By Jake Donovan
Just because you haven’t seen it for yourself, doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened.
For those who only pay attention to what is put in front of them and not the sport as a whole, chances are that the name ‘Chet Koerner’ doesn’t immediately ring out. But for a stable of up and coming talent, the mere mention of the Houston-raised promoter’s name and his TKO Boxing promotional company means staying busy, with or – and for far too long – without TV.
The good news for those who insist that seeing is believing, is that fans will finally get to witness for themselves what all of the fuss is about regarding the hardest working man in the sport.
After securing more fight dates per year than any promotional company not named Top Rank or Golden Boy Promotions, the boxing power brokers have finally thrown a bone to the hardest working man in the sport.
TKO Boxing makes its ESPN2 Friday Night Fights debut this weekend, hosting a show to be aired live from Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California (Friday, 11PM ET). Headlining the show is a welterweight crossroads bout, pitting former junior welterweight contenders Demetrius Hopkins and Mike Arnaoutis in a 12-round welterweight battle that is must-win for both fighters.
Most of all, the show needs to be must-see TV if Koerner is to be granted future air time.
While there is plenty of boxing on the tube, the truth of the matter is that you shouldn’t expect very many dates – if any at all – unless you are well-connected or willing to partner up with the promoter du jour for a given network.
Golden Boy Promotions has its hands in several cookie jars – the exclusive supplier for Telefutura and its revamped Solo Boxeo series; an output deal with HBO; a guarantee of (at least) one show per month on ESPN2 (in exchange for the massive amounts of sponsorship they supply the network) and – although no longer airing their shows live – funding from Fox Sports for their Fight Night Club series.
The road to live action on Fox Sports Espanol (and sporadic showings on its English-speaking affiliates) goes through Top Rank. All-Star Boxing provides the majority of shows to Telemundo on the occasions in which the Spanish-speaking network decides to showcase the sport.
Several promoters have their share of dates with HBO, though there is also a reason that the running joke in the industry has the acronym standing for Haymon Boxing Organization.
In that vein, recent years have suggested that when it comes to boxing on its airwaves, ESPN could stand for Everyone’s Stuck with Pellulo Now.
The moral of the story is that – unless you’re already on a programming director’s speed dial – you better make the most of the few opportunities that are trickled down to the rest of the masses.
Some promoters find ways to work around the system, either partnering up with some of the aforementioned or willingly supply the B-side for the promotion. Sometimes the upset occurs and you get a date for yourself; other times, your services are rewarded with future opportunities with said promoter so long as you keep feeding them opponents.
The reason why you haven’t seen much of TKO Boxing until recent times is that Koerner doesn’t share other promoters’ obsessions with always chasing the TV dates and the biggest payday. Going that route means not only minimizing your fighters’ chances of winning, but denying them the opportunity to build up a fan base of their own.
It was this line of thinking that gave Koerner the idea for his “Hometown Heroes” series, in which his fighters – whether in their prime, on the way up or on their final lap around the track – are afforded the opportunity to connect with their fans and become regional attractions.
Even without the benefit of network dollars pillowed under him, Koerner has enjoyed major success with the series. With the likes of arguably the sport’s best manager and matchmaker in Cameron Dunkin and Chris Middendorf, the company has amassed an exceptional roster of talent, several of whom have already developed into regional draws while awaiting their shot at prime time.
The Hometown Heroes series has already resulted in drawn respectable-sized crowds across the country for fighters such as Carney “Beeper” Bowman, Matt Remillard, Leo Santa Cruz and Dat Nguyen, while also taking part in the rebuilding process for former title challengers Peter Manfredo Jr, Edner Cherry and Rolando Reyes, among many others.
The theory expressed by the Houston businessman, who now runs shop out of Beverly Hills, is that no fighter is expendable, and that anyone who signs with TKO Boxing will receive his unbridled support. Big fights will eventually come, but the plan will be to build you up to where you bring more to the table than just your fight record once enticed with the right opportunity.
Demetrius Hopkins is the latest notable fighter who hopes to benefit from Koerner’s hands-on approach, having joined the company after spent all of 2009 on the sidelines due to promotional and personal issues.
Only one fight has graced his resume since his lone title bid, falling short in a last-minute assignment against then-140 lb titlist Kendall Holt in December 2008. Hopkins accepted the fight after Ricardo Torres abruptly pulled out, but lack of proper preparation resulted in the lone loss of his career, dropping a split decision in what would be his last fight for more than a year.
Hopkins had his opportunities to rebuild, but missed weight for one fight and for the most part was a man without a country. A brief stay with Top Rank went nowhere, while a previous beef with his uncle – Bernard Hopkins – ultimately resulted in his falling out with Golden Boy Promotions.
His one fight since signing with TKO Boxing saw the Philly contender pitch a shutout against Jesse Feliciano this past March in Commerce, California. The show was on a weeknight and off-TV, two scenarios that would ordinarily have fighters cringe.
But with TKO fighters, when and where the fights take place is of little concern, so long as there are plenty of fights to be had. While other promoters try to woo fighters with the promise of fighting on TV, the only promise made – and always kept – by Koerner is that you won’t go stale while fighting in his stable.
Last year saw TKO Boxing host 19 shows across the country, and they are on pace to easily surpass that total by year’s end. Of the 40 or so total dates since 2008, this weekend will only be the second in which he is granted a TV date.
Earlier in the month, Koerner was involved in a Telemundo show that aired live from Tampa. It was supposed to showcase Edner Cherry, but his fight was scratched at the 11th hour. Despite the setback, a slew of Koerner’s fighters were able to find work on the non-televised undercard.
Just shy of a month later, several of those same fighters – including undefeated super lightweight prospect Joseph Elegele – find themselves back in the ring, along with the promise of more work later this summer.
Fellow unbeaten prospect Francisco Contreras, who appears in the televised co-feature against Noe Bolanos, wasn’t on that show but does fight this weekend for the third time this year and - at just three years and 14 fights in - is already on the fast track to contender status by this time next year.
Beyond Friday night, TKO Boxing has three more dates lined up before Labor Day, in three separate parts of the country. Despite the absence of television for any of the aforementioned shows, all are expected to be well-attended thanks to his flair for campaigning on the grassroots level better than anyone else in the sport.
For at least one night, the company is given the reward of their revolution finally being televised.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .