Why Kathy Duva Is The Most Trusted Name In Boxing

Why is Kathy Duva the most trusted name in boxing?

Because she sees boxing as a sport.

It's that simple.

Take this weekend, for instance. Duva fighter Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev is facing the dangerous and talented Jean Pascal in Pascal's own Canadian back yard. As Kovalev's promoter, Duva stands to lose a lot if Kovalev loses his light heavyweight titles

Yet the fight is going on anyway. Why? Because Duva understands boxing is primarily an athletic endeavor, not simply a business endeavor. That's why fans can trust Duva will always provide them with the best fights possible - she has a steady track record of doing so already.

Last year, for instance, while Kovalev's counterpart, Adonis Stevenson, faced the likes of Dmitry Sukhostsky, Kovalev faced the great Bernard Hopkins, then made plans to face Pascal. See the difference? If you do, then you should appreciate it.

Of course there are undoubtedly those out there who feel Duva is being foolish for putting so much at risk with her matchmaking. Such people might, I suspect, be fine if Stevenson never met Kovalev in the ring, or if Mayweather never agreed to fight Pacquiao, for that matter.

I call this crowd boxing's "new breed" of fans. For they see boxing more as a reality TV show which focuses on business transactions than as a sport. Why these characters following boxing and not authentic reality TV shows which deal with business matters is beyond me. It's not like there aren't plenty of those out there already.

Still, there are a whole lot more traditional boxing fans than there are those of the "new breed" variety. And those traditionalists owe Kathy Duva a debt of gratitude. Adviser Al Haymon may be delivering the goods now with his PBC series, but where was he in 2014, when Danny Garcia stepped into the ring to batter Rod Salka?

As for boxing's other premiere behind the scenes players, well, they have a lot of catching up to do. If they can follow Duva's lead and emulate her business ethos, boxing may well enter a new golden age indeed.