By Thomas Gerbasi
On the surface it may seem to be an odd pairing, but seeing Tuscaloosa’s Deontay Wilder represent the Brooklyn Boxing brand in Moscow as he prepares to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Alexander Povetkin on May 21 makes perfect sense to Brett Yormark.
“He (Wilder) represents everything that Brooklyn represents,” Yormark, the CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, said. “He’s an aggressive kid, he fought the odds and has obviously risen to the top of his trade. He wasn’t handed anything. He’s had to work for everything he’s gotten, and I think that, in some respects, is the makeup of this borough. It’s a borough where people work really hard for what they have and what they’ve accomplished. And they’re kind of the underdog, so to speak, at least initially. Deontay can relate to that, and we look at him as someone that is going to have a great career fighting in Brooklyn. So having him aligned with Brooklyn Boxing and our boxing platform was a natural.”
In his most recent bout on January 16, “The Bronze Bomber,” who will wear Brooklyn Boxing-branded Everlast gear during the lead-up to the Povetkin fight, improved to 36-0 (35 KOs) with a ninth-round knockout of Artur Szpilka, and during the promotion of the event at Barclays Center, he made an impression on Yormark.
“I always wanted Deontay to fight here in advance of him fighting in January and he always told me that at some point in time, his career would get him to Brooklyn and to the Barclays Center, and of course it did,” he said. “And he embraced it. He embraced the media, he embraced the opportunity to be here on one of the world’s biggest stages, and he loved the way he was treated, and the environment and the excitement of fighting in Brooklyn.”
This isn’t going to be the last association between the brand and athletes of the sport, and that’s not surprising, given the fact that since Barclays Center opened in Brooklyn in 2012, there has been a strong commitment to boxing, with more than 20 world title fights being hosted at the venue.
“We’re really growing this Brooklyn Boxing platform, which is the descriptor and reference to our program here at Barclays Center, and we’re excited about it,” Yormark said. “It’s something that’s been evolving since we opened the building and I think we’ve become a big-time destination, if not the destination, for boxing in North America and this partnership with Deontay gives us a chance to amplify that position globally. I want everyone in the world to recognize that the Barclays Center and our Brooklyn Boxing program should be the aspiration for anyone that wants to fight professionally.”
In addition to the Wilder deal, Brooklyn Boxing has its own apparel line available online and has partnered with local television station PIX 11 to produce a “Brooklyn Boxing Countdown” series which premiered last month before the Errol Spence vs. Chris Algieri event. And as far as Yormark is concerned, this is just the beginning.
“The brand stands for best in class,” he said. “We want to bring the best fights that there are right here to Brooklyn and we want to create continuity amongst the fighters so that in some way they’re referred to Brooklyn Boxing fighters that fight at Barclays Center. And I think you’re seeing that more and more as our boxing program evolves.”
But first, the kid from Alabama brings Brooklyn to Russia, and Yormark is expecting big things from the 6-foot-7 champion.
“We want our boxing business to be defined globally, and we want it to be recognized globally. So the attention on this fight is going to be worldwide and I felt that this was a good way to get the Brooklyn Boxing brand out there beyond North America. Deontay embraced the opportunity to come in here and fight in Brooklyn and set a new course for his career. I expect him to come back and fight in Brooklyn after he goes to Russia and defends his belt.”
