Al Haymon prefers to remain behind the curtains. But, thanks to the teeming number of supporters across the community, boxing’s mysterious promoter never fails to make his presence felt. Former two-division champion Andre Berto, who headlined PBC’s inaugural card on Spike TV in 2015, rushed to his defense when Max Kellerman questioned Haymon’s legacy.

Taking a cue from the recent spat between Vergil Ortiz and his promoter Oscar De la Hoya over the Boots fight and its guaranteed purse, Kellerman pointed out how Haymon could be the origin of the trend that saw fighters earning more than their fights might have warranted. Berto, however, took a different view.

Andre Berto defends Al Haymon in response to Kellerman

Defending Al Haymon, he felt that the promoter always looked out for fighters first. He ensured fighters were well paid for the risks they took in the ring. Comparing the situation to a war, he emphasized that stepping into the ring has real consequences, so fighters must prioritize their own safety and earnings. The former champion felt if someone doesn’t advocate for the fighters, no one else will.

His thoughts emerged when the Inside the Ring panel, which included Mike Coppinger, LeSean McCoy, and Berto, discussed the murky situation around the Ortiz-Boots fight. Kellerman claimed, “What we’re seeing in boxing starts in its current form with Al Haymon.” He praised the work Haymon had done. Unlike Don King, infamous for frequent clashes with fighters, Haymon was good to the fighters.

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He pointed out that Haymon’s policies might have sacrificed fans’ interests. While they boosted fighters’ financial profiles, they also made it harder to arrange the most exciting or fair matchups. “Al Haymon was so good at his job, yes, that he was clowning these networks; he was out-negotiating the networks to the point where they were giving you an inferior product because his fighters were getting overpaid for lesser fights,” Kellerman said.

But this success also led fighters to overestimate their market value. They created new challenges for promoters trying to set up competitive bouts that fans want to see. Berto, who has long enjoyed a strong relationship with Haymon’s PBC, finally stepped in.

“Well, I don’t know because, like I said, he wanted to – he really wanted us to change our mindset, right?” he countered.

Berto isn’t alone: Fighters praise Al Haymon’s generosity

Since every fight put their health on the line, fighters needed to secure as much money as possible each time they stepped in the ring, which explains why they might focus on earnings over other considerations.

Later, as he took to social media to make his point, Berto quickly met with a counter. A fan wrote, “From what I see, I believe he took care of the top guys. The criticism is that everyone else didn’t get the same opportunities or activity because they couldn’t fight outside the PBC bubble.”

In response, Berto reiterated that Al Haymon looked out for all his fighters. He paid them more than fighters outside the PBC system.

Another example comes from former titleholder Adrien Broner. A few years ago he revealed how Haymon managed his money during times of heavy spending. The promoter often provided funds on request. Acknowledging his own financial mismanagement, Broner credited Haymon with saving his money until he spent it.

Light heavyweight champion David Benavidez is another fighter who has never shied from lauding Haymon’s efforts to get more money for fighters.

With the PBC’s long-time deal with Showtime ending in 2023, the following contract with Amazon Prime has put Haymon and his team under scrutiny. The year will kick off with the upcoming Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios fight – a new development given Garcia’s ties with DAZN via Golden Boy Promotions. Yet despite these challenging times for his promotions, Haymon’s contributions as a benefactor of fighters cannot be ignored.