Being a successful sportsman is the dream life for most people. Soccer stars, basketball players, football players, golfers, and big name boxers live fulfilled lives. These sports personalities are happy to use their skills and talents to earn a decent living.
It gets even better because successful professionals in sports become celebrities, serve as role models and earn big money into the bargain. This is a great way of life and this why sports stars are envied by some people who are stuck with the 9-5 rat race.
Now, the great thing is that sports fans can enjoy the same fulfilling lifestyle by setting up a profitable sports-related business. This is a good way to earn a living because you can transform your passion to employment and contribute to the society in the process. Some great entrepreneurs who have discovered this secret are Don King, John Houlding, and Jorge Mendes.
Don King
Don King is the American boxing promoter and founder of Don King Promotions. This flamboyant individual set up his own business after overcoming some initial difficulties in his early life. Over the years, Don King Productions has almost become synonymous with big name boxing. The Don King stable has promoted most of the biggest fights in professional boxing. Some boxers who have been promoted by Don King clients are Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ricardo Mayorga, Felix Trinidad, Terry Norris, Carlos Zarate, Andrzej Golota, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Tomasz Adamek.
Don King Productions runs a very profitable business and has continued to remain relevant in the very lucrative boxing promotion business. Some of the biggest fights promoted by this company are the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974 in Zaire. This was a heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Another great fight promoted by the Don King stable was the “Thriller in Manila”. This was a crucial heavyweight battle between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. These and other great fight established Don King Productions as one of the greatest boxing promotions firm in the world and this firm has continued to enjoy a great reputation.
John Houlding
For John Houlding, the founder of the Liverpool Football Club, the story was a bit different. Houlding was an accomplished businessman, brewer, and politician who decided to set up a soccer club later in life. John Houlding founded Liverpool Football 1892 and it is the most successful soccer club in England because it has won the most soccer trophies. Liverpool has won a record (by English standards) five champions league trophies, as well as an astonishing eighteen premier league trophies. Some of the great players who have worn the famous red jersey of Liverpool are Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler, and Nicholas Anelka. By all accounts, Liverpool is truly a great club with a fan base across the globe.
Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes
In the lucrative business of club soccer, the soccer agent plays a very important role and this is where Jorge Mendes comes into the picture. His full name is Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes and he was born on 7 January 1966 in Lisbon, Portugal. Mendes is easily one the most influential soccer agents in Europe and he runs the famous GestiFute Company with headquarters in Porto, Portugal.
GestiFute is a solid and reputable firm. It is very visible in European soccer circles but its influence extends to the great soccer nations of Brazil and Argentina. Many of the established and rising stars in Latin America are represented by this firm. GestiFute also has big name soccer coaches on its books. Two of these great soccer coaches are Jose Mourinho and Luis Felipe Scolari. Other clients of GestiFute are Angel di Maria, Nani, Anderson, Simao Sabrosa, Radamel Falcao, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Global soccer is big business and GestiFute is making a lot of cash representing soccer stars.
As stated already, the world of sports is both exciting and lucrative. Former sportsmen can go into business as agents, managers, and sports consultants. Sports fans that have the skill and the vision can set up a sports-related business and make a good living too. A lot of sportsman also have their own clothing lines such as trainers, clothing and more. DUC Sport is a prime example, so the Business does not have to be directly sports related, a lot of people also open shops and sell sports equipment.