8CN?s David Hopper caught up with promoter Lou DiBella, CEO of DiBella Entertainment, following the January 17 ShoBox: The New Generation card at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. DiBella promotes undefeated lightweight prospect Ivan Redkach (16-0, 13 KOs), who won a unanimous decision over Tony Luis in the card?s action-packed main event.
DH: Ivan Redkach is your fighter. His fight with Tony Luis was very exciting. What are your thoughts on Redkach?s performance tonight?
LD: I thought it was a great learning experience for him. I think he ran into a guy that was a lot tougher than maybe he expected. I thought Tony Luis was unbelievable, his balls and his ability to take big punches. He fired back. He threw a lot of punches himself. He wasn?t intimidated. It was a great learning experience. I thought both guy?s stock went up. I thought Tony?s stock went up in defeat. I thought the whole card was strong. That knockout on the [Frank] Galarza?[John] Thompson fight was brutal. I thought the first fight was an amazing fight. The first fight between Mighty Mo [Maurice Hooker] and the kid he fought [Abel Ramos], that kid?s only 22 years old and had never gone past four rounds, the Mexican kid, I thought he was terrific. I thought this was a quintessential ShoBox. I want to thank Stephen Espinoza. I want to thank Gordon Hall for giving me the opportunity, but I think we delivered. Four fights, seven undefeated kids and every fight was competitive, brought the action. It was a fun night of boxing. It was really what ShoBox was all about and I?m thankful to ShoBox for the opportunity.
DH: Ivan Redkach went into that fight with 13 of his 15 fights coming by knockout. A lot of analysts didn?t think his fight with Tony Luis would go the distance. You said you were impressed with Luis. Were you expecting a knockout, especially after that first round knockdown?
LD: Yeah, I was. But when I saw Luis?s chin and I realized how strong it was and I knew Luis?s people and they told me he had a great chin. But also, I think Ivan threw a lot of power punches. He missed on a lot of wild shots. He was free-swinging with some big, big shots that missed. That will take some steam out of you. Luis just kept throwing. He made it a fight. He made it last and he made it go the distance. I think it was a great learning fight for Redkach. I don?t think it was his best fight and I don?t think it was the best you?re going to see out of him. But I thought it was a tremendously entertaining fight for the fans. I think the fans loved it.
DH: Give a quick rundown of your stable and what the fans can expect from DiBella Entertainment this year.
LD: Well, you saw the kid Galarza tonight. I now co-promote him. He?s a terrific fighter with a lot of knockout power. I have a young kid named Junior Younan who?s a terrific prospect. Patrick Day, who is a terrific prospect. Jo Jo Dan is a terrific prospect at welterweight. Sergio Mora is ready for a title shot at middleweight. Matt Macklin is a perennial contender and also ready to fight someone for a belt. I?m looking to get Andy Lee in a world title fight, maybe against Triple G [Gennady Golovkin]. I?m looking for a big year from the DiBella team. And also, Sergio Martinez is working hard to make that Miguel Cotto fight and I think that?s a fight the fans would love. I got a load of talent, a load of good fighters. I can?t name them all right now.
DH: Is it looking like the Martinez-Cotto fight will take place at Madison Square Garden in June?
LD: I?m hoping, we?re still working.
DH: Lastly, what do you think the fans can expect from Cotto-Martinez?
LD: A really all-action fight, an all-action balls-to-the-wall brawl, and Sergio will win it.
