Amaury Piedra is the CEO of BoxLab Promotions. On this interview, he offers his perspective on being one of many younger rising promoters in boxing. He has labored with varied promoters, reminiscent of Warriors Boxing (to co-promote Yoenis Tellez), TGB Promotions (to co-promote Gurgen Hovhannisyan) and CES Boxing (to co-promote Jamaine Ortiz).
BoxingScene: How did you turn into a boxing promoter?
Amaury Piedra: It is humorous, I was within the thoroughbred racing enterprise, and I’ve at all times loved the game of boxing. A pal of mine, who’s now my associate, bought me concerned on the administration facet, most likely the 12 months earlier than COVID hit, and we began managing a pair fighters. Then about 4 and a half years in the past, I mentioned, “Hey, I believe I would wish to get extra into the promotion facet than the administration facet.” So we made the choice to begin BoxLab Promotions, and it is taken off. We had some connections within the trade. My cousin had been an official with the WBO for a very long time. We had an ideal venue right here in Orlando. I believed Orlando was an untapped marketplace for boxing, being in Central Florida with huge Latin and Puerto Rican communities. We began with among the native promoters doing reveals. It is actually grown during the last three years. ProBox most likely does extra reveals than anyone in Florida, however the actuality is that after ProBox, it is BoxLab Promotions, and the people who we’re working with have actually put us on the map.
BS: The choice to carry occasions in Orlando – why?
Piedra: Orlando is clearly a giant vacation spot due to Disney and Common. It is usually one of many prime two conference markets within the U.S. From a company conventions stand-point, it is Las Vegas first and Orlando is second. It is at all times had that part, and there is at all times been an enormous sport part in Orlando, whether or not it’s baseball, soccer, huge volleyball tournaments or no matter. There was at all times that sport part, however there actually wasn’t a boxing part, and that is what I believed we might carry to the world in Central Florida. We’re an hour from every coast, three hours from Miami or South Florida.
BS: And why the Caribe Royale because the venue?
Piedra: It’s a huge unbiased resort in Orlando that isn’t affiliated with a model like Marriott or Hilton. It is a 4 Diamond resort, and accommodations like this are at all times in search of publicity within the market and publicity on TV. That is form of what occurred. We had been capable of get that achieved with the resort. The publicity for the resort has been nice. It is a resort that got here out of a significant renovation and main re-imagination. The chance to get the phrase out about it and to set itself aside from different accommodations within the space has been nice. Many issues even have come out of boxing, Matchroom Boxing only in the near past did their Moscone Cup, which is a giant nine-ball event that introduced an enormous, superb, passionate fan base to Orlando for nine-ball pool.
BS: Who was the primary fighter that caught your eye to begin the promotion?
Piedra: I believe one in every of our prime first signings was a younger man who simply occurred to win his first world title, Antonio Vargas. Antonio is a 118lbs fighter. He had been signed with Prime Rank and he misplaced, after which form of bought disillusioned with the game.
He determined to come back again. He is a neighborhood. I known as my pal Brad Goodman, the matchmaker at Prime Rank. He spoke effectively of him. We gave Antonio a second likelihood. It most likely would not have occurred if he hadn’t turn into somewhat disillusioned with the game. Now he is the WBA interim world champion, and he is subsequent up for the world title. We’ll most likely be going to Japan to struggle for that within the first six months of 2025, however that was the primary fighter who confirmed the dedication in his eyes and the seriousness to be a winner.
BS: What’s the long-term imaginative and prescient of BoxLab?
Piedra: Boxing is a enterprise of relationships. By means of these relationships, we have been capable of signal some actually nice fighters, and I believe that is going to proceed into the longer term by way of our companions at Warriors Boxing. We have Yoenis Tellez, who’s one of many hottest prospects in boxing, ranked No. 2 by the WBA at 154lbs. He’ll most likely be combating for the interim world title within the first quarter of 2025. There’s Dainier Pero who’s an up-and-coming heavyweight.
The imaginative and prescient is to signal one of the best fighters and to develop one of the best fighters. We do not essentially give attention to simply Florida expertise. For instance, Antonio occurred to be right here in Orlando, however we’re specializing in discovering one of the best expertise we are able to and rising expertise. The excellent news is that we are able to develop them on televised platforms to get them the publicity that they want. We work with quite a lot of different promoters that we co-promote with, and in lots of circumstances we promote the fighters ourselves.
BS: How is the boxing enterprise completely different than different enterprise ventures?
Piedra: It is completely different as a result of there’s so many fingers concerned. I am going to provide you with an instance of the thoroughbred racing enterprise. There can be a coach for the horse. I’d be the proprietor. We speak about the place the horse belongs, goal a race, and that is it.
Right here, you have bought a fighter. You have to match them up with one other fighter. Each of them have to agree. There is a coach, a supervisor, typically one other promoter. That’s plenty of enter. Making fights is certainly more durable. There’s loads [that] folks do not see behind the scenes of what goes on to get these two fighters within the ring. That is one part of it.
The opposite part of it’s the relationship enterprise. Happily, we have been capable of construct relationships during the last 4 years fairly shortly. You might be a terrific fighter, but when you do not have anyone working with you who has the contacts that may get you the publicity, and might community to get you on the massive fights, it’s difficult. You see that loads on this enterprise.
I believe the opposite factor is it is a sport that wants the publicity. Jake Paul is nice for the enterprise. I do know there’s varied individuals who have completely different concepts on that, however the actuality is, we have to get extra eyeballs on the game with a youthful demographic, and proceed to develop and proceed to work on the social media, proceed to work on making the fights that the followers need to see. We have to proceed to make that occur. Individuals do not realize that on the smaller playing cards, until there’s TV cash concerned, it is vitally troublesome for promoters to generate income. Fighters have to comprehend that they’ve work their method up. You are not going to begin making life altering cash once you’re 4-0 or 5-0. Identical to every part else, you bought to earn it. You bought to pay your dues on the best way up. There are lots of people concerned, plenty of personalities, and I believe those that observe the suitable program, with the suitable self-discipline, are going to reap these rewards.
BS: What do you inform a younger fighter who simply turned professional and needs to struggle in your card for the primary time?
Piedra: I believe the truth is, it could possibly occur. It’s a must to be affected person. You are not going to begin on the prime until you are somebody particular who possibly gained an Olympic gold. Chances are high you are not going to be headlining your first card out. It is a matter of being affected person. It is a matter of figuring out that the novice sport and the professional sport are very completely different. Whilst you did nice as an novice and also you earned medals and belts on the novice circuit, there’s positively a studying curve on the professional circuit. It’s a must to belief your staff and belief the folks round you to information you in the suitable course. Do not get too far forward of your self, as a result of similar to something, there is a path. Maturity and expertise can solely be acquired with time. However once more, thrilling to see, and we at all times like to have one of the best on TV each time we are able to.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and creator of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (obtainable on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
