."

Mrs. Nora covered her forehead. She felt it was necessary to find a time to talk to Link and ask him to let her husband go.

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