Boxing Promoter Has Message For Rivals

“We can all thrive. It makes sense for us, work together,” said Boston-based boxing promoter Michael Reyes, with the “us” including himself as one of the people who promote pro boxing in the Massachusetts/New England area.

“We’ve seen it more this year with ‘the big guys,’ it makes sense for us, too.”

Sounded good to me, I’m very firmly in the “a rising tide…” ideology band of thought.

But, I also know that is opposite to how many of us tend to operate.

Michael Reyes is seeking a culture of respect and reciprocity

Encouraged To Obsess Over Building Our Own Brand, Not The Satisfaction of Collaborating

That’s because we’re encouraged, explicitly, to grind, out-compete, take market share, build our brand by obliterating the competition.

Less heard are potential paths focusing on teamwork, banding together with other like minded souls who share your spirit, etc. You get the point.

I liked the direction boxing promoter Reyes went in, because, honestly, it’s the move made by a leader.

OK, so I’ve attended lots of rodeos and have a decent handle on how often surly bulls try to expend angry energy on some rube about have dust where their ribs were.

Americans have been hearing encouragement for the “zero sum game” strategy of personal business advancement for 40 plus years, it’s hard to make a dent in such an entrenched tradition.

However, many of us get it innately, that life is more pleasant when we do collaborative endeavors.

The boxing promoter tells me he enjoys the energy fashioned when entities cooperate, contributing to a better overall product, which ultimately trickles down to benefit fighters, in the form of more opportunities.

Boxing Promoter Michael Reyes A Beatles Fan

So—boxing promoters are not typically leaders in this realm, the Beatles’ “Come Together” school of business self management.

And that’s to be expected, that the Arums, Haymons, et al are hyper cognizant of maximizing leverage to extract maximum revenue.

That’s what Harvard teaches, in fact.

Harvard doesn’t teach a class in How To Survive and Thrive As A Startup Boxing Promoter. It would draw well, I bet…

Nah, there’s no professor laying it out on a white board, with home-made pie-charts marked with the words “Oct 28,” “Lowell,” “Dorchester,” and “total number pro boxing fans likely to attend show in Boston area.”

Life is, let’s not kid ourselves, a fight. Sometimes it all gets Down & Dirty, and you’ll get messy battling your way out of it. That’s OK, keep throwing.

Michael Reyes, Boxing Promoter, Enjoys Working With Rivals

There is Reyes, telling me his ideal, that rivals treated each other as competition, yes, but also as a member of a challenging fraternity which can benefit from efficiency gains in the logic, and decency department.

That’s a gentle way of saying the boxing promoter  Reyes thinks it’s not the smartest move booking a show in Dorchester, which is pretty close to Lowell, on the same night.

Just thinking pragmatically, the local commission is better served when they don’t have to dilute their resources, he points out to me.

Reyes Boxing Promotions Has Card Saturday, October 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts

So, on Saturday, Oct 28 Reyes Boxing Promotions is holding a card featuring WBO 154 Pound Latino champion, Rodrigo Coria, at the Lowell Auditorium.

Rodrigo Coria and his promoter, Michael Reyes, happy about winning the WBO title

Reyes looks to place heavyweight Michael Hunter, who is hot for a shot at Andy Ruiz, on the card.

Also, Gabi Morales, in a step-up fight, super middleweight contender Malcolm Jones, St Louis prospect Robert Magee, NABA 140 pound champ Joseph Fernandez, not to mention unbeaten Luke Iannuccilli, out of Methuen.

Straight talk from Reyes, who said sales are brisk, but there’s room for improvement. “I think ticket sales are being hindered,” said boxing promoter Reyes.

He’s theorizing that some folks will be torn, having to choose one or the other, Reyes’ show or the one in Dorchester, topped by James Perella.

“We’ve done this weekend the last two years, this is year three,” Reyes continued, underlining that tradition in the making.

“To my competitor-friends, I would offer that there are only a certain number of fans in the area, and there are limited number of fighters willing to accept local and 50-50 level fights, so often we have to bring them in out of state, which makes costs more prohibitive.

”So, let’s do what? Let’s work together, have as many cards in the region as possible, allow more fighters and yes, promoters, to be successful.”

Michael Hunter has been sparring Andy Ruiz online. He’ll seek to show on Oct 28 he is the number one American heavyweight.

Note: Reyes isn’t just talking theory from his personal book, of common sense, which is uncommon in our zero sum game obsessed culture. He’s been to the rodeos as well.

He can tell stories about learning common sense tips from the late master maneuverer Vinnie Vecchione, and fighters from his crew like Peter McNeeley and Danny Phippen.

“So, I saw it in the 1990s, Jimmy Burchfield based in Rhode Island, Rich Cappiello out of Boston/Brockton area, they certainly co existed.”

Ok, Vinnie and company weren’t so much about linking arms with rivals, actually, but Vinnie had good reason to more so simply focus on his master class project, Peter.

“Regardless, boxing then was more successful in the New England area, as compared to now,” the promoter stated.

So, what now?

More details on Reyes Boxing Promotions Saturday, Oct 28 card in Lowell to come…

The Polite and Sensible Ask From Michael Reyes

Reyes is hopeful that the people in his channel  who ply this trade today, Chris Traietti, Jose Rivera, James Perella, etc, will recognize that it doesn’t need to be “divide and conquer” 24-7.

There have been times, he told me, when a rival would have a Reyes boxer on a card, lifting the caliber of the matchup, thereby boosting potential sales… and when reciprocity is requested, it falls on deaf ears.

“At times, it’s been all one way. Now, though, we look forward to our Reyes Boxing Promotions Oct 28 show, and into the close of 2023, into 2024.

“We stay in our lane, and to be honest, I’m pretty pleased where we are in such a short time… But I’d like to be a part, with my supposed promotional rivals, of lifting up Boston-area and New England pro boxing, Woodsy.

“There’s no shortage of talent and personalities and people to root for and watch as they work to being world champions around here. Let’s showcase all of them, and we can all enjoy the ride.”