Mahalos for writing something that to help us disambiguate the different investment arms of KSA and what their successes and failures mean. It's definitely much needed information these days, and is a detail I'm surprised the mainstream press has largely ignored.
Also, I'm really feeling this passage (about *everything*, not just boxing):
"In 2026, boxing is a perfect sport for monopolization. High-profile enough to grab the attention of world leaders and celebrities, but not important enough for those in power to care about exploitation. It’s an expensive but achievable arbitrage play."
It goes back to an old campaign that proved to be highly ineffective by critics of the Kingdom: the obsession with the branding/sloganeering of "sportswashing."
That word was always doomed to fail as a tool of influence.
It's not a word you can visualize in your mind. It's not a word that immediately is defined. Ask 100 people about what that term means and you'll get at least 90 different definitions.
If you can't establish the rules of engagement in a political campaign, you're cooked.
Furthermore, "sportswashing" was doomed to catch on because the last decade has seen a massive concentration of wealth and ownership involving the exact same players across a whole field of businesses. Sovereign Wealth Funds changed the game over the last 15 years.
The same people involved in boxing are also directly or indirectly involved in Private Equity, Venture Capital, or SWFs that have ownership in your local hospital, veterinarian, sports team, and now media outlets (e.g. Paramount).
Mahalos for writing something that to help us disambiguate the different investment arms of KSA and what their successes and failures mean. It's definitely much needed information these days, and is a detail I'm surprised the mainstream press has largely ignored.
Also, I'm really feeling this passage (about *everything*, not just boxing):
"In 2026, boxing is a perfect sport for monopolization. High-profile enough to grab the attention of world leaders and celebrities, but not important enough for those in power to care about exploitation. It’s an expensive but achievable arbitrage play."
Feels bleak, man!
It goes back to an old campaign that proved to be highly ineffective by critics of the Kingdom: the obsession with the branding/sloganeering of "sportswashing."
That word was always doomed to fail as a tool of influence.
It's not a word you can visualize in your mind. It's not a word that immediately is defined. Ask 100 people about what that term means and you'll get at least 90 different definitions.
If you can't establish the rules of engagement in a political campaign, you're cooked.
Furthermore, "sportswashing" was doomed to catch on because the last decade has seen a massive concentration of wealth and ownership involving the exact same players across a whole field of businesses. Sovereign Wealth Funds changed the game over the last 15 years.
The same people involved in boxing are also directly or indirectly involved in Private Equity, Venture Capital, or SWFs that have ownership in your local hospital, veterinarian, sports team, and now media outlets (e.g. Paramount).