🥊 Dmitry Salita on Claressa, Zuffa Boxing & Building Champions 🔥🎙️

🥊 LIVE TODAY AT 6PM EASTERN! 🥊

The Last Stand sits down with former world title challenger turned elite boxing promoter Dmitry Salita for one of our most insightful boxing conversations yet! 🎙️🔥

From his journey as a fighter to becoming the founder of Salita Promotions, Dmitry gives a REAL inside look into the business, politics & future of boxing 💼🥊

👑 His partnership with Claressa Shields
🔥 Thoughts on Zuffa Boxing
🤝 The relationship between managers & promoters
📈 The importance of matchmaking
💭 Why true boxing people should help shape the sport
🥊 His willingness to work with ALL promoters for the good of fighters
👀 Stories from his own career that shaped him into one of boxing’s most respected promoters today!

Dmitry Salita continues making major moves in boxing while helping develop champions, contenders & future stars 🌍🏆

This is a MUST WATCH for real boxing fans, fighters & anyone who loves the business side of the sport 💣🎙️

⏰ PREMIERES TODAY — 6PM EASTERN
📺 Join us LIVE in the chat!

📲 Follow Dmitry Salita & Salita Promotions:
🔥 @dmitriy_salita
🔥 @salita_promotions

#Boxing #DmitrySalita #ClaressaShields #TheLastStand #SalitaPromotions #BoxingNews

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're watching The Last Stand with Brian Custer. That's right. It is the last stand. I'm Brian Custer. We bring you the biggest names in the sport. Hey, joining me today is someone I've been wanting to talk to for quite a bit. This guy, you might forget, he was a world class fighter. I mean, he fought some big names. Um, and now one of the sport's most respected boxing promoters. He is the founder, he's the president, he's the CEO of Salita Promotions. Dimitri Salita joins us on the last stand. Dimitri making his last stand debut. How are you, my friend? I'm great. Thank you so much. Uh, very grateful to be on your on the last stand podcast. I like it. Hey, I don't even know if we've discussed this. Do you know I called like three of your fights? Do you do you remember? Do you know that?

SPEAKER_02 0:56

I did not know that, but you know, you look you you look you're ageless, you look so young.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

You're right about uh well, I appreciate that. I remember Broadway boxing. Okay. Uh you uh uh Gabriel Brussero, I think it was like at the aviator thing in the Brooklyn. Uh and then we fought you fought in the Roseland Ballroom. Yes, it was a I wanna I can't remember the guy's name, John or something.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

I yes, I think you did my fight for my first title, which was the NABA title with Monteciho, who became a recording artist to walk me out into the ring. That probably was one of the greatest boxings, yes, great, great, great times. Yeah, and Lou Dabella was my second promoter, okay, who was uh uh rocking and rolling in those days. Top rank your first and top rank was my first promoter. Wow, so I'm very grateful. Now being uh wearing the shoes of a boxing promoter, very grateful that uh I had those experiences with uh these two Hall of Famers and two legends, very different in the way they do in the way they do business. Yeah, very grateful that I got a chance to experience it as a fighter, really gave me that 360 view with what I'm doing today. So so let me ask you this then.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Why did you become a promoter? What was it uh at what point in your career, fighting career, did you say, I I think I want to get on the other side and be the promoter and do the pro the business side and promoter?

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Great question. So uh my my uh last boxing promotional contract was a company was with a company called Square Ring, which was a break up break off of Don King promotions, and the head of that company was John Ward, who was Don King's uh legal counsel for many, many years. And uh I fought in your con. Uh that was the last fight of that contract. And uh then uh you know, money runs out, yeah. And uh I want to get back in a ring. I met with different promoters, managers, and I just really didn't feel like committing myself for an extended period of time under the terms given to me. And I thought to myself, well, I have a big following in New York City, feel like I've built some relationships. Why don't I why don't we just try it? So it's not my quote, but it's uh I don't I don't remember whose it was, but it was the quote is paralysis through analysis. So there was very little analysis from the from the time that I made a decision, six weeks, six weeks later, we had our first show, which was sold out. So we didn't have any paralysis and didn't and didn't have any analysis. We just kind of went out, you know, set up and go and went. And uh it was a success. And a lot of the very talented fighters started to reach out to me to find on the card, uh, to sign with me as I was doing more events. Wow. And uh I thought to myself, top rank golden boy who was doing shows at the Broadcast Center. Then all these big companies, how come they're not like going after these guys? One of those, actually, the first fighter I signed was Jarrell Miller, who I was in training camp with when I was I'm a little bit older than him. And I was like, this is the best head weight in America. Like, how come these guys are not after him? And uh uh, and I always had a love and a deep passion for the sport of boxing, always kind of looked behind the back door to see how things work, even when I was with top rank, and having the exposure of fighting on a big card from the beginning of my career. I mean, Mayweather, Kalitschko, De La Hoya, Pereira, really gave me great exposure and great experience. And I was a very good fighter, you know. I won the Golden Glove, Sugar Robinson Award won the US Nationals, so started from the bottom and went kind of through every stage as a boxer. And uh, you know, I wasn't a great like De La Hoya and Hopkins and all these great fighters, so but I've ex but I've experienced boxing at a high at a very high level as a fighter. So I've been to the mountaintop, right? I didn't necessarily live in a promised land, but I've seen it and I've experienced it. And uh that really gave me the exposure and the experience to to do what I do now. And as a promoter, started from club, club, you know, club level shows, setting up chairs, dealing with the commission, mashing fights, insurance, fighters not showing up, all this stuff, which which at the time when they're when they happen is very challenging and feels crushing. But now looking back, very grateful for those experiences because uh as a boxer goes through you know amateur boxing, golden gloves, nationals, turning pro, I really felt that I had that uh uh progression as a promoter on every level to uh to learn the business, to learn different nuances of the sport, uh doing every little thing myself until bringing on a team. And uh, and I think that makes me very unique, uh, particularly in today's day and age of boxing, where boxing is changing rapidly. I really don't know which way is gonna go, but uh gave gives me the experience uh of having a view of kind of the old school, so to say, and also being young enough uh and passionate enough and and willing to learn to be able to being able to combine what is today with with with what with the authenticity of the sport that's so important and that hopefully never goes away.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

So when I sometimes when I have to do some of these fights, especially I'm talking about even the big time fights, you'll sometimes hear these fighters, all of a sudden you'll say, Well, this fight is being brought to you by Salita Promotions. Um let's say uh TGB and GTD, uh Javante Tank Davis promotions. But is that just the name only with these fighters? Are they actually getting promotional money? Or is it just that someone said, Yeah, you ought to have your own company and for tax purposes make it a promotional company and call it GTD?

SPEAKER_02 7:10

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, so a lot of it's I don't think a lot of it's for tax purposes. I think a lot of the a lot of it's for branding, but I do think that the sport is much different than it was back in the day. Like back in the day, just to use it as an example, you know, boxing and music live very closely together because a lot of folks like Shelley Finkel and Cedric Kushner, and there are many others, Al Heyman crossed over from music to boxing. So back in the day, to be a star, you had to sign with Sony Universal or whatever, right? Today, because of social media, because the way we digest and and uh and broadcast information, I feel that uh that uh you don't necessarily have to be aligned with the giants, so to say, to be successful. You need to be smart and strategic and careful. Uh, but uh uh you know Clarissa uh is has been a co-promoter for a long time and has been a partner in our events and is really part of really every every decision we make. She's actually the first woman fighter, I would say, uh, that is in line with what Mayweather and Canelo, the kind of deals that they've gotten, meaning that she participates across the board, uh, you know, knows what everything that goes on, uh, and uh uh and and is now signing to starting to sign fighters. Some of them fought on this last show in Atlanta this past weekend. So um, yeah, I think I think more fighters are getting into the space, but to really be successful, you really have to hire a team. So uh, and because you can use your experience and you can use your leverage, like Oscar De La Hoya 20 years ago said, okay, HBO, you want me to fight an HBO? If you want me to fight three times a year and you want me to fight Felix Trinidad or whatever, I'm just using as an example. I need six dates for my other talent so that I can sign and develop a company. And you got Richard Schaefer, yeah, and he had Eric Gomez, and he has a great team. But you got to have a great team to be able to uh to make to make the seed grow, and that's very important. And uh uh and I feel uh very grateful. I really believe that we have one of the best uh teams in the sport behind the scenes that people don't know about. Uh and again, the boxing uh landscape is changing uh and it's changing fast, and you always got to keep your ear to the ground and um uh and and and nurture those relationships to make sure that you deliver. We as a promoter, I as a promoter, have responsibility, two responsibilities. First, to the fighters that I represent, and most importantly, together with the fighters that are boxing fans. So we have to put together the best fights, the best events. You know, we we've uh talking about today's you know new age, so to say, I feel that this the sport of boxing entertainment is being presented uh a little differently. So we we partner up with win records, and if you saw on a fighting on the Atlanta in Atlanta, uh a lot of the fighters are being walked out by hip-hop stars. Yes, and we have different social media partners that help us grow the brand of the fighters that we promote. So overnight, millions of people know who they are that that that are not particularly boxing fans, and that's carries such great value.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

So you you have obviously Clarissa Shields under the Salita Promotions banner. How did what what was the hook? Did you get her early? And what was it that what was the hook that you said, you know, come with me, as opposed to let's say the other big brands, whether it be the top ranks or whomever, how did you you pull her in?

SPEAKER_02 10:45

So uh I was really able to do it because I grew up in Star City Boxing Club and I grew up around female boxers, one in particular, her name is Keisha Snow. Folks can Google her, uh, that don't know. She was a Golden Gluff uh champion, national champion, heavyweight, fantastic, talented fighter. We traveled the country together with Jimmy O. And I saw some of the successes, and I also saw many of the challenges that she was ahead of her time because society wasn't able, wasn't ready for uh female superstar back in those days. That obviously was the Christy Martin, the Lucia Riker, the related Leila Alice, but they were kind of you know uh one-offs. Then the Olympic Games came and women were finally allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. So their skill level and the pool of talent available in women's boxing grew tremendously. One day in 2016, I was reading the newspaper and I read something about Clarissa Shields, already an Olympic gold medalist. This was before before her second Olympic gold medal, Olympic gold medalist from Flint, Michigan, you know, many challenges that she experienced in life, and it's this this grave, right? So I thought to myself, if if uh Clarissa can win a second Olympic gold medal, there is no better fighter coming out of these Olympic Games, men or female, that can be as great as Clarissa Shields. And then a couple of months go by, and Clarissa won a second uh the second Olympic gold medal. She was already living in uh I was already living in Detroit. And uh one day I drove down to Bursman Fieldhouse, which is where she trained, very similar to Starr City, brought up a cave of flowers and a box of chocolates, uh and told her about my vision. And uh she met with Rock Nation at that time, Golden Boy, uh, pretty much everyone everyone was after her. But I really believe that those early experiences with Keisha and having the vision uh and already having a relationship with Showtime at that time, I told her what it could be. And she said, Dimitri, promise me that you're gonna make the biggest and the best fights for me. So our first fight together, she was assigned to me. It was her second professional fight. And in that fight, she's the first woman ever in the history of US television to be the main event on premium cable television, which was on Showtime, was on Showbox at MGM Detroit. It was about 700 people venue. We sold it out, and Clarissa saw how we worked. Uh, she was managed by Mark Taffitt. Uh, and uh we made a deal. Uh, and uh our deal uh was for a couple of fights, and we kept renewing. So we renewed maybe three or four times, and then last time last time in July, she finally became like she was a free agent for several months. So she, you know, we're we're always like we're friends, being together for like 10 years. So she said, Dimitri, I'm a free agent. She said she was a free agent on a mic. So I was like, oh man. Um, and she went out there and uh and uh you know and met with everybody and and uh explored the market. And one day I called her, I said, Clarissa, you know, I have so much heartache, Clarissa. This open relationship has got to stop, baby. Come back home. Uh no, but but but uh uh you know we already had a relationship with Win Records, and I really believe that this partnership for her is the best uh that um that she couldn't got she could have gotten. And because she's a partner in the gate, which is really incredible, it really doesn't matter who Clarissa Shields fights, she packs 18,000 fans. Yeah, yeah. Uh and uh she she makes you know multiple seven-figure gate money just from tickets. So because she's a partner in all the all all streams of revenue, you know, after we started talking, I knew what all the other promoters offered her, and she made more money for her last fight, the fight in July, than she did for what these people were offering her. It was a lot of money, but because Clarissa is a partner and because there is no ceiling, right? As as the events grow and as Clarissa grows, uh her her paycheck grows, and that's fair for someone of Clarissa's stature who's a superstar. So I'm very fortunate that uh uh that we were able to work out that deal. I became you know friends with Papoose uh before you know uh maybe a year or so ago, a year or so before before the July date, and he was really the bridge to kind of bring us together with win records and make that deal. And uh, you know, we just had our first fight of the new deal together and February sold out and working on something special for the next one.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

You you know, can you give us some insight when you talk about how how big the the her her last fight and the the money she made? I know uh Amanda Serrano was talking about how at MVP hey, we're the first to pay us a million dollars. And even when I fought Katie Taylor, it was a couple of million that uh ended up walking away with. So for like compared, like from a Clarissa standpoint, how much are we talking when we obviously we heard it was a record million, eight million dollar deal, but each fight is she's generally coming taking home.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

So so she has she has a she has a significant big guarantee, and obviously on the upside of the fights, she makes more money. But I do want to say something that's very important for the growth of women's boxing, for the growth of women's sports. And you said, what did you say? They pay me whatever billions of dollars, right? Yes, so I don't pay Clarissa, she pays me. I work for Clarissa, she's the boss, she generates the money. I I do my best to facilitate and to advise her. Well, I think we should fight this venue. This is the best network, this is the best fight, this is the best title. Maybe we can fight this one. At the end of the day, she makes a decision and that money is made, and then you know, I take a little piece of that of that percentage. So when I sign fighters in the beginning of their careers, I say, first I pay you because I believe in you, so I invest in your career, and please, God, we're gonna get to a point where one day you pay me. That means that you're gonna be an attraction, that you're gonna sell out arenas, that uh television network is gonna say, you know, I want you to fight. Here's a hundred million dollars, whatever it is, right? For you to fight on my platform. So uh I believe that in today's day and age, um uh a fighter is a fighter is in their own business, and I have absolutely no problem structuring deals with fighters in that capacity because they have the incentive to be as big as they can be, and they should be. And again, in the beginning, through our expertise, to the people that work for us, we match them correctly, we tell their story, we you know, leverage them to fight for certain titles to get rated and progress to the best fights, and then they get to a point where they generate revenue and they become stars, and at that point, they they pay us, and that's our goal. Our goal is for fighters to become uh self-sufficient, uh, in a way where they become stars where they generate revenue, and uh, and then at that point they pay us. But Clarissa is the first woman that uh uh that uh that is in that kind of position. So I don't pay her. I haven't paid her in a long time, meaning uh uh that's that's not the relationship. The relationship is that she's the boss and she pays me. So I I want to say something that's that's very important. So during COVID, boxing was you know, uh first it was dead, and then it was and then it was it was uh you know uh very fragmented.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yes. In fact, Showtime at that time, we were the first to come back.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Yes, in the bubble. In the bubble. Showtime did come back in the kinetic. And when we were fortunate, yes, and we were fortunate enough to to to promote a couple of those uh sh uh show box dates uh uh in the was it uh Mohegan Sun or tournament? Mohegan Sun. Mohegan Sun, yes, yes, uh another great experience. Uh but women uh got affected by that disproportionately, and and no one really no woman had an opportunity to fight on television. And I made a commitment to Clarissa to progress her career and COVID, these kinds, you know, life happens, right? This was us. So drove down, drove down to Flint, met with Clarissa said, Clarissa, we don't have an opportunity. I think we should do our own all-female pay-per-view. And that's what we did. We did an all-female pay-per-view. Uh, it did it did good. Um, that that was that was a risk, and again, no analysis through paralysis because we had to go. Uh, and uh um, and after that, we got going again, and you know, TV came back on, and then we were able to generate license fees and and big business. And Clarissa, I want to say, fought really on every every broadcaster in the United States, Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Sky, the biggest, uh, the biggest uh uh female sporting event of all time on Sky and uh now the zone.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

Uh how what did that do for Salita Promotions? When especially this latest contract, because it generated national news. What did that do for Salita Promotions? Did you did other fighters all of a sudden take note and be like, yo, maybe I need to look over here at Salita Promotion? In fact, the only reason why I say that is because I remember we had Michaela Mayer on the last stand, and she said that she had uh looked into um Salita promotions. So, yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

And I'm you know, and I'm grateful for Clarissa's uh friendship and loyalty. And uh obviously business has to make sense and it and it is the best business deal for her. But uh uh but yeah, there's no doubt about the fact that uh that uh Clarissa is a bona fide superstar, and I'm very grateful. I always say this to her. I always say I'm very grateful that you trusted trusted me to to um uh to to to be able to help you on your on your path and your your journey to greatness. And uh so for sure they did a tremendous amount uh uh for us. And and and we are trying, working very hard to deliver it every step of the way. Clarissa is the first woman, again, to fight on cable television, which was with us. She's the first woman to open up Lil Sea's arena, uh, one of the newest and most uh prestigious arenas in the country. We see the Detroit Pistons doing really well now. That's the Little C's arena. Clarissa is the first woman. There was Joe Lewis Arena where Tommy Hearns won his first title, and the Kronka Legacy lived uh because of all those great fighters. Clarissa is the first boxer from that talent, rich state of Michigan, city of Detroit, to open up that uh that uh big arena. And again, it was 8,000, 12,000, 15,000, 18,000. Wow. So it keeps growing. And uh throughout Clarissa's career made sure that we overpaid the right opponents. That we got the right uh publicity, the right venues to Clarissa's an all-time great. She's a Mohammed lead of this generation, and I'm very grateful and privileged to be able to work with her uh really since the beginning of her career.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

So obviously, you know, so many eyes are on her uh with the fight in franchise crews. That was a really good fight. Um, and obviously, as you talked about, successful as well when you talk about the gate. I know there was a lot of talk about Shadesha Green, and obviously she takes this loss that had to be disappointing because there was so much buildup about them too. So, what's next?

SPEAKER_02 22:43

Shodasia Green lost to Lonnie Daniels. So, Clarissa, who lost to Clarissa Shields two fights ago. And uh wishing Shadesia all the best and the safety safe recovery. She probably should never fight again with what happened. Um so we we to rewind back several months ago. Uh Clarissa called me the week of the fight or the week before the fight, said Dimitri, I want Shodesia at the fight. This is the fight that we want to make next. And uh I called Shodesia representatives and we've communicated she was coming to the fight. Then the day of the fight, we got notice that uh whatever, she has some kind of personal issue, couldn't make it. Okay. The next day, literally the next day, Clarissa said, Dimitri, we want to make the Shodesia Green fight. Please get in touch with the MVP, make that fight. So uh reached out, had a couple of conversations, but then there was there was no communication about making that fight happen. So uh, and then she fought and you know and lost, unfortunately. Uh so uh yeah, it will it will it was gonna be one of the big fights for women's boxing, and it was something that Clarissa wanted to do. If you look at Clarissa's resume, there is no man or female fighter in the world that took on the top challenges really every step of the way, and that went up and down in weight continuously to make the biggest and the best fights. And uh she went to fight Savannah Marshall in the peak of her career when she could have made as much money staying at home, fighting at home, finding in the comfort of her home against other good fighters. But she, the the name of Clarissa's movie is The Fire Inside. So whoever came up with that title, you know, deserves an Emmy because that's what it's the fire inside that drives us to greatness. You can talk about business and whatever and all this stuff. At the end of the day, the essence of the fighter is is Muhammad Ali was a great fighter in the in the ring. He upset George Foreman and Zaire. You know what I mean? You gotta talk about the fighters and what the fire inside that makes them tick and makes them do great things. So in front of 20,000 fans that were screaming against her, you know, she fought one of the best live fights I've ever seen and beat Savannah Marsha, who at that time, you know, was as the second best in the world of boxing. Uh so what I mean to say is Clarissa never shies away from a challenge. Uh, and uh she is wants to make the biggest and the best fights if it means you know sacrificing comfort and doing what she needs to do to drive the sport forward. And one of the things that I want to say, this is not meant to be controversial. There's a lot of great champions, a lot of great female fighters for sure, and I respect them. And there were some that came before Clarissa, like Leila Ali and um uh and uh Christy Martin and uh uh Lucia Riker and uh uh many others that that that that that paved the way. But Clarissa is an Olympic gold medalist, had the platform and the megaphone to talk about unapologetically inequalities, her desire to be at the top, her wanting to fight the best, her wanting to get paid, I want to get the exposure. And it takes an outspoken leader like Muhammad Ali, and I and I just you know kind of makes sense to draw parallels that if you don't talk and if you don't shout, and if you don't uh and then if you don't perform, then the initiative, the social initiative, doesn't move forward. And I really believe that you know all of us are granted with some kind of talent. Clarissa's talent is boxing, but through her success in a ring, she really accomplishes freedom and equality in other areas of life because you know everything is connected, it's a domino effect. Um, and uh yeah, I really believe that that uh uh 20 years from now we're gonna be celebrating Clarissa as one of the greatest athletes of the generation.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

So what's what's next? When will we see her?

SPEAKER_02 26:49

And who? We're gonna see her uh summertime in a legacy-making statement. Okay. That uh that uh that only Clarissa Shields can do. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Uh I I know that there was there was some talk in in Michaela Mayor again. I can only go back to the people who've been on. People who've been on. Um Bumgarner, Michaela Mayer. Let's start with Michaela Mayer. Michaela Mayer said.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Let's start with let's start with Bumgarden. Let's start from the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Okay, Alicia Bumgarner. She was on and and and and and talked about uh Clarissa and said that that would be a fight that she would want. Do you think that could be a fight that could happen, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Lord have mercy.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

So can Canelo Terrence Crawford, but this is a bad name because he's such a great fighter. It's like so so so, yeah. Let's go back to the beginning. First of all, Alicia grew up grew up in Detroit, and her and Clarissa were friends, and we always invited her to events. And if you if you search my YouTube channel, I'm sure you can find some interviews that we did with her way back when. Always gave her tickets, showed her respect, support every which way. Then after she failed a drug test, I know something happened. She had some kind of running with Clarissa. I don't even, I don't even understand it, to be honest with you. So uh, I'm gonna speak from just the from you know, kind of an overall. There was talk about making that fight. Clarissa was said, Dimitri, I'm gonna sacrifice myself, I make 152. I called her a manager, I think Marsha Kaufman was a promoter then. Uh, and uh they uh did not want to make the fight happen, and then they just stopped calling, and then but then Alicia would get into these runs with Clarissa and talk all this stuff on the internet, and I would call them and I would get no callbacks. That's the truth. They never really wanted to make the fight happen. Alicia is is very good at marketing herself. She's a very good fighter, so I don't want to like, you know, she's a very good fighter, but the attachment to Clarissa Shields is just it's it's it's not real. There's nothing, it's never gonna happen. Uh it's like uh it's like uh you know, it's like Shakur Stevenson challenging Anthony Joshua and saying, Man, I'm gonna kick him kick your butt. But it's not it's impossible. It's like physically impossible. There was a period of time, you know, when Clarissa was at 150, 160, that she that she would that she that she was physically able to push herself to the limit and uh uh uh and do it intermittent fasting, as they say, right? To make to make the way, but that time is gone, she just physically can't do it. Right. So uh what is Alicia talking about? Then she then then Alicia, you know, and Alicia removed herself from competition by fighting three minute rounds. And I I select what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_00 29:57

What do you think about women fighting three these? And it seems like that's an MVP thing. Uh the Jones women in three minute rounds.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

I re I represent Caroline Vier. Uh she's the WBC 130-pound champion. So to say that you're fighting three minutes, it you take yourself out of competition. So you you you're from from Caroline Dubois, uh, whoever the other I think Caroline Dubois and Caroline Vier are two of the best, most meaningful fights to make. So I don't understand what the point. I mean, you know, women's boxing is still growing. We have to pay attention to um and respect the rules. So for whatever reason, since the beginning of this year, I believe there have been five women that have gotten brain bleeds as a result of being in the ring. Unfortunately, one of those fights happened on our show. Uh, these were two minute rounds, as far as I as far as I'm concerned. WBC has a medical, you know, has some kind of a medical uh position on this. Uh and for tremendous amount of time, forever, women have fought two, 10 minute rounds. I'm not a doctor, I don't know, so I'm not speaking, but I think that safety first is very important. Uh equality for women's boxing means that they should get the same kind of money, they should get the same kind of exposure as the men get. And it's getting closer, it's not there quite yet. It's a lot better than it was a year ago, two years ago. And it's great that MVP is so invested in women's boxing, it really is. Uh, and I believe that it kind of you know raises the tide. We're obviously committed. I'm committed to great boxers, and some of those boxes are women, some of those boxes are men. Uh, Match Room has some great female boxers, Golden Boy has Fandora. So um uh, as you've seen on this last show as well, we work with everybody to make the biggest and the best fights. So I think doing three-minute rounds is a way to take yourself out of competition, take yourself from fighting the best and using different uh reasons for that. That that's that's what it seems to be. Uh, and please prove me wrong. By I I don't only I only speak about other fighters when it relates to our business. So it's not I wouldn't comment on Alicia Baumgartner if it didn't relate to to Clarissa Shields or to Caroline Vieira, who's another world champion that we promote. I think Caroline beats Alicia Baumgartner, like easy. I really do. Um, so you know, so so so so uh it she generally speaking, my position to count comment on fights and unboxing is only as it relates to the business, to kind of to my business. And we thought there's there was video um that surfaced of those two, I think, sparring, right? Right, yes. How did that sparring go? I mean, based on what I saw, it lent credence to what I say to to Caroline Vier, I believe, good fight, but it's something a fight where Caroline comes out on top, and it will be for the undisputed 130-pound junior lightweight championship of the world. Huge fight for women's boxing, easy for us to make. We can make it tomorrow. Uh we can make it today. Do you think they want it? We definitely want it. Uh, I think that uh that uh Alicia is a star in women's boxing and she does generate attention, and uh, and you know, she's a very skilled boxer, that's the truth. But I think that she's at a point of her career where she needs to fight uh uh a big fight, she needs to fight a super fight, she needs to fight someone where people feel has a chance to beat her. So from where I stand, seems like it's uh Caroline Vier or Caroline Dubois. I know she's calling out uh Katie Taylor, that's not gonna happen. Uh Amanda Serrano shouldn't do it, but I mean, because I don't because I think that Amando Serrano, like Katie Taylor, is like one of the legends of the sport, and uh and I don't know that it makes sense for her different weight class to fight a young fighter. I don't know. You know, maybe maybe she'll do it because it's an MVP brand, MVP, you know, it's kind of working together, maybe they'll do it, but I really doubt it. So what big fights out are out there for her? Uh what about Michaela Mayer? So Michaela Meyer, uh, we have been in touch with her when she was with top rank, which was just a month and a half ago, about making the Clarissa Shields fights. And we were very close, exchanged deal memos and were ready to go. And then uh, you know, a day or two after we felt that we had the fight with Clarissa and Mikhail Meyer done or on on way to getting done, you know, we got a call that she signed with MVP and she's doing something else. So uh so she didn't want to go down that path of fighting Clarissa. That's where it stands to that's where it's you know, that's where it is today. Again, we're we're always open to making the biggest and the best fights, and uh uh you know, and and uh but when there was an opportunity to make a fight with Michaela and Clarissa, Mikhaila said no.

SPEAKER_00 35:22

Uh what's your goal uh with Salita promotions? And and when I say that is because you know you hear Zufa Boxing come out and say, we want to sign every big fighter there is right now. Uh you know, match room is is said that we want to sign all the biggest, especially over there in Europe and in England. We want to have them under our umbrella, you know. Still signing got top rank, uh still wants to sign. What's the leader promotions? What what what's your your ultimate goal?

SPEAKER_02 35:57

So my goal is to be uh number one, but not number one. There are always there are several number ones. There's there's several there's several people at the top, and I uh throughout my uh growth uh and opportunities that I've gotten as a company, we've always included and included and worked with every promoter in the business, match room, top rank, bbc, uh, the bella, kings. Uh we work with everybody. And uh to make the biggest and the best fights, I think that that needs to happen. Uh and uh uh I don't think having only one entity is good for the fans, and I don't think it's good for the fighters because they should always because competition a drives um in innovation and and a healthy competitive environment. And we definitely want to be one of the number ones for sure, but that doesn't mean that doesn't mean that there aren't other number ones. Uh so but uh but that's a you know that's that that's that's a goal that's out there. I think every day, today my goal is to A give the best opportunities to the fighters that are on our roster, and B sign the next best talent. And tomorrow will take care of itself as a result of this of this initiative. Uh to give fans the best experience inside arena, those that are watching on TV, where we are combining hip-hop with boxing, that's one of our kind of you know, brand strategies. Uh, and uh and to again to science, develop the best fighters in the sport. One of the things that we've always done, uh different from other promoters, is when we had television, we made sure to promote events in in cities and towns of our stars. Clarissa is a great example that grew that grew into a megastar, as opposed to going to casinos and picking up a paycheck and not doing anything, not promoting boxing, not promoting boxing to the communities. Once in a while, it's okay to go to a casino and to and to do that kind of event. But I think the core of your business has to be to promote events, to get the communities involved um in following their boxers to for local newspapers and national newspapers to write about the sport, to write about the fights. That's very important. Uh, and um uh we've done it, we're doing it in Michigan, one of the one of the greatest boxing states, most national champions, one of one of the states that has the most uh national amateur champions. Puerto Rico, as you've seen, we've made a big investment to Puerto Rico per capita. The most world champions in the world of boxing. Our last show was in Atlanta. I think that that has a lot of possibilities uh for for growth. New York City is where uh you know we plan to do some events. Uh Miami, Atlanta, Miami, Florida, Hollywood area, uh uh, and and uh and the West Coast as well. So our goal is to be uh is to be one of the number ones, uh, but not in a way that that like uh you know uh that's the only that's the only player in talent. I don't want to be the only player in talent. I I think that boxing to boxing functions better with with uh with with different people at the top functioning functioning at the very best.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Uh so what what is your thoughts then with Zufa boxing and TKO and Dana White now? Uh I think just I think lately here what's gone viral was Roy Jones, who just went ballistic over that and said, Hey, look, why would you do that? You got not my words, Roy Jones' words. You got to kiss their ass if you want to fight with these guys. And what people don't know is that they're trying to wash away boxing history. They're gonna have they want to have their own belt, no more WBC, WBO, IBF, none of that. It'll all be gone. It'll be just our way, it'll be like a UFC uh in in boxing form. Your thoughts on what you've seen, and obviously they've been trying to pay big money to sign some big name people. Uh, what's your thoughts on Zufa boxing in Dana White?

SPEAKER_02 40:09

Well, Dana White, you have to give the manager Ransvana respect for what he created with the UFC. It's really incredible. It's uh like a major league sport in the United States and in the world. I think it's always good to have new players in the sport of boxing. I I come from the Soviet Union, uh born and raised, you know, born and raised in Brooklyn, but so you know, we left it because we in America there's competition and there's an opportunity to build a business and build something. So uh wouldn't want them to be the only player in town. Feels like they obviously have a tremendous uh uh tremendous financial resources and uh uh and company resource to do great things for the sport, and uh they have a deal with Paramount. Uh so uh and are using some some of their money to sign to sign some big fighters, but feels like you know, back in the in the 90s when when uh you know Don King ruled one part of boxing and Bob Brown ruled the other part of boxing, and they rarely came together to make the big fights. So it does feel like it's like its own universe and um you know and and and very segregated and separated from uh from the rest of boxing. So uh I think it's too early to to kind of to judge, but uh in the ideal environment, I think Zoof is gonna be around, so you have to respect respect and acknowledge it. But I do uh hope that there's something uh uh as strong and as big and as influential, uh maybe in parts, kind of on the other side, that can give fighters and fans an opportunity to to uh to watch the sport. But that you know they're very smart, they're very strategic. Uh, they have a lot of very smart people that have that have uh been around the sport of boxing for a long time. Uh and and I think uh what they what they can do can can um can offer a lot of value to the sport. Uh, but uh uh if they are the only player in town, obviously that's something that that I don't think would be good for the sport. Or for the fire, for the fighters.

SPEAKER_00 42:38

What about Turkey Alashik? What do you what do you think about him and what he he's done in his re odd season and into the sport? I think he's done some great a lot of money. He's throwing a lot of money at at the at these guys in and trying to create fights that he wants.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

So I did a couple of fights for them, but I'm not kind of part of that network. So I'm just looking at it as a as a as an outsider and as a fan. With HBO on Showtime, the two you know giants in the sport that drove interest that inspired me when I was a kid coming home from Sarah City Boxing Club, you know, leaving the sport, there was a gap to make the big fights, and he recognized that gap and helped boxing survive really for a long time because he made those big fights uh that that uh kept the fans engaged and supported the business because there is some kind of there is a trip trickle-down effect, so to say, right? If you're on the on that level and have some of the fighters, so I think what he's done for the sport is great. And uh uh uh again, I I personally don't know about all the relationships with Zufa and Matchroom and Queensbury and all the different stuff. I I know about it by reading, you know, by reading the the boxing blogs and uh wise man said believe ha ha uh half of what you read, half of what you read and yeah, half of what you see and have something like that, right?

SPEAKER_00 43:59

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

So so um so I really don't know. But as a boxing fan, it's great. The fights that he's making, the big events uh that are taking place uh all over the world, uh and uh and his investment in the sport of boxing. And I hope that it continues and and uh and strengthens the sport.

SPEAKER_00 44:18

Do you like where the sport is now? Because it seems like now a lot of it is on streaming. There's only, I mean, now don't get me wrong, they just cut a deal where I think there's gonna be some fights on TNT, but for for most part, wasn't any fights on linear TV. It's like all streaming, all apps. Uh, do you and um more mostly pay-per-views now? It's like every fight's a pay-per-view. Do you like where the sport is now?

SPEAKER_02 44:47

Not fully. I think that a lot of decision makers in a sport. I think that a lot of decision makers in the sport don't necessarily have a boxing background or sports background. So uh I think there's a lot of changes without recognition for um the longevity and the respect that the sport has had. So there's in some parts of boxing, there's a lot of reinvention of the wheel, you know, but the wheel is one of the greatest sports, has been one of the greatest sports in America for a long time. So to whatever extent possible, you know. Um what did Michael what's Michael Jackson's song? Look at the man in the mirror. Man in the mirror. So what can you do? What can I do? So I can only I can only really affect affect and change what I could do. So through our boxing broadcasts, I try to do the best that I can do, which means making competitive fights. We saw uh this past weekend a tie orbleton take a big step against Carlos Gangora. I mean, all our fights are really well matched. On air, I have the choice to choose the broadcasting team. So I feel that we have one of the best. I have you, who I have a lot of respect for. You know, obviously not because I'm on your show, but you're really one of the, you know, it's very important that the folks that that uh tell the fans what they see in a ring is is positive and with knowledge and with experience. Uh uh, I have you, have Nashi, who's who who is uh uh kind of new age and but who has an understanding and respect for the sport, and Chris Al Juy, who who you know who's one one of the one of former world champions, great voice for the sport of boxing. We have Raul Marquez and Al Bernstein, who are great voices, Corey Erdman. So um competitive matchmaking, storytelling, and the right voices to tell boxing to the fans that see it. So I so for those reasons, I believe that that we're you know, we're one of the best in the sport. Uh and with the resources that we have, I really believe that we've made a lot. And the kind of the bigger, the bigger we grow and the bigger opportunities we have, the fighters that we represent will definitely benefit, and the fans will definitely benefit, and the sport will grow. I um when I when I first signed with top rank, this is like 2001. And the company is in a different place now, but you know, you have to respect one of the greatest promoters of all time, maybe the greatest, uh Aram. One of the things that I've noticed was that they had a lot of the best matchmakers and had a lot of the best publicists, because those are the two best things, two most two of the most important things to drive the sport correct matchmaking and storytelling. And I want to give you, I'll tell you one story one, one, and you'll know how like my mind works as it relates to it. Ricardo Williams and Miguel Coto bought for in the same Olympics. Do you remember Ricardo Williams? Yes, as an amateur, like can miss just phenomenal. He came out of the Olympics, he got like a two million dollars, like an insane amount of money. It's like in 2000, 2000. So, like, it's a lot of money today. Back then, it was like times five or ten. I don't know, it was a lot of money. Yes, Miguel Coto got twenty thousand dollars signing bonus. Uh Ricardo Williams, as as a uh as a professional, didn't make it to 10 and 0. Miguel Coto is a Hall of Famer all the time, great, and and made 20 100 times more money than Miguel Coto. So, what what I'm saying is there is sometimes you hear different promoters. I'm not gonna, I don't want to cause any beef. You know, someone lost once when prospects or young guys lose, a lot of them lose like that. That means that you as a promoter, obviously it's their responsibility if they were now drinking the night before, didn't train. But if it happens too often, that you gotta look at you gonna look at yourself. So I use this example. If you take a young kid who's meant to be a great attorney or a great doctor in high school, and let's say you go you take a doctor from high school who, if he goes to school, uh is gonna be a great surgeon, save a lot of lives. And and from high school, you take him, you put him in an operating room. He's gonna be lost, he's gonna be, you know, he's gonna get nervous, discouraged, gonna do some, you know, may kill the patient, right? And he's gonna go back to school and be like, oh man, this ain't for me. He's gonna become, you know, whatever, a policeman, whatever, something, something else. We'll never live up to his potential. But if he goes to college, you know, medical school, residency, etc., etc., goes up through these cases, he becomes a great doctor and saves a lot of lives. So same thing in boxing. Johnny Boss used to say it takes five years to build a fighter and 15 minutes to ruin one. So matchmaking is an art and a skill and has to be done carefully and correctly. Um, to even great fighters like Maywether and De La Hoya, you know, and even Mike Tyson had to be matched correctly. Right. It's not a weakness, it's just strategic planning for to get the best out of what you got. So that's a very important aspect and something that we give a lot of attention to.

SPEAKER_00 50:08

Who's in your opinion, who's the best promoter right now in the game?

SPEAKER_02 50:14

Um, well, Bob Aram is kind of grandfathered in. I think Eddie Hearn and Matchroom is doing a great job. Um uh tell me why. So the best the bet the best is is uh I don't want to say the best. There's there's a couple that are really good. Okay. Uh why is Eddie? Well, Eddie, first of all, you have to give so when Match Room came to the United States, the first two shows before the zone, they hired me to be their co-promoter. So Match Room's first two shows were done together with Salina Promotions. The uh both of those fights were in New York City. I think because you have to give Eddie the respect and the to the vision. First of all, Barry Hearn uh, you know, is a great promoter. I think he's he's up there with Aaron and with King to what he created. I really do. Um, and Eddie, you know, was educated through him. So people say that uh he has a silver spoon in his mouth, whatever. Maybe maybe true. He obviously had a head start, but but but it doesn't matter to the result. Like he's still so as a as as a you know, as a as a young man, as a young professional, for him to have the vision to come to the United States and to take over the market, you got to respect that. You got to respect uh the drive and the vision and the confidence to be able to do it. So, you know, he started doing it. We were a part of it, so I saw how him and Frank Smith, who's a great guy, function. So you have to you have to you have to give him that kind of respect. Also, you know, Don King is out of business, uh Aram is older, not as active and as aggressive as he was. Um, you know, Heyman kind of up and down. So I think it's the kind of the you know the perfect storm in a certain way for a new player to come in. And I think that's the reason why Zufa and Dana White came at the time that they came in. Uh and and I think that Eddie, you know, raised his game and uh uh and uh and took advantage of the market. And I think that he's doing a great job and signing a lot of great fighters. Obviously, all of that would not be possible without the support of a broadcaster, and that broadcaster uh is the zone. So the zone has stepped in again when HBO on Showtime stopped broadcasting boxing to give the boxing fans you know an experience to to see championship boxing.

SPEAKER_00 52:36

Yeah, it's really good stuff. Um let me ask you this uh before we get out of here. Uh because you've been on the other end of it, does a fighter now do they need a manager and a promoter?

SPEAKER_02 52:51

That's a great question. I think I I think a fighter needs a representative, probably an attorney.

SPEAKER_00 52:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 52:58

Uh and it depends on, you know, it depends, it depends what kind of manager and what they're looking for.

SPEAKER_00 53:05

So the and only reason why I asked that is because like you look at the Virgil Ortiz situation now with Rick Merigian and and then and then Golden Boy, it's almost like the promoter and the manager are at odds, and it the fighter is the one who suffers because now his he had great fights for him.

SPEAKER_02 53:24

You know what that's you you put us you bring such a great point because like back in the day, again, you know, in the 90s, 80s, 90s, the promoter and the manager clashed. But today, and by the way, the Muhammad Ali Act had a lot to has a lot had a lot to do, has a lot to do with it in a positive way. Really, the promoter and the manager should should uh be on the same side and and facilitate the the growth of the fighter. The manager uh should work together with the promoter uh to help the fighter grow. And uh in the ideal situation, for the betterment of the fighter, they're on the same side of the table. And it should be understood we're in business. We're in business to make a profit. And the fighter, you know, there there should be no, it's not good when there's secrets, man, you know, because back in the day, like back in the day before social media, before people were as connected as they are today. I again I grew up in Starrow City Boxing Club. Boxing gyms were like plays of urban legends, you know, different things about promoters and like so. When you sign, you're already like the promoter, you know, it's like it's like kind of like a bad guy, so to say, quote unquote, right? Like the like them, like them and us. Yes. But but it's shouldn't be that way. Because um, because the you know, and the contract should foresee that to be able to um to work together. Obviously, there's there are situations that come up, but with that being said, for sure fighters should always have a representative, a legal representative that can help guide them. Uh um but it it is a very important decision for fighter to make uh knowledge and experience versus sometimes maybe a first couple of bucks that make you feel good, but uh that runs out, and then you know, and then and then you have to live with that for the rest of your career.

SPEAKER_00 55:17

Have you had any situations like that where it's like, man, I'm not getting around along with my fighters manager. I I'm trying to do this because you know, now uh hey, uh Oster just put Virgil on ice and like he he even said it, he he's done number interviews that he ain't gonna fight until I get I get Rick out of the way.

SPEAKER_02 55:35

I I do it's it's you know, boxing is such an accessible sport. Uh sometimes, you know, through trainers too, right? So sometimes a great fighter because his friend or whatever he can become a manager. I've had managers like before we signed, they say, I I you know I don't want you to speak to the fighter. When I so when I hear that, I'm like, you know what? Thank you. Have a good day. Yeah, because there has to be a relationship. Like I love boxing, and I and I and I, you know, you could you could so and sometimes again it's the fighter's decision. I have may have some advice and whatever, it's up to you to do it. I do also want to have a relationship with who are we representing to kind of know where their mind is at, and and and boxing is not a team sport, it's an individual sport. So there's always stories between someone's success and someone's challenges. So I always want to be connected to that. Um, so yes, uh having the right representation uh is is very important, and hopefully um it it leads to a professional and partnership-like relationship with a promoter, not an adversary, not an adversarial one because that's not good for anybody.

SPEAKER_00 56:44

We had talked about Zufa, but uh you know there's a lot of people who are upset because they just think that they're gonna ruin the Muhammad Ali Act and that it's gonna basically go away. I mean, we we already saw um uh Ali's uh grandson went out there on Capitol Hill. I know Oscar De La Jolla testified, but they said, look, it's already done that they basically those Zufa's gonna get what they want in TKO and start stripping away some of the pieces of the uh Ali Act. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 57:11

Well, I think from what I understand that's gonna be its own universe. So, meaning that uh if you sign with Zufa, yeah, you're gonna be in the universe of Zufa, where the Muhammadali is is revised. But if you want to stay on this side of the of the pond uh and fight on not with Zufa, then the Muhammad Ali is still uh is still active. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 57:38

Yeah, yeah, that's absolutely easy.

SPEAKER_02 57:40

So so um uh uh you know they obviously want to have the freedom um to operate their business uh like they want to operate it. Uh and uh you know maybe they it looks like they're spending a lot of money and signing some talent. Maybe they're just looking to overspend in the beginning to build a brand and then kind of cut cut it back. Maybe uh we really don't know. But it's always good to have uh kind of a new cash flow of money into the sport. And I hope that it doesn't get so bitter that you know that promoters and business folks from different sides of the pond can't make the big fights and can't give the fans and the fighters the opportunities that they deserve. The fans, the the matches they want to see, and the boxers, the paydays and the fights and the titles that they that they um uh that they can only get in certain finite you know portion of their careers.

SPEAKER_00 58:43

Uh uh on Carissa here as we we wrap this up. Uh do you like, I mean, I I you you talked about how you like how she talked, and you know, sometimes she has to talk, but I know there's a she gets so much blowback on social media, and and in in uh for instance, people I'll say, you know, why is she talking about that she could beat up a fighter, whether it be Roley or Keith Thurman, and like it's a man and woman fighting, it it it wouldn't go right. Do you cringe sometimes when some of that stuff she says some things, or do you just be like, hey, I'm just gonna let her do her thing?

SPEAKER_02 59:16

I to be honest with you, I'm not a big social media guy, so I don't follow it, it's like that. But obviously, people have come to me and said it. Yeah, hey man, Clarissa's a grown-up, she's her own person. I respect her 100%. If that's how she feels, that's how she feels. You know, Clarissa grew up in one of the most challenged places in the United States and became one of the greatest athletes of all time. Yeah, so she's an she's an incredibly accomplished human being and role model. And I've seen Clarissa like let's let's roll it back. I've seen Clarissa like all the time, and people ask her for money, for favors, for whatever that no one ever knows about. She goes out there and she does it, she flies somebody in, she pays for somebody to go to camp. Uh, just a ton of different things. So Clarissa helps out the community. No, no, not for the pictures in the glamour. Like she, you know, she helps out people that no one ever heard of, you know what I'm saying? Like all the time, uh, whether from family to friends to people that she never heard of before. I'm saying, like, she doesn't really know that just reach out to her for help.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:19

So can you give me this though? From a boxing perspective, when it's all said and done, what do you think they they're gonna say about Clarissa Shields?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:30

Once I think Clarissa Shields is gonna I think Clarissa Shields is gonna be uh along the same lines, same uh uh will be have the same respect as Mohammed Ali, as Pele, as Michael Jordan, as Joe Lewis, as as as the greatest uh athletes in the sport, as Jackie Robinson, and as Sugar Ray Robinson, because uh she on a boxing level she's done things that have never been done before. So Mohammed Ali, if we put ourselves back to 1970 or 1971, and social media would be allowed, you know how many people will talk about Muhammad Ali. Yeah, you know what I mean? So uh uh Clarissa, you know, when we watch people on television, we think that they're like a movie, like an unreal, like they're not real, but Clarissa is a real person, she has emotions and she has feelings, and that's you know, and and she it's time for me to say what she could and she didn't say. That's that's you know, she she she makes those decisions, and she, you know, and and uh and she has done a great job selling being the best fighter in the world, selling up venues and becoming more and more popular. One more thing that I want to say before we leave. I was in Atlanta last week for the show, and I came a little earlier. Clarissa and I did a couple of interviews, and like walking down, like just walking down the street with Clarissa. People are like, excuse me, are you Clarissa Shields? Can I get an autograph? Yeah, like regular people, right? From all kinds of from all communities or cultures or colors, whatever. And it's like I've never I've never seen anything like that, you know. I mean, she's a bona fide superstar, and uh and there are you know there are not that many super superstars like that in any sport, certainly not in boxing, certainly not in women's boxing in today's day and age. Clarissa broke barriers, and she, you know, and she's just she's not at the peak of her career. I think she's just like touching it now, you know what I mean? So 30 years from now, people are gonna be looking back and saying, This is the first woman that fought on premium cable television. She opened doors of opportunity for women worldwide, she sold out arenas, uh, she did things that have never been done before, and we're able to make 20 million dollar paydays today because Louisa She has opened that door.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:55

Yeah, no, and listen, uh the the one thing I will give you is I remember when we were doing some of her fights there at Showtime, and and I remember distinctly us having the discussion, uh talking about you know what, I think it's time that uh let's do as opposed from show box, let's have her on Showtime Championship boxing. It was uh hammer, I think it was the hammer fight yes that we did because they brought me in. It's Brian, we're gonna have you in. You got to be the host, and you gotta and I tell you one quick story before we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:31

Sure. So I read that I read this article about the user Shields before ever meeting it, meeting her, and I sent it to Gordon.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:36

I said Gordon Hall, who was the vice president of one of the best people in the sport and just one of the soul of the earth best people you can meet.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:45

Yes, yes, and most knowledgeable. Gordon, giving you a shout-out. Thank you for giving me an opportunity in 2016. Shout out to Gordon. No, but I saw I email. So I email, so I emailed Gordon. I said, Gordon, have you ever heard of Clarissa Shields? And what do you think about like featuring women's boxing? And he he writes back to me, I gotta find that email. Or maybe follow up for a phone call. Uh yeah, so I've heard something about her, but we've been looking for a woman to really take on, you know, take on women's boxing, like to be the space of it. And then Jarrell Miller uh had a fight on show box. We had a press workout for him in New York City, and I saw Gordon and I took it a step further. I never even met Clarissa, right? I said, Gordon, you know, we're thinking about Clarissa. Can we feature on show box? So he said, you know, if we if you make it happen, yeah, we'll consider we'll consider it. So when I met Clarissa with the flowers and the, you know, and the and the chocolate, yeah, I offered her like I offered her guarantees that a male fighter would get in those in those uh instances, right? So uh and uh uh and I think that made her feel good, right? And made her feel confident. And I wasn't we she she wasn't signed to me for the first fight. Uh and then you know, and then things got got rolling, and uh and here we are.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:03

That's fine.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:04

Ten years later. Ten years later. Uh we let you go with this. What's next? Tell us the next event for Salita Promotions. When when where where can we watch it? And uh what what should we expect next in the debate?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:16

The next event you can watch on the zone uh is gonna be a phenomenal, incredible world championship fight that we're gonna announce later this week. And it's gonna uh showcase some of the best Puerto Rican talent from the island champions, prospects, and contenders. And I'm very excited about it. I'm not gonna tell you more. You gotta you gotta wait till the press release. Can you give me a jet? Can you give us a date?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:46

It's gonna be sometime in June. June. Okay, there you go. Look, man, I've been wanting to do this for a while, Dimitri. And I know I kept you, but you know what? There was so much I wanted to get into because there's so much going on in the sport. It's good to have your perspective on it, man. Because you've been on both sides. Now you're both sides. You know, you were a fighter and now, obviously, now as a promoter and a very successful company. So thank you. Thank you so much. And uh I hope this is one of many brandcaster. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:12

Absolutely. Yes, exactly. This is this this is a this was kind of a general overview. Yes. And I have a lot to say. And you're such a great uh you're like Oprah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:24

You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna have you on when we do lives. A lot of times we do lives after big fights and we recap them and we have guests like you on, and it gives our audience, they come in, they they come firing around questions. Great. I love it. We're gonna have you on. We're gonna have you on for our next live, folks. Listen, that's what we do here on The Last End. We bring you the biggest names in the sport. And when you talk about promotional companies in the sport of boxing, Salita Promotions right there at the top. Thanks for watching, everybody. We'll see you again next week. Thank you so much. Thank you.