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11/29/2005 Archived Entry: "8 Count’s Dominic Pesoli Looks forward to a Banner Year in 2006!"
8 Count’s Dominic Pesoli Looks forward to a Banner Year in 2006!
By Juan C. Ayllon
Dominic Pesoli (left) and Miguel Hernandez (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
CHICAGO, November 28, 2005 – It’s 9:45 PM on a cold Monday night and JABB Boxing Gym co-owner and 8 Count Productions boxing promoter Dominic Pesoli has wrapped up a strategic planning session and, with another 15 hour work day winding down, a telephone interview awaits. Fighting a cold, he presses on, as he has deadlines and—what’s more—he’s doing what he loves: he’s running a thriving boxing gym and a promotional company that is making waves not only in the Windy City, but the boxing world at large.
Taking a few moments from his bustling regimen, Pesoli granted this exclusive interview to the Cyber Boxing Zone.
On his robust schedule of upcoming shows:
DOMINIC PESOLI: We have this one Saturday; and then December 10th at the Rising Sun Casino; and then December 17th; and then to start off the new year, we’re doing a "SHO-BOX" date January 6th; and then another show January 27th—that’s “Solo Boxeo.” We have a busy five shows in eight weeks!
I’m just kind of lining up my schedule for next year. I was actually with Bernie [Bahrmasel] a little while ago kind of plotting out our dates for next year.
It’ll be nice to do a “SHO-BOX” date and turn around and do a “Solo Boxeo” date!
On specifics of these shows:
DP: I don’t know the participants for the January 27th; but the January 6th, I know the headliner is going to be Joel Julio, who was on the [Fernando] Vargas under card. He’s a knockout puncher. And, we’re talking about possibly using Jose Hernandez in the co-feature.
We’re just trying to bring in the new year in a big way and I want to try to make a lot of the shows next year—I mean, we pretty much did the majority of our shows this year—on TV. I think we may have had one or two dark shows, but I’m hoping to just pretty much do all TV shows next year.
I think I’m going to do some of these “Azteca America” shows next year as well because I’ve been getting a good response for this Saturday’s show. That’s the one Julio Cesar Chavez presents. And, I think I’m going to do a good amount of those shows next year because the reception we’re getting for this Saturday’s show, I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls for tickets. So, I don’t know if Saturdays work better.
I was a little reluctant at first with the show because of the date; it was the Taylor-Hopkins rematch. But, it doesn’t seem to be affecting it.
[On December 10th, you have David Diaz fighting for] the vacant IBA World Title at 135 lbs. That’s a great match up, too: You have the 1996 Olympian and Ramazan Palyani, [whom] I believe was a Bronze winner at the Russian Olympics—I don’t know what year, but I’m assuming probably 2000 or something. So, you have two former Olympians battling it out for the world title. I’m actually really excited about that match-up in that show!
For that first show we’re doing at the Grand Victoria-Rising Sun, I know they’re very happy with the whole cast that we put together: Jimmy Lennon doing the ring announcing, which is cool; Emmanuel Stewart will be doing the “meet and greet”; and, yeah, we have just four fights on that card, but we have Aaron Pryor, Jr.; [and] you have Dante Craig, who was a former Olympian…fighting Shay Mobley. That’s a great fight right there.
And then, December 17th, where we’ve got Luciano Perez and Humberto Chavez, and some of the up and coming new guys. That’s just going to be an off-TV show.
And then I’m still working out the under cards for the [January] 6th and the 27th. The Gonzales Brothers will be back. Jorge Gonzales will be back in January and definitely Jose Hernandez. Mike Gonzales, he’s a young kid we signed from Milwaukee, he’ll be back as well.
We’re just looking for a good year. I mean, we’re trying to start the year off on the right foot. I think it’s cool to be doing a "SHO-BOX" date and, first two fights of the year, they’re both on National television. And, I think it’s the first time that "SHO-BOX" will be in Chicago, too! Yeah, I don’t think we’ve ever done a "SHO-BOX" date here.
On their “White Collar Boxing” show series:
DP: That’s a lot to do with JABB Boxing Gym, and we do one of these white collar events every quarter. December 16th is our next white-collar event. And, those events are a lot of fun.
Everything is a cross-promotion. I mean, the white collar events help promote JABB Boxing Gym, and it gives all our clients an opportunity to showcase their talents as far as what they’ve learned from taking lessons and they really love it! I mean, it’s a nice event and if you haven’t been to one, you should come. We do it at the Park West, which is a very nice, upscale venue. And, like I said, it gives them an opportunity to showcase what they’ve been training and learning.
In this particular show, which is really interesting, we have I believe a 64 year old lawyer fighting a 68 year old dentist! Both of them have about eight fights a piece. So, that should be interesting! [Laughs].
The white-collar events are really a lot of fun. They keep growing as well. Our next one will be in March of 2006.
On whether they’ll be doing another show at the Allstate Arena, as they did last August with Fernando Vargas vs. Javier Castillejo and Rocky Juarez vs. Humberto Soto:
DP: Well, yes. Actually, there’s been some talk about [Jorge] Paez, Jr. and [Julio Cesar] Chavez, Jr. We would need at least a 10,000 seat arena for that type of show. So, we haven’t decided—we’re talking late spring, early summer. Nothing’s been solidified, but we’re looking to do something like Paez, Jr. Basically, while we’re talking juniors, I know that Pipino Cuevas, Jr. is fighting now, too! We’re looking at that as well. [Laughs].
There’s even a slight possibility that [Julio Cesar] Chavez Sr. will be coming in for [this] Saturday’s show. I’ve kind of heard that he’s coming, but I really don’t want to curse myself, you know! He said on the “Azteca America” show this past Saturday that he would see everybody in Chicago, and that he was planning to come to Chicago this week, so.
On popular Chicago fighter Oscar Bravo’s being pulled from his most recent fight card at the last minute:
DP: [Promoters] Bobby Hitz and Art Pelullo threatened to sue [the show’s co-promoter] Golden Boy. And, Golden Boy, it’s not their battle. Even though they felt it wasn’t a fair lawsuit, if they got sued, they would have to defend it and spend money for something that—Oscar’s not their fighter—and he’s not even signed with me. I just was trying to help him out, you know.
And, we went to court here in Chicago and the judge threw out the case. And, so, I guess Bobby convinced Artie to get involved and Artie called Golden Boy, and they both threatened to sue them if Oscar fought.
Golden Boy asked me to basically pull him off the card. Out of respect for their company—I mean, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have done it—but that’s a co-promotion and I have to respect the relationship there. And, basically, that’s why that happened.
So, right now, we’ve got to figure out the situation. I mean, the [Hitz] contract with Oscar is basically over; it’s been over for a long time. I feel bad for Oscar. He said if he had to fight for Bobby, he’d sooner retire. And, like I said, he’s not signed to me. Bobby thinks he’s signed to me. But, I never signed him. All I have been doing is trying to help him out and, unfortunately, it’s gotten to this legal dispute.
On his logo, “Best Boxing in Chicago” and competition versus rival Chicago promoter, Bobby Hitz:
DP: Well, listen, this whole thing between Bobby and I—and I’ve always throughout my whole career as a promoter, I’ve always chosen to take the higher road—the difference between Bobby and I is I don’t spend any amount of my time trying to figure out how to (bleep) Bobby, and I think Bobby spends a lot of his time trying to think how he can (bleep) me over, instead of focusing on his business. I just want to focus on my business and grow. If that affects Bobby, then it affects Bobby. But for me, I just want my business to grow.
And, I try to stay focused on boxing, giving the fans what they want. You know, the boxing fans of Chicago are smart people. They don’t want to see mismatched fights; they want to see competitive fights. And I think, overall, we deliver very competitive fights.
Once in a while, you’ll get a stinker, or sometimes your fight falls out last minute, you try to make a decent replacement and you end up with a stinker. But, overall, [8 Count Matchmaker] Jerry Alfano has done an incredible job making competitive fights. And I have to give praise to the Chicago fighters, too, for stepping it up.
I mean, this is a business and you don’t want to overmatch your guys, but you certainly don’t want to under-match them either because you’re constantly learning and developing and if you’re fighting a bunch of stiffs, you’re not going to grow. You’re not going to experience, you’re not going to learn. It’s important to make fights that make sense, that are matched properly, so that the fighter can learn and develop and become a better fighter. And, I think Jerry does a great job of doing that.
Again, the fight fans in Chicago, they’re intelligent people; they want to see competitive fights. That’s why we say, “The Best in Chicago Boxing,” because I think right now, we’re producing very good shows. And, I think I have a great team with myself; Jerry; and my fiancé, Tina; and Bernie. It’s a team effort.
I work very, very hard at what I do. I work 15 hours a day on my business. And, I think that’s the difference: That I care about what I put out there. And, we’re trying to grow and develop.
Just like the fighters! And, just like they’re learning, we’re growing and we want to keep bringing bigger and better things to Chicago. This year, we had a great 2005 and I feel 2006 is going to be even better. I just want every year to get better and bigger.
On criticism that a lot of those running boxing have no actual boxing experience per se, as well as his experience boxing at light heavyweight in the amateurs:
DP: I don’t remember what year it was, but I did win the CYO Light Heavyweight Championship. I’d have to try to pull up the year. That was a long time ago. I haven’t fought competitively in probably 20-something years.
I only fought amateur. I didn’t get involved with pro boxing. I thought about it, but just decided to call it quits. But I worked out, my uncle managed fighters, and, again, I was fortunate to work out; I was a sparring partner for [Chicago pro heavyweight] Jumbo Cummings; Lou Capuano; Henry Simms; I worked out with all these light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters from the 70’s and 80’s. And I worked with [middleweight contender] Johnny Lira, all these guys, so. It was nice to have an opportunity to learn and spar with guys of that caliber as an amateur, you know? And, I even worked out with [heavyweight contender James] “Quick” Tillis a little bit. I sparred him a few times as well.
But, that’s many moons ago! [Laughs]. Now, I just promote the violence.
Last thoughts:
DP: Outside of what we’ve talked about, I’m hoping to do maybe another HBO fight or SHO-TIME fight. But, we’ll see what transpires in the upcoming months.
January, we have two nationally televised shows. Between those two events and the three pro shows and white-collar show I’m doing in December, we’re talking six shows in eight weeks, so it’s a lot of work, especially when you’re promoting the show and 40 minutes from Cincinnati and you live in Chicago, it’s a lot of effort that goes into that as well. I’m just happy to be doing what I love doing. I feel fortunate and blessed that I can earn a living doing what I love.
We’re just excited about 2006!
