Sadam Ali Fine, Continues Doing Things His Way

By Jake Donovan

It hasn’t been an easy year by any stretch for Sadam Ali. The unbeaten Brooklynite has witnessed two major shows take place in his native Brooklyn, yet he wasn’t a part of either card.

A high profile card took place this past weekend at the brand new Barclays Center, the home for the relocated Brooklyn Nets. Ali could have weaseled his way onto the show, but that would have meant serving at the mercy of another promoter and most likely fighting on the non-televised portion of the show in front of a room full of empty chairs.

Instead, he headlines his own show this weekend – his second straight under his own World Kid Promotions label  – when he faces Jermaine White at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn. The show will air live on pay-per-view, though the goal isn’t a quick cash grab but a small yet notable step in taking full control of his career.

“It puts me in a more comfortable position,” Ali says of his dual role as fighter and promoter. “I make it happen rather than sitting down waiting rather than waiting for a promoter to tell me when I get to fight. That’s the good part about it.”

Ali (15-0, 9KO) made headlines earlier this year in becoming the youngest active promoter in the United States for his June 2 win over Frankie Gonzalez. Then 23 years old, the show marked his debut as a self-promoter, following in the footsteps of his boxing idol Prince Naseem Hamed, who shares his Yemen roots.

The idea to call his own shots came while at a personal crossroads in his career.

“It was about a year when I thought about it,” Ali says, which explains the nine-month gap between his two most recent fights.

The former Olympian – Ali served as a member of the ’08 U.S. squad in Beijing – kept busy while fighting on the undercards of Tomasz Adamek and  Zab Judah. The route led to his televised debut, a 3rd round knockoutof Julias Edmunds in July ’10.

Several more appearances followed on the televised undercards of independent pay-per-view telecasts, though all he was getting out of it was ring activity and a lot of grief.

“I was in a position where I felt like I wasn’t in control, that I could be bullied around,” Ali says of the early years of his still budding career. “That’s why I took matters into my own hands. It’s definitely good route. Everything is going well.”

Ali’s promotional business is a family affair, largely overseen by his father David (Mahmoud) Ali. “It’s not like I’m training, taking phone calls and printing tickets all at the same time,” Sadam jokes in explaining that being a self-promoter isn’t a one-man show. “I have a close relationship with my dad and he knows what’s going on.”

The downside to going his own way, of course, is less exposure.

This weekend’s show will be seen on pay-per-view by fans willing to pay the price ($29.99 SRP) for a show not necessarily dripping with high-profile talent. Ali is well aware that he has a way to go before appearing on the radar of any major network, nor will a win over a fighter like Jermaine White immediately thrust him upon that level.

At age 24, time is on his side. Amidst a ‘right now’ era, patience remains in his blood.

“Most of the feedback is that I’m doing the right thing. Most of it is good. Some people say if you mess up, you’re screwed. I already know that. I just have to stay on top of my game. Not only does it give me the opportunity, but other fighters as well and brings more fights to Brooklyn.

“I don’t regret doing it at all.”

Of course, Ali doesn’t plan to slum it out on the independent pay-per-view circuit for very long. That said, his eventual day as a regular TV fighter will come on his terms.

“I see myself being shown on TV a lot more,” Ali says of the long term plan of as a self-promoter. “Perhaps an ESPN or Showtime fighter and definitely more PPV shows. Also, I see myself being better known and that boxing fans get to know who I am. That’s my goal, keeping boxing alive.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeNDaBox