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Shelly Finkel Un-Gloved! By Lisa Scott PhilBoxing.com Mon, 10 Apr 2006  There is no other boxing manager who is as accomplished or has had as much success in guiding young fighters to the elite levels of the sport as Shelly Finkel. With his savvy business acumen and keen eye for talent, the 61-year-old Finkel is still going strong after 25 years in a sport that is known to be more brutal outside the ring, than inside. Having already gained a prominent reputation as a promoter within the music industry, Finkel first emerged onto the boxing scene in 1977 working with amateur fighters. Three years later, he produced such notables as Alex Ramos, Tony Tucker, Johnny Bumphus, Tony Ayala and Mitch Green. In 1984, Finkel became manager and advisor to the best of that year's Olympic Team (Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland and Meldrick Taylor) and has since represented countless other champions (Michael Moorer, Vinny Pazienza, John John Molina, Mike McCallum - just to name a few). Voted twice by the Boxing Writers Association of America as ‘Manager of the Year' (1990 and 1993), Finkel's current roster includes such notables as Manny Pacquiao, Wladimir Klitschko, Fernando Vargas, Jeff Lacy, Juan Diaz and Rocky Juarez - as well as an impressive crop of rising young prospects. Vitali Klitschko and Mike Tyson, who have since retired, were also represented by the astute handler. With telephone always in hand, Finkel is constantly on the go, traveling around the globe to be at the side of one of his fighters. However, the famed manager cordially took time out of his busy schedule to share some of his thoughts with Fightnews: You have just returned from the Phillippines. How was your trip? What was the nature of your business there? The trip was great, but it was a long flight. Everyone was gracious and courteous to us. We went over there to do a press conference to announce Manny Pacquiao's fight with Oscar Larios at Araneta Stadium. The stadium holds 20,000 people and it's where the Thrilla in Manilla was staged. The other week, there were reports out of the Philippines that Manny was hospitalized for exhaustion. What happened? Manny was in the hospital for 3 or 4 days, but now he's at home resting. He was running around too much and partying after he beat Erik Morales. But he'll begin training on May 8th for Larios. After Larios, Manny will face Erik Morales for a third time. At what weight will they fight at? It has to be at 130. No negotiations. Manny insisted on it because that was what the contract was before. So that's what it is for this fight. Manny came up from featherweight to super featherweight. He could make 126 if he had to, but to go past 130 would be giving away an advantage. Morales looks so emaciated at 130. He practically kills himself to make that weight. Good! But if Morales won't fight at 130, then we'll fight Barerra. For over 25 years, you have negotiated countless deals on behalf of your clients. Which deal stands out the most for you? One that you are the proudest of? Oh, there are several! One was when Mark Breland turned pro. I had gotten him an annuity so that after he turned 31, the annuity would kick in, and he would get $100,000 a year for life. Another one was going to court and winning the battle for Evander Holyfield so he could get his title shot against Buster Douglas. Then there was the battle we fought to get Wladimir his title shot against Chris Byrd this month. Those stand out quickly, but there are numerous ones. Don King often takes verbal swipes at you through the media - which usually seem to occur after something doesn't go his way. It would appear that you are one of the very few who can get under his skin at the bargaining table. What's it like doing business with him? Actually, I like dealing with Don. Most of the time, he is very bright... very funny. Of course it's never easy, because he is looking for the best for himself, and I am looking for the best for my client. But when the deal is finally done, I think he pretty much sticks to it. Don fought for a long time until the deal was done between Bryd and Wladimir. But now that it's done, he's gone on his way and let us do the fight. He has spoke to me a few times and wishes me good luck - and we go from there. On the business end of boxing, ‘knowledge is power.' What else do you consider to be ‘power?' Being able to ‘walk away' is power. When you are able to say ‘No' to someone - and know that you are willing to get up from the table and leave - that's power. Let's say a promoter or a network is saying, ‘This is all we will pay.' If my fighter has given me the authority to say, ‘This is not what we think is right, so lets pass and do this another day or get another fight,' - that's the kind of strength you want to have. That is tremendous power. There is a growing trend amongst fighters who are developing their own promotional companies, and promoting themselves. From a managerial standpoint, can this be lucrative for a fighter? Is there a downside? There is both. It depends on how big the fighter is. But I believe in loyalty. If a promoter has spent time building you and working with you, then I don't think you should leave him to do your own thing. I believe you have to have certain ethics. But if you're not with anyone or haven't been with anyone, and you want to do your own promotional thing - you still have to have the right staffing. You have to have the right P.R. person and the right matchmaker. So, you have to be able to do those functions. Then, you have to be able to step back and not let your own ego get in the way of what you are worth and what your promotion should do. A good example of doing it the right way would be Oscar de la Hoya and his company, Golden Boy Promotions. A while back, there were a lot of fighters filing for bankruptcy in order to get out of their promotional contracts. What are the pros and cons of something like this? The con, is that if you are not truly bankrupt, then you have to live for x-amount of years with that on your credit record. You won't have the financial flexibility to buy a home, cars and a lot of other things. Now if you really are bankrupt, the pro would be to put your debts into a package that hopefully makes it manageable for you. But there really aren't that many fighters who've made a lot of money. The ones who maybe have stashed away some money, and are looking for a way around their obligations, they are being unethical. How would you advise a young fighter to manage his money, so he can be financially secure after his career has ended? Well, there's two things. First, the fighter has to want to listen, so that you can direct him. But a lot don't. Secondly, you really have to get a professional to handle it. Someone like an accountant or a money manager who can look after his assets for him, so that his money grows to a level that when he does retire, he can defray his expenses. Remember, it's usually over for a kid in boxing when he hits his 30's. Since he has so many productive years ahead of him, he's going to have to work. There aren't many fighters who've made that much by then, that they could retire. So hopefully they've put some money away. What is your take on parents (with little or no boxing experience) who ‘manage' their sons careers? I feel management is an art. And, there are some parents who understand it and some who don't. The ones who don't, are the ones who can hurt their child the most, by not understanding what goes into making the best career decisions for their children. You had tremendous success with the 1984 Olympians. What do you look for when signing on new talent? They have to have desire and a good work ethic. You have to see in them, that they are willing to do what is necessary to get themselves to the professional level. And, of course they should have a strong amateur background. But you really have to get a feel for them. Sometimes, it goes beyond talent. Probably, the most talented kid I've ever worked with was Francisco Bojado. Yet, he didn't have the desire. So the talent didn't win out. ‘Panchito' Bojado hasn't fought in 2 years. What's going on with him? I have no idea. I will have nothing to do with him anymore. I felt he was not putting out what was needed, so I felt it was best that we not work together anymore. I wish him well. He's a good kid, but I will have nothing to do with him. Has there ever been an Olympian that you did not choose, who went on to become a champ? I had Riddick Bowe. But I let him go. The work ethic just wasn't there. And, Miguel Cotto... I guess I didn't know about him. Being that the Olympians are thought to be the ‘next wave' of boxing champions, the talent pool coming out of the Olympics seems to have dwindled significantly since 1984. Why do you think that is? Oh, it definitely has dwindled! That's because there is less of a build up. There are less gyms and there are less kids going into the gyms. But I have a feeling that things are starting to come back a little. We're seeing a lot more fights now. Comcast is now putting a network on that will televise a lot of fights. ESPN has stayed with boxing on Friday nights, and now they are showing boxing on Wednesday nights too. We're seeing a lot of good match ups and there is a pay-per-view almost every month. Showtime and HBO are showing a lot more competitive fights. For example, the Brewster-Lyakhovich fight was very competitive. Over the years, UFC has gained tremendous popularity and credibility. Even Marc Ratner has decided to join their organization. What are your thoughts on UFC and do you think it is the future of pugilistic sports? I think there is a niche for it. I feel that young men in particular are watching it and it's growing. Of course it's a different sport. It's separate from boxing - at least I hope it will be. Lyakhovich and Valuev are 2 of the heavyweight champs now. Wladimir will fight Chris for his title and Maskaev could fight Rahman. Then there are the Ibragimov's. Do you think fighters from the Soviet block will become a dominate force within the heavyweight division? At this point, probably. Time will tell, where and how far they go. But I believe the Soviet block has put out some formidable, and large, heavyweights. Where in the United States, a lot of the bigger guys are going into football or basketball, and that is what's diluting the American heavyweights. Do you think the Soviet block fighter has more of a desire or ‘hunger' than the American fighter? I'm not sure that they are ‘hungrier.' They just seem to be more interested in boxing. Most of the International countries don't have football. They have soccer, which doesn't require such a big person. Speaking of Wladimir, he certainly has had his ups and downs in the last couple of years. First he was labeled ‘the next great heavyweight.' Then he was labeled as having a ‘glass jaw.' Now he's back on top with a shot at Chris Byrd's IBF title. What are your thoughts on his whirlwind career? Wladimir is a great athlete, who came out of the Olympics as a gold medalist and who had never been hurt in a fight before. Then he gets hit by Corrie Sanders. So, his mental state was not prepared for something like that. Since then, I think he learned how to adjust to situations and how to react to being hurt. And he proved it in the Samuel Peter fight. Wladimir saw what adversity was. He handled it, came back and won the fight. Wladimir could have knocked Sam out in the 12th round because he had Sam out on his feet. One more punch would have done it. Emanuel Steward did a great job with Wladimir in the Peter fight. Your thoughts? I think Emanuel is great for Wladimir. When he dedicates the time to someone, I think he is one of the best trainers out there. Since Vitali lost his Mayoral race in Kiev, do you think he'll make a return to the ring now? I have no idea. I will see him in Germany in about another week. Maybe I'll get a feel then, but at this point I have none. Mike Tyson. Is he definitely retired or has he contemplated a return to the ring? He has contemplated. But at this point, as far as I know, he is retired. Rocky Juarez is a very talented fighter. Yet there are some people who might feel that his upcoming match with Marco Antonio Barerra could be very risky for him. Yes. It is a risky fight. But, you have to take risks to climb the mountain. And we're hopeful that he rises to the occasion, climbs the mountain and ends up on top of it. Barerra is one of the top 5 or so, pound-for-pounds in the world. We believe that Rocky has the tools and the ability to win. What was the greatest moment for you in boxing? Oh boy! There are several. I guess Evander knocking out Buster Douglas for the title. Mike McCallum knocking out Donald Curry for the title. Manny knocking out Morales - who had never been off his feet before. What was the most disappointing? Again, there are several. One of the biggest disappointments was Tony Ayala Jr. Another was ‘Panchito' not living up to his potential. Then there was Meldrick Taylor's first fight with Julio Caesar Chavez. Taylor was ahead and Richard Steele stops it with 2 seconds left in the 12th round. Unfortunately, Taylor couldn't get a rematch early on and that fight ended up destroying him as a person. It was a horrible situation. Prior to becoming a fight manager, you were a music promoter. Which artists did you promote? Almost everyone. The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan. Jimi Hendrix. The Doors. U2. Bruce Springsteen. The Greatful Dead. The Allman Brothers. But I think boxing is more exciting because there is more creativity. The music business is almost cookie cutter. They send you a rider, this is what you do, and that's it. How did you make the jump from the music industry to boxing? I took my neighbor to the NY Golden Gloves and I saw a fighter that I liked. The fighter was Alex Ramos. And, I just went from there. There is always talk that a National or Federal commission is needed to clean up boxing. Since you know the ‘ins-and-outs' of the sport, what direction do you feel boxing should take? Maybe a Federal commission - but with the right people. Unified rules should be upheld around the country. I wouldn't have six sanctioning body organizations, I'd only have one. Then try to weed out the things that cause problems - and there are a lot of them. Last year you were diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. One moment you're battling on behalf of your clients and the next moment you're battling a horrendous disease. Do you care to comment on this? Sure. But the battle with that, wasn't that much. I always believed that it was caught, and that it would not change my life that much. Luckily it hasn't. Right now, I feel as good as I ever felt! No other fight manager has had the longevity that you have had in this sport. As boxing's premier fight manager, what is the key to your success for thriving in such a tough business? First, you have to have an eye for talent. Then when you pick the right talent, you have to have the ability to guide that talent. I think I'm good at it, by just following that criteria. But I also understand the sport and I care about the fighter. I enjoy the negotiations and trying to put things together. And when you enjoy what you do, it makes everything easier. Check out Shelly Finkel's website: www.shellyfinkel.com Click here to view a list of other articles written by Lisa Scott.  |
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