Rick Glazer is a voice in the American boxing wilderness when it comes to assessing popular Manny Pacquiao.
Glazer, known now as “the stealth agent” who works mainly for Don King, gives a resounding Bronx cheer to U.S. trainers such as Emanuel Steward and Floyd Mayweather Sr., knocking the Filipino national idol for his less than stellar defense and other real or imagined ring faults.
Glaser, 48, a longtime car salesman in Buffalo, NY, says Pacman knockers are way off base.
“Manny has a whole country lined up behind him, a whole nation,” Glaser said. “The whole country never got behind Luisito Espinoza like that, did they? I say it is a wonderful thing. I say it is a great thing and it makes me proud to be in the boxing industry. This is a fighter who puts asses in the seats and who makes the TV ratings skyrocket.
“Does he have great defense? Does it matter? The questions I ask are different. Does Manny offer great entertainment value? Yes. Does he have great boxing ability? Yes. Does he have tremendous will and desire to succeed in that ring? Yes. Where is the bad news with Pacman? I don’t see any. I mean, I don’t earn a dollar with Manny but I am in the same business he is. What’s not to like?”
Though his bread is buttered in the King camp, Glaser said Bob Arum will do an excellent job as Pacman’s promoter.
“Bob is a good choice for Manny. Bob will do plenty to further his career, you watch. Bob will help make Manny bigger than ever,” Glaser said.
Even used car salesmen love the Pacman.
Glaser has been in boxing for 16 years and how he got started is a classic story. At loose ends, Glaser was looking for career change. He was a devoted boxing fan but only that, a fan. He started going to a Buffalo gym and a junior welterweight named Roger Brown asked him what he did for a living. Glaser lied and said he was a boxing trainer.
So he started training the fighter. He called young promoter Mike Acri, who lives in Erie, Pa., and who revived the sagging careers of Roberto Duran and Hector Camacho. Acri was not familiar with the name and asked Glaser who he had trained previously.
Glaser was hit with a brief spell of honesty.
“Nobody,” he told Acri, “but everybody’s got to start somewhere!”
When Acri stopped laughing he told Glaser, ‘You’re honest and you’re bold.”
Glaser dropped his trainer’s pose and became a “booking agent.” That’s how one man broke into boxing.
