By Victor Salazar
New York - It’s been a little over a year since the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Richard Schaefer, announced that he was starting his own promotional company, Ringstar Sports.
Schaefer was one of the founders of Golden Boy and he was with the company until his resignation in 2014.
With Ringstar, Schaefer had to start from scratch and take on the tough task of building the business from the ground up - which he is in the process of doing.
More than a year has passed from the moment he introduced his new company to the sport, and Schaefer is satisfied with his progress.
“I’m very pleased that it’s been a little over a year since I started Ringstar Sports,” Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"In that year I’ve started Ringstar France with Tony Yoka, an Olympian - and Haymaker Ringstar in the UK with David Haye, Willie Hutchinson, and Joe Joyce. Then we have the business here signing many prospects like the number one U.S. prospect Karlos Balderas and many more which we’re going to be guiding their careers here in the states.”
Schaefer still has close ties with powerful adviser Al Haymon and the Premier Boxing Champions series, as well as being at the head of the ongoing World Boxing Super Series.
“I still have a relationship and working with PBC and Al Haymon,” explained the promoter. "I did a great event on Fox this past Saturday that did great ratings with the Abner Mares and Leo Santa Cruz doubleheader. Fox loves boxing and to have boxing featured right at the conclusion of the Yankee baseball game, it was a tremendous showcase for boxing.”
Schaefer has promoted some of the biggest events in boxing during his tenure with Golden Boy - and he strongly feels that within year one, he is ahead of the pace he had when Golden Boy first formed.
“I have to tell you in the first year, Golden Boy is not where Ringstar is today, so I am ahead of the curve,” stated Schaefer.
But the goal remains the same as it was when he was with Golden Boy; putting on the best cards.
“My goal is to make the best fights and loaded cards,” said Schaefer. “That’s the problem with pay-per-view cards, you see one good fight and the rest is absolute sh*t, I mean absolute sh*t. To the point where I have to say 'do I want to by the pay-per-view?' Do I want to sit through these sh*t fights for the main event which the main event is great? Or do I want to watch the replay next week?"
“I don’t believe in telling the public it’s a loaded card when it’s not,” continued Schaefer. “I love creating a loaded card. We had Canelo three or four times on a Mayweather undercard. Or how about when we did Lucas Matthysse and Danny Garcia under Mayweather-Canelo. That’s the loaded cards I believe in if you’re asking someone to pay 70 to 100 dollars and to sit for three hours - they should be entertained for three hours.”
