THE president of Top Rank has insisted Michael Conlan will be moved along at his own pace – and played down talk of a potential super-fight with Belfast superstar Carl Frampton in future years.
Todd duBoef was the main man behind securing Conlan’s signature after he hit the headlines globally in the aftermath of his controversial Olympics exit, and the American promoters believe they have a future world star on their hands.
Rather than build his profile at home, as has been the case with the likes of ‘The Jackal’, Top Rank intend to “do the heavy lifting” early by attempting to break the American market straight away.
Conlan is expected to fight at least five times in each of his first two years as a pro, with a minimum of one fight a year back home in Belfast. But the aim is to take the States by storm, first and foremost.
Making Conlan the headline attraction in his first pro fight at New York’s famous Madison Square Garden is a huge statement, but duBoef says his career will be developed sensibly.
“I hope he jumps on to the scene and his transition from amateur to pro is seamless, which we think it will be, but this is a pro debut. You want to get this one over with,” said duBoef.
“He’s moving to a new country with his family. He’s going to a new trainer [Manny Robles], that’s a transition in itself. We’re taking seismic shifts, and he’s having all of them hit one occasion.
“He’s got a lot of pressure on him. Let him feel his way, get the confidence going.”
Asked if, at 24, a potential showdown with Frampton – five years Conlan’s senior – was realistic, duBoef replied: “Anything is realistic today.
“If Frampton’s around, I’m sure it would be a terrific fight, absolutely terrific. But our philosophy is – I don’t chase the money, I create the money.
“I’m not going to chase Frampton, that’s a business model I’m not in. I create businesses, I’m going to create a business around Michael Conlan and we’ll see how it goes.
“I’m not going to chase a guy because I don’t excel at that, I don’t bring opponents to the table, I create businesses around these athletes, whether it’s Mayweather, De La Hoya, Pacquiao, Ali, Leonard, Hagler.
“We created them as brands and as businesses, and people came to the table.”
