The highly anticipated rematch between World Heavyweight Champion, Andy Ruiz Jr. and former champion, Anthony Joshua is set for December 7th in Saudi Arabia. Ruiz, who is the first heavyweight champion of Mexican decent, won the title in May by defeating Joshua by TKO in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Ruiz and his father Andy Ruiz Sr. are in the construction business and have been flipping homes in Calexico for several years. Thanks to my friend, Raul Espinoza, the champion and his father will take the stage at the Elevate Sales Summit within the NAHREP at L’ATTITUDE event on September 27th in San Diego. I can’t wait to meet them and I think their story will be one of the most inspiring during the entire convention. Unlike most champions of late, Andy Ruiz is a bonafide slugger, and despite his rotund physique, he has some of the fastest hands in his weight class. Needless to say, I’m a fan and hope this true life “Rocky” story lasts a long time.
I once read that sports are a universal language. Regardless of ethnicity or what language you speak, almost everyone speaks sports. No place has that been more evident than the Olympics, where every four years, we are moved by images of athletic rivals from around the world shaking hands and embracing each other in moving displays of sportsmanship.
The NFL markets its brand as well as any enterprise in the world. I heard a comedian once say that the NFL is so popular, it has its own day. NFL football is huge. Each NFL franchise brings in approximately $400M a year in revenue; almost double the annual revenue of NBA teams and 2 ½ times as much as MLB clubs.