Tom Tsatas Talks Hitz Boxing, Fres Oquendo, More

By Ryan Burton

 

Tom Tsatas has been known for managing "Fast" Fres Oquendo's career and now has  linked up with Bobby Hitz to help him put on his boxing shows throughout the midwest.  Tsata's ever a student of the game thinks the current model of most boxing shows' is broken.  Fans want consistently good fight cards with lots of action.  "Better to lose a good fight than win a boring fight is Tsatas' motto."  Fres Oquendo headlines the latest installment of Hitz Boxing at the Horeshoe Casino in Hammond, IN on February 20th.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Tell us about the fight card at The Horeshoe in February?

 

Tom Tsakas:  We do have a fight card coming up from Hitz Boxing.  We are trying to create some energy and pack the place.  Its February 20th at The Horseshoe Casino in Hammond Indiana.  There is a room called the Venue.  It is a beautiful room.  Fres Oquendo is going to be the main event.  We have a young guy coming up named Henry Coyle and we have Terry Martin the former U F C kid who looks just like Tyson.  We have a couple other kids named Achour Esho and Johnny Lewus.  It is a pretty good card for what is kind of a local deal.

 

BoxingScene.com:  You have been managing Fres Oquendo so is this a tune up for him to get back in the mix for a big fight?

 

Tom Tsakas:  This is more than a tune up as he is defending NABA title.  I am not really managing him anymore since its a conflict to both promote and manage.  I am with Hitz Boxing now as I was hired to be the president.  We are putting Fres on the card as a local Chicago guy and we will see where it goes from there.  We had Lance Whitaker set for him to fight but he didn't accept the fight and he chickened out.  We had a couple other guys we wanted but nobody seems to want to fight him.  We got a couple more guys we are looking at and hope to get that straightened out soon.  He also has the WBC Latino title and we are trying to get the USBA to sanction the fight as well so we can have multiply belts involved.  I think he can get in the top ten if he wins this fight so we are looking at getting him the right opponent at this time.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Why the change from managing to promoting?

 

Tom Tsakas:  I am looking at getting into the promoting aspect because it gives me the chance to work with more guys.  It gives me a little more decision making in the process of how we do things instead of having other promoters try to bring my guys in as an opponent like they tried to bring Fres in for Olandier Solis or James Toney.  This way we are in control of what we are doing.  I partnered up with Bobby (Hitz) and I am glad he is back in boxing.

 

BoxingScene.com:  So right now the main adjective is to find a fighter for Oquendo so your main event is solidified?

 

Tom Tsakas:  Well Lance Whitaker's people said they would take the fight then we sent an offer and never heard back.  This is nothing new.  In the past we have heard the same thing from Cedric Boswell, Darnell Holmes and Chris Arreola.  There isn't a name we haven't gone through.  You know how I feel about the Oquendo vs Toney fight but I still give James credit because at least he fought him.  Most guys wouldn't even have done that.

 

 

BoxingScene.com:  Are the younger guys on the card signed to Hitz Boxing?

 

Tom Tsakas:  What we are trying to do with the promotional end of it is how do I say it.  I don't want to compare it to the U F C but I think boxing needs to change the way it does things.  I think we need to put on better events and give the fans better fights.  We want guys that are exciting locally and may have a chance to go national at the bigger level and be stars.  I think boxing needs to reinvent itself in a lot of ways.  Once Pacquiao and Mayweather are gone then what do you have?  U F C has been taking over because they do a great job marketing and putting on great events.  They are everywhere.  CBS has picked up M M A.  Spike has lots of coverage.  That is what I would like to try to do with Hitz Boxing.  I want to try to make it more fan friendly.  Not just throw a guy in there who puts a couple combinations together and wins.  We want a complete show rather than a couple of boring fights.  I guarantee there will be great prospect and good fighters putting on a great show.

 

BoxingScene.com:  So instead of the most used boxing format of a good main event and the card filled with prospect versus pushovers to pad their records and bigger names looking for rebound fights against has beens you want a stacked card fight one through eight?

 

Tom Tsakas:  We want ever card to be good.  If you get five straight knockouts so be it.  People love knockouts.  As long as you have exciting cards and guys going in there who can fight hopefully you will get a couple fights that are rock em' sock em' that go five or six rounds and are a real barn burner.  You want the fighter to have the possibility of losing.  You want to offer him something like if you go in and do real good we will offer you a bonus.  If you go in and snooze through a fight well then we don't want you.  I would rather have a guy lose a fight excitingly and bring him back than to win boring.  I guess that is the mentality that I have.  I want to give the fans their money's worth.  If its an exciting knockout and guys are going at it and it lasts a round its ok.  Just have another solid fight behind it.  The fans are the ones that pay at the end of the day.  I want to stack the card with as many good fights as I can and let there be some suspense as to who is going to win.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Going back to Fres.  If he wins the fight as planned what do you think the future holds for him?

 

Tom Tsakas:  I still can't understand how a lot of these people think.  Common sense seems to get thrown out the window with these opinions in boxing.  As far as that goes it would be great if I could tell you I knew.  Look at some of his losses, Tua, Holyfield, Toney.  We planned on them being wins but it didn't happen.  Of course I could tell you we want the Klitschko's.  he will fight anyone out there but people have to accept the fight.  Now that Bobby is back promoting Fres has a little more say in where he fights.  Boxing is still a business and TV is involved, etc.  The ultimate goal is probably David Haye.  I don't want to see him go to these close decisions and get ripped off again.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Closing thoughts on the fight?

 

Tom Tsakas:  The Venue is beautiful.  The card is stacked with good fighters, even though none of them are obviously Manny Pacquiao.  I think it will be an exciting night.  I would like the fans to go to Hitzboxing.com and check out our Facebook page.  They can check out the Venue at The Horeshoe.  It really is a great place to watch boxing.