By Keith Terceira
This year, the Association of Boxing Commissions approved the inclusion of two new Tribal Commissions, San Juan Pueblo of New Mexico and the Pasqua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.
The list of Native American governing bodies continues to grow yearly and include Mississippi Choctaw, Southern Ute, Siletz, Oneida, Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Miccosukee, Pueblo of Santa Ana, and Yakama Nations.
From all points of the compass Tribal involvement in the sport of boxing grows at a pace that is encouraging to fight fans. The ABC also installed in its top positions of 2nd Vice President Mike Mazzulli (Mohegan) and Secretary Joanna Aguila (Pueblo of Santa Ana) and other Tribal Representatives hold important positions on Committees and Councils.
Great Champions who have Native American bloodlines include the likes of Joe Louis (Cherokee) and Little Red Lopez (Ute).
Fittingly, the time has come for the first Native American promoter to come on the scene, that historical slot has been filled by David Rivas of Rivas Warrior Boxing Promotions. David is a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Nation of Mississippi.
The Tunica inhabited Quizquiz a center of power in Northwest Mississippi and were influential in all lower southern states but were pushed south into the Biloxi Tribal territory with European expansion.
The Biloxi were based in the Mississippi Gulf coast area at the site of present day Biloxi, Mississippi. The two Nations currently reside on their reservation in Marksville, Louisiana.
Rivas Warrior Boxing Promotions will hold it’s next event on November 26th at the Paragon Casino Resort, located on Highway 1 in Marksville. The main event will feature IBU Inter-Continental Welterweight Champion “Bad” Chad Broussard putting his title on the line.
The Paragon features a 354-room hotel, a 1,600-seat entertainment complex, six restaurants, a full-service RV resort, the Kids Quest child care activity center and a professional golf course. Paragon Casino Resort is owned and managed by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.
David spent some time today giving us some background and plans for his company’s expansion and his deep interest in the sport of boxing.
BoxingScene.com: What led you to begin promoting this sport?
Rivas: “When I first got involved in boxing the tribal casino were just being to promote boxing and some of these promoters were charging them a lot of money for fights that were not the caliber of fights that I though were worth that type of financial expense. They were getting C matches for A type prices. To me boxing has always been the sport of all sports. I love boxing with a passion. So when I saw the combination of an opportunity to preserve and assist these Native American Boxing Associations and participate in a sport that I hold in such regard, it was a perfect scenario. In the beginning, it was so we could be on a little more equal playing field as far as dealing with some of these promoters.”
BoxingScene.com: Where did you first start your experience with boxing, because the general public may not recognize your company at this time?
“I first got involved with doing entertainment, doing some booking for various casinos for concerts an things of that nature. I had a booking agency that did concerts and events, later I was given an opportunity to do an ESPN fight on November 26th 1999, at the time of the football game called The Classic which is Gambling vs. Southern, we actually held a Black Tie boxing event in the Superdome and it was very, very nice. We had people like the late Johnny Cochran there, Evander Holyfield, Lou Duva, an a lot of the alumni from Southern and Grambling. It was one of those events with formal tables, a sit down dinner, and then also we sold tickets to the general audience as well. We did very well with that event and that kind of sparked it from there.”
BoxingScene.com: How is your promotional company being received by the various Native American Commissions?
“We are being well received, but they are so used to doing business, without being derogatory, with the old-school, it is kind of refreshing for them to know there is a Native American company out there. Also it gives them a lot of competition because they are so ingrained. Some are used to doing business with what has been out there that I have to break the mold a little bit. I have dealt with a couple of casinos including Paragon and others in the industry. There are other tribes out there that are doing a lot of boxing especially in California. About a year ago one tribe started their own promotional company. I am an individual Native American with a promotional company and now there is a tribal promotion as well.”
BoxingScene.com: Do you see it as a trend, where Nations begin their own Tribal Promotions?
“I don’t know because first of all, it’s a sizable investment and you need to have a lot of experience in the field of boxing or have some good people that you can trust. In the boxing industry, you know as well as I, you have to be careful. A lot of times there are some uncontrollables in there, if you sign the wrong thing or get connected with the wrong people, you can cause more damage than good. I think its one of those businesses that you can’t just jump into and say ok I’m going to be a promoter tomorrow.”
BoxingScene.com: Are you currently promoting any Native American boxers?
“I have several Native Americans that I use on our shows but none that I am per say promoting exclusively. Right now I am going into other peoples stables and utilizing their fighters but I have about four pending promotional contracts that I can’t really let out of the bag just yet (laughingly). “
BoxingScene.com: So, we can expect some surprises out of Rivas Warrior Boxing Promotions?
“Oh, Without a doubt ! “
BoxingScene.com: Do you think these surprises will catch the eye of the Boxing community ?
“Definitely, because these are fighters that have great records , they are up-and-coming, they are going to be title holders, and will blow everyone away. Great fighters with great reputations and very, very good records.”
BoxingScene.com: What is the uniqueness of your company versus others?
“Our uniqueness is that we offer a choice to the people we are promoting for whether it is a casino or it’s a venue with a live gate, what we do is try to tailor make something utilizing the demographics, utilizing local fighters, sometimes we will bring in some well known fighters as well, for example we brought in Reggie Johnson, two time world champion, and he knocked out seventh ranked Freddie Moore in the light heavyweight division. Reggie is a huge name and he will probably be fighting for a world title here shortly.
BoxingScene.com: What would happen in the past is that these big promotional companies would come in and say “this is what I got and this is what you have to pay me to get this”. We go and present to different venues and say what is it that you need and what are you looking for as far as budget wise and we work around that, and not go in with the arrogance that “I got this and I got that and you need to pay me this” What we try to do is give you a turnkey production but we also try to cookie cutter a promotional production that is going to work for you.”
“I am very happy doing this interview with you, I think that the sport of boxing is getting stronger and as far as Native Tribes getting more involved in the sport is growing and a lot of people see that as a positive because we are going to allow their to be more venues and we are going to create bigger and better shows. As it goes I think we are going to see the developing of a more fairness and equability as far as dealing with promoters and putting up productions in the Nations.”
BoxingScene.com: Thank you for the chance to speak to you David and good luck in the future.
“I want to put in a plug for a fabulous guy in Kerry Daigle who has a great stable and is a guy that knows how to bring the media together and promote a fight. Rivas Warrior Boxing Promotions expects to grow and be the upcoming best in the industry.”
BoxingScene.com: We will keep an eye out on the results of your card on the 26th and thanks again.