AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Arif Khan’s role as a promoter while emphasizing his impact on the growth and development of boxing in India.
Transcribed
I am one of the co-founders and Chief Operating Officer for the Stafford Boxing Club Incorporated our non-profit organization, which is a yearly mentoring program for at-risk youth in the community.
So we will be able to teach financial literacy communication discipline decision making, as well as campaigning for a premium education.
These are the foundation for the Stafford Boxing Club, these 20 mentees in our program here at Panola Way elementary school 20 years from now, staff for boxing mentees will be known across the world.
What’S going on, what’s going on, what’s going on hey, what’s going on? What’S going on, what’s going on, what’s up, what’s up, what’s happening? What’S good, I know it uh-huh! It’S! I don’t know what to say.
It’S all good because I just man hold up.
I’M just bored man hey what’s up babe, nothing, I’m very excited today excited too.
We have a special guest today, we’re also going to be asking him about a boxing tournament that he had uh hold up, hold up baby you’re, giving up too much too much.
Oh, so I need to.
I did pump the brakes, but you know what baby the Stafford show lasts more of the week before last we were in uh Nigeria.
No, no! No! No! We were Walter.
Malta last week we’re in Nigeria this week we in India.
So without further Ado, we would like to introduce our special guest.
Yes, a reef con, a boxing promoter from India, [ Applause, ], hey, hey, hey, hey, hey guys! How are you wonderful? We are so glad to have you on our show, all the way from India.
You’Re doing some very big time, first of all, what what time is it in India uh? It’S 11.
35 p.
m.
Oh wow! Okay, it’s at night, they’re, completely opposite wow, and you know what he got great internet too.
That’S amazing! Like I mean, I mean it’s just clear, strong man he’s not he’s not new to this he’s True to this for sure he knows about it.
Well, brother.
We appreciate you being on the staff for sure it’s truly an honor to have you on the show.
We know that you are a Pioneer in the sport of boxing in India and we want to give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and tell a little bit about yourself, sir.
So, first of all, thank you so much to have me on your show.
It’S an honor to be on your show from India and um India like uh, I promote I’m into sports industry in India, so I’m promoting boxing with the name the punch boxing, I’m into Cricket leagues in India.
So I run few Cricket leagues in India, with the name aips cricket league, I’m into badminton league and I’m into Table Tennis League, so I’m completely 360 degree into sports.
Only so uh.
Recently we had our uh the punch boxing 10th edition here in Kolkata at the Great Eastern hotel and before that I have done around 9th Edition in a different part of the country where around uh fighters from at least 10 to 20 countries have already participated in The punch boxing yeah, so it’s a growing Sports in India and uh.
We are happy to associate it with boxing and uh.
Trying to make is one of the biggest Sports in India so working really hard for that, and I’m a managing director of sportsoodles private limited.
It’S a company which run all these uh Sports League, the punch boxing aips cricket league table tennis and a badminton.
Well, you know what I’m not familiar with qriket man, I mean I, I see that it’s very popular in India but uh.
I didn’t know that badminton is also popular in India.
Yes, yes, very important.
We have Olympic medalists in badminton as well yeah.
So let me ask you a question like here in the United States.
They have like uh online betting.
So do they have online betting? For the badminton and qriket games as well yeah for Cricket, there is online betting in India, but uh for boxing table and other sports football and Cricket.
They have online betting, but uh boxing still to be a part of uh betting industry uh from India.
Actually, betting is not legal in India, but still these wedding companies.
They are taking interest in India to get their content on their websites.
So yeah, you know what I’m you know.
It just hit me like man we talking to someone from India, man like it, just it just hits you yeah it just hit me like it.
Just I don’t know like lately.
The Stafford show has been on a roll and to be able to have a conversation with you and to see the amazing things that you’re doing in India it just I don’t know it’s just mind-blowing.
It just hit me right then, and there, when you were speaking – and I was just like man – we talking this man and so I was doing a little bit research and I seen like in 2016.
16 you, you hosted a female amateur boxing tournament National yeah.
Can you talk about that a little bit Yeah, so that was my first uh event that was amateur? I was uh appointed as a chairman of business and marketing haryana State boxing Association.
It’S a Powerhouse of boxing this state and then I got appointed as a business.
Uh, chairman of business and marketing in Indian Metro, boxing Federation, so I saw that India we have lots of world champions from India like maricom she’s, like five-time National world champion uh.
Recently, we India hosted uh women World boxing championship, so we got three world champions from there.
So and boxing is really big in USA and outside India.
So I just wanted to create a bridge between MHO Fighters and the professional boxing.
So I thought to start the punch boxing of professional boxing series.
So in 2016 I organized this woman National boxing championship where around 300 female fighters from India has participated and the event was uh six day long event and all the state have participated and it was a glamorous event like.
It was my first experience to organize to get associated with boxing so after that I researched a lot about like how boxing is that big outside India? What’S the reason behind it, so I got to know that the professional boxing is something where Mike rice and Mohammad Ali used to do.
Foreign.
Terence Crawford is a very good friend.
So then I thought that we should launch professional boxing in India and we started our first show in 2018 with the punch boxing wow wow and someone says something: can you read it yeah so uh? What’S his name harsh harsh Guild, he said the punch boxing is the biggest lead in India supporting Indian boxers to grow more yeah, that’s lovely, so herzkill is an Asian Champion.
A WBC Asian Champion he’s a contract fighter, so he’s associated with the punch boxing only and he had his fight uh.
Last night, like two days back, we had his fight on our platform and now he’s 10-0 wow amazing Fighters uh on our card uh.
Two days back female fight, was there uh not like keema? Was there he’s the only Indian who has beaten Olympic gold, medalist uh in minimum weight category, so there were some amazing fights wow.
So let me ask you a question.
So is it kind of difficult to integrate women into the sport of boxing like in terms of like? Well, you know like India is a very dominant man country and so I’m just kind of trying to get an understanding like.
How is it like, like that India got three Olympic medalists medal till now and uh two Olympic medal Was Won by women.
Only cats one worked with gender Singh.
Second was uh money, uh maricom and then so two female and one even in wrestling.
I think the most Olympic medalist uh are women only so women are really in power.
In Indian, like male Sports industry, yeah wow, wow man, um babe come on yeah.
Well, you just, I mean you know the Vibes.
So what are some challenges that you have faced in India when it comes to the boxing industry? Are there any challenges and if so um, how did you overcome them? That’S good yeah.
The biggest challenge is the audience like, and the sponsorships the ticket sales me media rights.
All these are Revenue.
Making stream are the biggest challenge.
We have uh world champions, World International standard of uh boxing in India, but still like it’s very uh, challenging to get sponsors on board, to get ticket sales and to get media rights, but yeah we are working on it.
It’S growing very fast, like uh.
If you take five years back, we used to have only three or four shows in a year in 2013, we are having already 80 90 shows in a year now, wow and maybe in uh after two three years, we’ll be having like 500 shows in a year.
You never know we are also planning our the punch Arena where we are planning every Saturday night fight night, every every Saturday, yeah every Saturday, wow and we’ll be inviting fighters from all over the world to fight and male and female.
Yes, yes, both we always have uh female fighters on card wow.
That’S mandatory! It’S like that.
I like that, because we were talking about that that here they don’t have any well, sometimes they do and they have so.
Let me just correct that Durante Davis is good.
Yeah but Javonte Davis he’s very good with that, but it’s like selectively they’ll select to have a card with some female um boxers on there.
So I really like that.
So pretty much India is like a big support.
System like the whole country is like a big support system with what it is that you’re doing and what you’re accomplishing yeah see uh.
We are the highest population in the world now uh.
So once we have professional boxing on the cards like fan following of this fighter, so it’s very easy.
India is the biggest Market in the world.
If you talk about cricket cricket, only 10 countries play cricket, but IPL Indian Premier League is the biggest Sports property in the world.
Now so with this audience, once we have the fan following for our Fighters, then I think boxing will be unstoppable in India.
So maybe it will happen within a year or two years or maybe three years.
Well, I think you know, just by listening to you and just seeing how uh articulate you are with your vision and you have a strong infrastructure plan in place.
I mean you know you’re going to be mentioned up there with with the with the big dogs pretty soon in in the sport of boxing, because you mentioned that you know India is the biggest population on the world, and so excuse me in the world and so Like having that type of you know, population and introducing a sport like boxing, it’s just a matter of time before the whole country comes to it yeah.
I think the key is regularly like if you uh like in USA, you have fight nights every day like multiple fight nights every day, small small five nights.
So that’s the plan to give our Fighters opportunity to fight regularly like more regularly to build up their record to get the exposure with International fighters to go for a training camp in uh.
Different countries like USA, UK for uh building up their endurance with the uh.
Better aspiring partner so that’s whole in a plan like, but the regularity is a key.
I think so that’s why that’s the idea to provide fight nights ever on a regular basis, and then these fighter will be very regular on their uh training, skills and everything.
So that’s the idea so how many female Fighters and how many male Fighters are you currently managing? So we are managing right now we are only managing one fighter personally, but we invite fighters from a different states and uh on every fight night.
We usually have uh two or three women fights like this time.
We had only one the there was this girl she’s, an international medalist International gold, medalist and versus MC from mizoram.
So fight was really good and we’ll be upbringing.
The challenge between these Fighters and we’ll be inviting International Fighters for the next show that’s the plan to invite fighters from five to seven countries which who have good audience in their own country and who will fight the best fighters from India.
So I think then Indian audience will be encouraging once it is a flag versus flag.
You know Indian flag versus different kind of Thailand if an Indian flag versus USA Indian flag versus UK.
So that’s the idea yeah.
I I like the fact that how you thinking on a global platform, like your mind, is just like you thinking about flags and me and Sheila.
We was talking yes uh well.
Last week we had a guest from Nigeria and one of the things that she said that she not only wanted to fight for her her mother and her uh, her sister, but she also said that she wanted to fight for her country.
So I I hear that a lot in in fighters from different parts of the world.
I don’t really much hear that in the U.
S.
You know certain people talk about that, but like people in Africa you know not, you know just just all over the world.
They have a more passionate uh love for their country, so that gives them an extra motivation to excel in the boxing ring or any type of sports that they’re involved in yeah.
That’S because all these athletes, they have an emotional connection with their country’s flag and uh.
They are getting lots of support in mhr sports from Indian government, but since there is a professional uh, professional sports is there in cricket and boxing and everything they get an opportunity to fight for their country like regularly like.
Even if, if somebody is not a national gold medalist in amateur, but still he can build himself and come up again in a professional boxing, though that’s a opportunity for these Fighters and they feel very proud to uh, like you know, to take their flag on an International standard that they are representing their country, so I think that’s.
The idea flag plays a very important role like in athlete’s life.
Oh harsh Gayle said thank you so much, Mr Arif Khan, supporting such talent and promoting world-class boxing.
You know I’m sitting here and I’m listening to you everything that you’re saying you’re tone in your pitch, your mannerism and all that and one of the well.
Many of the things that I see that you will bring to the sport of boxing is honesty, integrity and character.
It’S so much stuff going on in this box and Industry, and it’s just really shameful for what’s going on.
So how will you continue on continue on bringing what you’re bringing to the light in the sport of boxing so uh like that was my idea like if we start managing lots of Fighters, so that will, I think, we’ll become selfish to get them a win.
Always you know, so that’s why I don’t manage move Fighters.
I’M always I’m always like I’m with a single fighter and I always try to build a competitive matchmaking.
So whoever wins the best tenant must win.
So that’s my idea.
So either it’s Indian International, from U.
S from UK, from Canada from Nigeria from Tanzania from Thailand anywhere the best talent must win.
So that’s the idea, then only we can grow this audience in India and people will start liking it once you have easy fights for Indian fighter.
I think that’s not our idea to do that.
So we’ll be always we want to grow boxing, so athletes will automatically they’ll grow well, one of the things that came to my mind when you was talking – and it seems to be a problem here in boxing currently – is the drug testing right.
A lot of these uh professional athletes are taking enhancement drugs to perform better in the boxing ring.
So as you introducing the sport of boxing in India, what type of infrastructure are you a part of, or that’s a good question, or do you plan to incorporate to make sure that the athletes you know are you know natural, not taking any type of performance enhancement, Drugs very good question uh.
So there is this uh Indian boxing Council uh the boxing Commission of India.
So they are taking good care of this and they are always guiding us that uh.
You should that we should take care of that, at least so.
We have these medical tests one day before, for all the boxes like dope tests and everything so to make sure that nobody is taking any uh.
You know um, like this performance, enhance uh, stuff and everything so right now, there’s a medical team.
Is there to do all this stuff and we’ll be encouraging this a lot in coming future, we’ll maybe tie up with some agencies who are really expert in this, like, I think uh, the few agencies in the world are like they’re expert in uh doing all this Stuff so we’ll be contacting all these agencies to join hand with us and take care of our Fighters and the real fights not in a performance, enhanced drugs and other things.
So what other type of networks are you currently in negotiation with what I mean by that? Like in order to really expand the sport of boxing in India, connecting with different networks in different countries to expose what you’re doing in your country can really take this to a whole nother level, so my question to you is like: are you in negotiation with any Other networks to expand the sport of boxing in India yeah, so we have this agency with us mws promotion, so they are dealing uh on this on our behalf and we are selling in highlights to this uh Qtv weekly, so their UK based they’re always buying our Highlights and everything and uh so mws promotion.
They are negotiating uh to the different networks outside India to promote uh, Indian Talent outside India.
So what quality? Even we got approached by this WBC into live TV? I think they’re also, they have launched this WBC TV uh.
So they’re also approaching us too, so I think this is a slowly slowly.
It will grow like it will take little time but yeah.
We are in talking terms with few networks and we are in talking terms with the casinos as well to live stream.
Our events in a different countries so uh – I think we are I’m personally working on that – to sell a live stream to these uh casinos.
So I think the fan engagement will be more.
So that’s the idea.
That’S awesome! That’S awesome! Um! So in the United States, Philadelphia is considered the mecca of boxing right, so they said, if you want to make you, if you want to test your fight out, you know bring them to Philadelphia and also in Philadelphia.
They have a lot of boxing gyms.
So I want to ask you how many boxing gyms are in India and are there any boxing gyms in development and, if so, who are? Who is behind those developments, so in India? Yes, we have lots of boxing gyms, but they all training MHO Fighters right now.
Okay, only amateur Fighters, so professional boxing is growing very slowly, but there are lots of like in every District.
We have lots of boxing gyms and all these senior boxes they’re running their boxing gym only and we in one Academy in one gym, we usually have 300 400 boxers training, so amateur yeah, amateur yeah.
So right now we have mhr boxing gyms in India.
I think professional only one or two, and we are also planning to start a professional uh boxing gym to invite International coaches to India, to give advice to our Fighters that these are the rounds like eight round five ten round five twelve round fights to give them Good technique to train and to build their staminers and all so.
We are also working on that.
The punch gym will be there in future very soon, good good.
Now you want to say something: just keep on going: go ahead and go ahead.
You just flow and just go ahead: no I’ll jump in go ahead.
Okay, so diet is very important to a boxer right, and so each country have different types of food and so forth, like one thing about uh, India is that they are known for their spices.
Right, yeah and so um a diet can either make a fighter or it can break a fighter or an athlete.
So what is the ideal diet for a boxer in India, so Indian boxes uh like spices, they uh with spices? They have good immunity.
Spices are very good for immunity.
You don’t fall uh ill like regularly plus Indian Fighters.
They are very fond of meat, they’re meat lovers and plus they are into this dry fruits.
So I keep talking to my Fighters.
They always tell me like we are.
We are eating this.
We are eating this so yeah, so I think meat and dry fruits they’re the main focus of Indian Fighters – hmm, okay.
Okay, so I know that you’re a promoter, but you were also talking about matchmaking, so you match make two yeah last show.
I did my matchmaking for the first time and it was pretty good.
I got a position from uh Indian unboxing vonsil that uh.
This is the best fight card we have ever put on the punch boxing so yeah.
I am trying to understand the matchmaking uh thing to create a 50 50 fight.
Always I don’t want to put any easy fight for single fighter, so I always try to make 50-55 the sport should win.
That’S that’s my idea.
The boxing as a sport should win, people should enjoy and they should follow their favorite fighter for the long term.
It should be not like that that they saw a fighter willing and then the fighter disappeared.
So I think the 50 50 fight give chance to both the fighter to perform well and even if one fighter lose the fight, he try again very.
For example, there is a fighter you get in the tombar, so he got knocked out in my previous show like last to last show – and this event he made a knockout in 39 seconds, so he trained really hard after that and he his comeback was very good.
Very good, so I think 50 50 fights uh, give Fighters opportunity to fight back again.
I think that’s the idea to for the matchmaking.
That’S my idea to always give equal opportunity to both Fighters.
Okay, so I give what you we get, what you’re and understand what you say about the 50 50.
But how do you match the fighters like? How do you know how to do it and what are you looking for? So I take a look on their MHL careers first uh, because in India we have lots of amateur Fighters, so we usually look on the other if their state medalists District, medalists or national medalists, and if they’re National medley are they gold, medalists silver medalists medals? We will try to match equal accomplish that they have already gone uh like one in amateur fighting and how regular they are on their training.
So that’s how we match making we do matchmaking for our new Fighters, plus, if professional, obviously, they record weight and everything like uh their fast fight record like who’s the opening in their past.
Are they fighting really good opponents or not? If they’re fighting they’re good opponents, then yes, we take equally fighter to fight them.
So that’s the idea cool, so, okay, so as a promoter, how many fighters do you have and what would your suggestion be for? Well you? Well, you really can’t say that, because some well, how many fighters do you actually have who you are promoting, so I am promoting very less Fighters, but I am in connect with 5000 fighters from India like who are State Medical is a national medley.
So we have a daughter from amateur boxing who wants to turn pro, but obviously in one show we can’t get opportunity to all of them, but slowly slowly we are bringing them in professional boxing.
So we are.
I am in touch with the around 5000 Fighters and we, when I used to be in amateur thing, but in professional, I’m managing around, like uh, I’m promoting around 10 to 12 Fighters, but managing only one fighter: wow wow, that’s big time so yeah because I had To simplify my question because I was going to make it too and large, but I got it good job.
So a brief.
I wanted to ask you so in the U.
S.
Sometimes the judges be corrupt right and I don’t I don’t mean to rough with nobody.
Better feathers or anything like that, because we never know down the road we may have to cross that bridge and deal with these people about the judges.
But I just want to know how are you going to make sure that the Integrity of the scorecard for the boxing matches will be fair and accurate, so Indian boxing Council, they are very reliable and uh.
The background is very reliable from amateur boxing as well.
The president used to be a secretary of India and Metro boxing for 12 years.
They have represented India in Olympics.
A doctor a doctor is Olympic or supervisor is Olympic, so we have this facility for these Fighters that, if fighter, doesn’t think that the decision is right.
So he can raise the like objection soon after that fight, so there’s a facility.
So all these refugees, the different referee judges, will look at that fight again the video and then they’ll make a decision.
So that’s a facility that Indian Fighters already have so I think that open the door for a fighter to raise an objection and see if things are not good or right, and that would go the same.
Would that go be the same for referees as well? Yes, yes, yes, yes, it happens like uh in one of the show that the decision was not good so that referee got suspended after that um objection, so it’s very strict from IBC yeah.
We appreciate them for that and we always take their support and to manage our fights like to do officiating in our events.
So this is very honest organization from India.
I like that.
I think honesty and loyalty character goes a long way and that’s what’s missing, and I love that too, because I’ve watched a little bit of the USIC fight and they were saying that the referee made a bad call now.
For me, it looked like he got punched in in in the stomach in one of his organs, but the referee called that he got hit too low below the belt.
So that’s why I was asking because some of those calls from those referees lately they’ve been very questionable yeah, but here like there is a procedure for everything like if fighter thinks that uh the decision is not good.
He can raise an objection, and this happened like uh two years back.
This happened the fighter.
He raised an objection.
The other referee judges watched the fight and uh that fighter who gave a rock that referee, who gave a wrong decision, got suspended.
You are so passionate about everything that you do, but what made you to decide to be a promoter, a boxing promoter yeah, so I was into Cricket basically, so I wanted to start something in cricket but uh.
Somehow I got I belong to haryana only, which is the PowerHouse of boxing, so I went to watch this uh state championship over there and I, like the possible I was like this – is something like uh in cricket you’re, watching in an audience.
Cricketers are playing in the ground like Cricket is like something like baseball, so so, when I watched this fight uh very closely like sitting next to the ring, so I was like this is something different and we can promote.
Then I started my research in boxing and I got to know.
The boxing is one of the highest revenue making sports for athletes in the world.
Wait say that again, like highest revenue, making sports for athletes for like boxers like Floyd Mayweather their purse.
Money is like huge, like wow, so that so that’s why I did this research and everything 2016.
I think Freud Mayweather got paid around 180 million, something like that.
So so then I thought that Indian we have international talent in India.
So why not connect this professional boxing with Indian boxers, so we can perform on a larger scale in USA in UK and maybe in Saudi Dubai and maybe very soon India will be the largest scale stage for international boxers coming India to fire in India.
So I I wanted to ask you a question to read so in the U.
S we have the WBC, the WBA uh, the IB uh the IVF.
So what um boxing um, I guess, Federation or organization – does a fighter obtains a belt from so if they have a major professional fight, is it I mean what equals to like the WBC belt in India yeah? So even this time we hosted WBC India title.
We have India title and uh in our past events, so that’s a WBC belt for us good boy, man that thing look good.
This belt belonged to her skill only is in WBC Asian Champion, so we host uh we.
This is our third time to host WBC Title in India and we other promoters has already hosted wbaw ibf titles in India, already uh it is hosted in India, so we are getting connected to the international organization and bringing them notice.
So WBC recently launched India title now in every weight category.
So this time we had India title and very soon, maybe we’ll host World title for an Indian fighter.
Oh wow, you know with you saying the way, how many weight categories do you have for the women um weight categories for women? I think 10.
, I’m not sure on that, but I think that so how many minutes per round do you go three or two? No three to three minutes per round: oh three for the women yeah wow wow.
They do two minutes in the United States for the women.
Oh no! It’S equal, like women.
Also it’s three rounds in India.
Hey, listen, listen! Wow! All you! Folks! In the US! We need three minutes.
The women been campaigning for three minutes.
Yes, yes, we have to create a bridge between India and USA to exchange Talent.
Oh man, perfect, hey folks, are gon na be willing to come to India now.
So let me ask you a question.
I in the United States, when they fight these major super fights, these Pay-Per-View fights right.
They might have like twenty thousand thirty thousand seat Arena.
What arena does India uh have to host these type of fights for professional fighters, and also, I guess you was telling me about the the professional – is not as popular as the amateur right now in India.
So, if you’re, having all these amateur fights, where are the fights being held at in stadium, only in arenas only like 20 000 seating Arena? What? Yes, yes, yes, yeah, but tickets are not that high price.
It’S very looks like okay for amateur yeah for professional uh.
I think only once or twice this happened in a bigger area, a bigger Arena like 20, 25 000, but uh.
Usually it’s happening in smaller arenas, but yeah we will get there.
We have Arenas like uh these kind of Arenas, with that twenty thousand thirty thousand sitting capacity, I think more than that as well.
So we have sports infrastructure.
We have really good sports infrastructure in India, but I think the fan base for boxing need to be uh.
Like increase in coming years, yeah, well, I think India has the perfect person in you.
I know that’s right to make this sport very popular and familiar and even make some changes within the sport industry like here around the world, hey yo, a reef.
I want to tell you man, it’s truly an honor, because I’m sitting here and I’m seeing it in a vision like like you when it’s all said and done, your legacy is going to change the whole landscape of boxing.
It’S like he’s passed, um Eddie Hearn, like Eddie Hearn, how he is in the UK and how he’s just starting to come a little bit in the United States, even though he has a tough time with the other promoters.
But he’s like I see like certain past like he getting there yeah, but but as far as that’s not putting anybody down, that’s as far as Cricket goes yeah yeah, he ain’t one.
He ate one.
So now, what he’s doing is that he’s paid? Well he’s trailblazing.
Yeah and one of the things about a Trailblazer is that there is no blueprint, so what you’re doing is you know just building a blueprint for generations to follow and man I you got me excited.
I want to come to India now, but you know what I want to ask you something.
How is your day like I want to know? How are you able to get done, what you want to get done, so I so there is a I’ll start with.
There is a saying, uh like if you can run run if you can’t run walk if you can’t walk just keep moving forward, just keep moving forward every time.
So what I’m trying to do, I’m taking just these baby steps and the idea is to connect the corporates, the big corporates of India like right now we are uh hosting fight nights in hotels, so we are dealing with these hotels to be a venue partner.
For this fight night, at least these corporates, they are getting into sports of boxing.
So that’s the idea.
So then we invite uh like casinos.
We are planning to host fight nights in Casino, so these casinos will get engaged in boxing.
We invite all the casino owners to our uh boxing event and they watch the fire and they get really excited.
This is the sports we have never thought about.
This is something unique.
This is something so they have not Indian audience.
They have not experienced boxing in such a way, so we try to give them that experience that this will get associated with boxing in future.
So that’s my idea.
So every baby step we make around 100 people to get associated with boxing incoming future [ Music, ] um the cake, the audience the team will get broader and broader.
Every time we host uh the punch boxing night, so team gets bigger every time.
Every time.
That’S right, yeah, so Reef.
We know that you are a leader, but a leader is only good as the team that he has around him.
So who consists of your team to help you be in a position to make the power moves that you’re making uh.
So I have learned my uh box in organizing a Fight Night from Mr Rakesh thakuran.
He used to be a general secretary of haryana state, boxing Association under his guidance.
I did this uh uh, the woman National Championship.
So from there I have learned.
Okay, we have to organize a boxing night.
A boxing show a boxing tournament like that, so that was my first experience like handling 300 boxes 200 officials for eight days, then professional boxing is just for like one day, one or two days.
So this is very easy for me, then, like inviting 20 boxers having 10 Bots.
So that’s the experience I got from him and uh.
There is one person, Mr ramesha Seva.
He is the chairman of Delhi, Cricket Association, so he’s into Cricket.
So but I got him uh for boxing and then you join me for boxing thing and then there is Indian boxing Council.
They are also very supportive, they’re, always guiding us that this is a rules.
Regulation follow this enhance.
Your uh shows like this, so we always follow all so.
This is a baby step.
We are getting there and uh till now.
I can proudly say that we organize one of the best fight nights in India, wow, so one more thing uh, so the people who host the Stafford show uh talk and fight um me and my wife.
We were having a conversation, and I think that you know after we get off air.
They want to connect with you because they see an opportunity to connect because they’re, located and based in Canada.
And so you based in India, and I believe that you guys are kind of similar in what y’all trying to do with the sport of boxing, which is expanding, different territories and uh.
You mentioned about Casino casinos and that’s something that they’re trying to do as well.
So I think that you know the both of you guys can collaborate with each other, and you know possibly you know, create a business opportunity out of this.
Yeah team will get bigger again like so.
Every time like we got connected with you, it’s an honor to be a connection uh to be in touch with you guys, and I think we are team now.
Maybe future will be together for future fight nights and uh talking fight so yeah the cake and the team gets bigger every time.
So once we have all the people on board with us associating with the Indian boxing, I think Indian boxing will rise with a very rapid speed: Hey, listen, baby yeah man.
Listen! Nigeria, yeah, Malta! Now, India, hey a reason you made me want to come to India.
Man for real man, because you know like what I guess you know.
One of the things that I admire about the Indian culture is uh is that y’all are very Savvy when it comes to technology.
So when I see the the you know the internet and see how smooth it is, it’s kind of like you in you know the United States, you know what I mean, because I don’t know, but your internet is flawless, I mean it’s, not it’s not uh sketchy Or anything, it’s just smooth.
It’S like uh, Cisco, the human network.
Is it’s just like every time you move.
It’S like a TV, it’s no like yeah, so you guys are are amazing when it comes to technology.
What is it about technology that India excels at so yeah? We are doing like uh Indian company Reliance jio.
They are going really huge things in technology in India to bringing the best internet they can provide.
We got 5G and I think we are working for 60.
As well yeah, they already, I think they already started working on that: okay, wow yeah, so yeah, Indian people.
They are very smart in technology and uh.
Let’S see like to how to connect technology with the sports of boxing, so they you.
You just gave me some new idea, no I’ll search for technical guys to get connect technology with boxing as much as you can.
Oh yeah man, I mean I’m, I’m one of these self-educated guys.
Like I read a lot of books, I don’t watch TV um.
I do surf the Internet a lot because I like information, but I’m a very disciplined person, and so I try to really invest in my mind uh.
So I was doing some research one time and I came across uh passage where it says the the mind.
The brain is the most uh important muscle in the human anatomy, And if you train it very well, it can Outlast the physical aspect of your body which changes over time, and so I just want to be a very sharp person.
I was talking to one of my good friends uh this past weekend and he asked me about a couple of books that I was reading and I was like man.
I really don’t like sharing my diet, that I really you know what I mean.
I don’t like.
Sharing it and it’s because I’m a competitor like I want to always have an edge over someone and the reason why I’m like that is because I play sports and you always want to have a Competitive Edge over your competitors.
And so now it has shifted from the physical aspect to now I’m into like books, whatever you know, good books that got good information, I want it, I want it.
I I just because I want to be the best.
That’S just me I think I have.
I have one question one more question: I want to ask you about your negotiations when you have to negotiate um when you’re negotiating for your fighter.
How can you explain the process of that when you’re doing that yeah, so our Fighters, like in India, they’re kind of uh new to professional boxing, so they’re building their record and we got lots of offer from International? Recently one of our Fighters went to Canada.
He got paid around like 15 000 USD so for her skill.
We got a offer of around like 40 000 USD and uh.
So we are getting these opportunities from International Market because our Fighters qualities are good, quality are good, fights, qualities are good, are uh, organizing a show quality are good, we are getting negotiation offer from broadcaster from Qtv weekly, so they are offering us so yeah, but in India is very less right now, very less so, but yeah not for more days like very soon.
It will be, I think, uh the biggest.
So that’s an idea, but these corporate guys once they come on board.
I think then we can negotiate a really good fight.
First for our Fighters: it ain’t nothing like them.
Corporate dollars, yeah revolve around the audience yeah.
So since we have the largest population, just my idea is just to convert this, this largest opportunity, like largest population into audience – that’s it once we have audience we’ll have pay-per-view revenues.
We have gate revenues right, yeah Fighters are getting paid.
So that’s the idea like to increase the fan engagement.
That’S that’s my idea.
I’M working on that.
The pan engagement, yes, like people are into Bollywood actors, uh Hollywood actors, movies and all I think, I’m just trying to convince them that this is real.
This boxing is real, so when we are happy – and we are hopefully like – we are already successful in many ways to convert many people to like start liking boxing as a sports, so people who have never seen sports like uh boxing Sports uh in the past now They’Re following our boxers on social media, everything they’re asking when when this fighter is fighting again, we have to come.
We have to the people are flying from different cities to watch this fight.
I got like around 50 guests fighting flying from different cities to watch this fight night.
So I think this makes me really happy in our first show it was all local audience.
Then now we are getting around 50 people flying from different different cities to watch.
This show very soon we’ll have like 5000 people, 20 000 people to fly from different cities and plus local to watch they fight the gate, revenues or maybe online next Edition.
We are planning in the in mizoram, so mizram is also the Hub of boxing and uh.
You will see 5 000 people inside uh Arena, that’s 100 sure within two months, wow: Hey, listen! Uh! If I was looking at your chair man, that’s a real nice leather, good leather chair.
You got man, that’s a boss! Chair! You see me in man.
That’S a nice chair man.
This is my.
This is my favorite tip, hey man, oh man, you had a custom-made.
I research a lot for this year.
Man, that’s the real, that’s right! It’S real nice! I like it um.
I wanted to ask you one more question and uh: I kind of It kind of went away uh so when it’s all said and done in the sport of boxing as it relates, excuse me when it’s all said and done for you um.
What is it that you would like to contribute to the sport of boxing in India? Oh, I know I wan na I’m actually at this after this so like.
I just want Indian athletes to take professional boxing as their main career, like uh from their childhood.
They right now they’re preparing for amateur.
I want upcoming fighters from the childhood to prepare for professional boxing and making they’re living from professional boxing and understanding the sports, the business of sports – and I wish we’ll have lots of promoters.
Lots of Rob would like to.
I wish to have like uh five nights.
Every Saturday fight night.
There should be around 50 75 nights across India and I think that’s how we can uh make regional Champions, local Champions and local audience for these Fighters and when these fighter will have uh will represent.
Indian International Market, they will get some good bucks and from India as well.
So that’s my uh, that’s my vision to prepare youngest guys to directly prepare for professional boxing as their mean career as a main career options.
That’S that’s good, that’s good! So, with with that being said, will there be like a um, a retirement fund for the fox for excuse me for the boxes after they finish fighting because a lot of times in the US when boxers finish fighting and they don’t have like good uh financial literacy? Uh information uh the money that they made during a professional boxing career kind of winners away and that they have nothing in return, and so they don’t have like a a governing body that say: Okay, part of your salary or part of the purse.
From that boxing match goes to the retirement fund so that when the fighters get a little bit older, they have like some.
You know a retirement fund that they can.
You know uh contribute to their lifestyle.
That’S a very good idea and definitely I’ll start working on it very soon like this.
We implant implement this idea with Indian government 110, we already convincing Indian government to provide government jobs to our uh professional fighters if they win Asian title.
If they win World title in coming years, so we are already in touch with Indian government to provide them a government security.
A government job is a security for fighter of their after, when they retired they get uh salary every month after their retirement.
So we are already working with Indian government to do something like that.
There is one case in mizoram that one boxer from mizram: he won youth World title so that state gave this fighter a government job like so he’s uh secure for whole his life.
If he’s fighting or not fighting he’ll be getting salaries and working with government, so yes, we are building this opportunity to upcoming Fighters upcoming Champions as well.
I love that yeah, hey.
Look.
I read since you’ve been having conversation with me.
You’Ve been coming up with a lot of ideas that I’ve been giving you man don’t forget about me now: okay, you’re in the hub of boxing, like uh, the Macaw boxing and uh.
I can say you understand boxing more than us and it’s always pleasure to speak.
Someone from that background and to learn something from you so like you, I’m always ready to learn something new man, whatever you think, I’m listening it very carefully and uh trying to apply that in a future events and the future our journey, whatever Vision, uh, what a Journey we are planning, so these points definitely stuck in my mind now and I’ll definitely start working on it from the very next day, but check this out, though, the same thing that you thinking about me is the same thing: similarities, I’m saying because I’m a student Of life, I’m always learning like.
I didn’t pick up something from you.
I ain’t gon na tell you, but I didn’t picked up something from you that I’ma Implement like one of the things that I’m man I’m gon na, give me a chair like that man right there yeah man yeah, it’s big, it’s spacious, it turned it has like.
It’S it’s Unique, like you’re, not gon na find a chair like that, and I yeah oh yeah.
Oh yeah, most definitely oh yeah, oh yeah! Most! Definitely! Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, and the other thing that I like about your wreath, is that you are a likable person and that’s and that’s very critical when you trying to uh start new relationships in business.
As you know, business is about relationships right and, if the you know the first perception of that person on the other side of the table like man, I don’t know if this person won’t be a personal character or this person doesn’t listen.
Oh, this person talks too much.
Oh, this person is arrogant.
You have a very humble and welcoming spirit that you made this interview.
Go to a whole nother level like you was born, I mean even you was pulling questions out of me that I didn’t even have planned, but because of who you are and I’m and I’m and I’m seeing the person on the screen activated those those rules, they Need to be able to display that today, so I appreciate that.
Thank you so much this one more thing like when we talk, we only talk what we know when we listen, we get to know what we don’t know listening.
I think listening is a power [, Music ].
I like that.
I love it.
I love it.
Well, listen we’re about to go, but we want to say thank you so much for taking time out it’s about 12 a.
m, down in India.
So I know you are a lot on your schedule for the upcoming games and rest is definitely important.
So I want to give you an opportunity to lead some encouraging words to our viewers to our supporters and also, we definitely would like to interview one of your Fighters uh, that you are landing to come on establishment as well.
Yeah, definitely uh.
Thank you.
So much guys and uh just give you love to the punch boxing and follow our Fighters and very soon uh.
You will see world champions from Indian India.
That’S our plan and we’ll have one of our fighter on board very soon to we interview uh with you and uh all the best guys, and thank you so much to allow us to be on your show and the punch boxing and uh yeah.
Let’S keep working out together boxing making the Champions.
Let’S go foreign
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