Tony Jeter: Overcoming Boxing Hatred & Avenging Defeat
Exclusive Interview by Marc Anthony
“There are these 5 people with little dick syndrome in this area. They have a hard on for me. It’s like I take up space in their mind.” — Tony Jeter
Tony “Mo Better” Jeter, 12-3, 9 KO’s, made his professional debut on January 25th, 2001, and started off with a knockout win. Since then, he has had 12 victories, 9 of them by stoppage.
A local fan favorite and a mind for the business side of boxing, Tony has been running a Promotional Company “Jeter Promotions,” which helps to showcase local boxing talent, create jobs for the fighters and promote the sport of boxing. His wife owns one of the top training facilities, home of Paul “The Punisher” Williams among many other top pros.
Tony is set to face Jose in a rematch bout as the Club One Fitness and Jeter Promotions main event on February 25th, at Club One Fitness located at 1131 Benfield Blvd St. M-Q Millersville, Maryland. For tickets and more information on the card you can call 410-729-3900 or visit the gym.
MA: Is your promotional company “Jeter Promotions” a new project?
Actually, my wife and I had been doing it for a while now. It was under “Better Promotions” now Jeter Promotions. We have done like 10 amateur shows at the club (Club One Fitness) but this will be our first Pro show we have done at the club. It will be our third Pro show we have done. It will be our 13th show we have promoted all together.
MA: Is there a big difference between Pro and Amateur shows, promotional wise?
Oh yeah, all the way around. There is more money, insurance policies, and overall, it’s a bigger machine, and you have to pay the boxers. In amateurs, you have to give them trophies, but in the Pro’s you have to pay the fighters. From the promotional part, to make it successful, you have to have people fill the seats. That’s the biggest thing.
MA: It’s great that you are creating jobs for the fighters.
Definitely, the fighters get to make some money, build a record up and hopefully move on to bigger and better things.
MA: You are the matchmaker and you matched yourself in a revenge type fight. Can you tell RSR readers about that and the difference with you actually being a fighter while matchmaking?
With me and Felix, I think it was a good match. He was the better fighter that night and we will do it again. I think he really brought his “A” game I did bring my “A” game and he was just the better man that day. Overall me being the matchmaker: I am in boxing and I am connected to the game so it’s not hard to pick the fights. The difference between me and a lot of the veteran matchmakers is I understand the game. A lot of the people just concentrate on being a competitive and phenomenal fight. That’s true but at the same time, people are coming to see an individual fighter.
Even in Vegas, on the big cards that draw 14 thousand people, they are going to see the Oscar De La Hoya or whoever. If De La Hoya gets a first round knockout, all 14 thousand people are going be happy. That transcends to the local level too. You get Jimmy Lange, me, or whoever else that is a draw to the crowd. If we win spectacular, that’s all the fans really care about. So, with matchmaking, I just want to get everybody on the card and hopefully get the people in. The people that win do and those that don’t, don’t.
MA: How has the training been with you promoting, matchmaking and fighting?
It’s tough. I have a lot on my plate. But I will be good to go. I know Felix is going bring his “A” game again. It’s going be a good, good bout. I expect him to bring his “A” game.
MA: Were you surprised by Felix’s game plan in the first bout or was it just part of the game?
I was definitely surprised, but, at the same time, it is part of the game. He is a veteran. He has 98 professional rounds. I have 45. He has double the experience I have. Overall I think he was a good step up. I think a lot of people have overlooked him. He definitely had his “A”: game and I will have my “A” for sure. In boxing, you can’t say “time out,” and put a substitute in there. That’s it, we are there. The day of the fight, you have to come out, whether you feel good or you are sick…that’s how it goes. We will do it again and see how it goes. Hopefully, it will turn out better for me. I am not overlooking Jose Felix. First of all, he is a good guy and a class act and on top of that he is a good fighter.
MA: Your wife and you are the Jeter Promotional team plus you guys have Club One Fitness. What is that like?
Yeah, we have the Gym. She and a partner own the gym: Club One Fitness. We had Showtime there last week. Paul Williams is training in our Gym. We had Showtime last week taping and in the summer we had Max Kellerman over. The Gym, it’s one of the best facilities in the country to hold a camp. Some people don’t know about it but it’s a phenomenal facility. It’s a 20 thousand square foot facility with an Olympic size ring…20 treadmills it’s an unbelievable place.
We are really excited; I think we are going have a big turnout to see the rematch. There are going be people to see me lose and to see me win.
MA: You have critics that seem fixated on you?
Oh my God yeah. There are these 5 people with little dick syndrome in this area. They have a hard on for me. It’s like I take up space in their mind. It’s awesome; they go on these local blogs and blast on me. At the end of the day, when they stop writing about me, I know I don’t mean anything. As long as they keep writing about me, that means I am important enough to be thought of in other people’s minds. Yeah, there are like a handful of haters. I know who they are. They really have that little dick syndrome. They just have low self-esteem. I think anybody that is successful and does something has haters. I can promote my own show, I can do amateur shows, I can pay for my opponents or I can buy into a card. A lot of people don’t have those resources. Then you flip that around and some people get jealous…envious, they get upset because they can’t do it for one reason or another. Me on the other hand, if someone is doing well, that’s awesome…it’s great. I am not a hater, I like when people do well besides just me.
MA: As a fighter, what kind of style do you like watching in boxing or a type of fighter?
I love Gamboa, I think he is awesome. Canelo and Cotto: I don’t really have a specific style I like. Of course, I like Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao, but I really like Gamboa. I think Gamboa is explosive. I like Andre Ward too. I think he is my favorite fighter, my number one or two.
MA: Andre Ward always seems very calm, even when he gets hurt. Did you watch his last fight?
I have watched him through the Olympics; I have seen a lot of his fights. The dude is amazing. He hasn’t lost since he was like 15. He is amazing.
MA: How does someone do that, not lose since he was 15?
It takes a special person. As an amateur he was at the highest level. He won in the Olympics. He won it at light heavyweight and turned pro at light middleweight. The guy is a machine. He is one of those fighters that are just once in a lifetime type of fighter. He is a special athlete. I would say he is one of my favorite fighters.
MA: During training, do you do a lot of roadwork or hit the treadmill?
We mix it up. I do both. Stairs, treadmill run on the outside. We do it all.
MA: Do you enjoy the training aspect?
Oh yeah, I love to train. It keeps you in great shape. That’s the camaraderie you have with boxing. The people you meet, the other fighters. It’s a special thing. That’s one of the things I like the most about boxing. At the level I am at, I am not going make real money on a fight. This is like chump change. I box because I love it. That’s mainly the reason why I do it. At the end of the day with boxing there are very few people who make it to that Andre Ward level, but a lot of people are in boxing just for the simple fact: for the love of it.
MA: If you could tell people one thing that draws you to boxing, what would it be?
The one on one aspect, in boxing you don’t have teammates. It’s just you. So when I lost to Felix, there was nobody to blame but myself. I wasn’t mad at anybody because I lost. If I was in a team, everybody is pointing the finger. At the end of the day, it’s you responsible for those losses or wins. If you win, it’s you that is winning. If you lose, it’s all you. I think that’s the biggest thing that draws you in to boxing for a lot of people that one on one aspect.
MA: Some people who have fought once they lose, they never seem to be the same, but you have lost before and you still have that hunger and drive, how did you do it?
The times I have lost before, it took a lot out of me. But this time I lost and you know what we will do it again. I am in a position to grow a show and hopefully it will draw. I think we will. We have a phenomenal card. Brandon Quarles is fighting Omar Sims as co-main event. Sherman Artis a great up and coming fighter from Club One. Brandon is from also from Club One. Nick Kisner, the card is going be stacked with local talent. I think that alone being on that card with those great fighters motivates me. The loss, sometimes you lose, you do it again. He has fought some good fighters. This guy can fight. He has been in the ring with some legit guys.
MA: Sounds like fireworks are going be happening that day?
I truly believe this is going be a good card. It will set us up to do more cards. Hopefully come back in the summer and do another one and give more people fights. Keep people employed, give them wins and have their careers going. That’s where a lot of people forget. These fights help everybody. Some of those haters with the little dick syndrome don’t understand the concept. People should be rooting for me because you want to keep the machine going. If the machine is not going that’s one more fight card that is not going to happen.
Boxing in this area is sometimes not the most supportive. We have some good fighters in this area but not the most supportive.
MA: I would think it would be…
It’s definitely not. You have the Lange’s who do them. They do really good and that’s it. You have the Lange’s. Jimmy Lange and them they are basically it. Everybody else is trying to catch up to what they have. It’s basically because you have Jimmy Lange who is the machine. He is awesome, that dude right there is really helping the metropolitan area in the boxing scene. Every time that dude fights and gets clipped or wobbled I pray that he wins. All I want him to do is keep on winning. He helps the local game. Every time he wins, everybody else wins. Some people don’t understand that. It’s like they are so dumb.
MA: You have your fans too, correct?
We are going do it big. I truly think this thing is going be big. I am very excited. I think the biggest thing right now is to get the “W”. That’s most important right now.
Tony Jeter
Division: Middleweight
Nickname: “Mo Better
Professional Record: 12-3-1, 9 KO’s
2011-12-17 Jose Felix 10-11-2 Arlington, US L TKO 5
2011-11-19 Ken Dunham 6-12-1 Upper Marlboro, US W UD 4
2011-03-12 Mike McFail 12-41-2 Fairfax, US W UD 6
2010-11-10 Adrian Redmond 4-7-1 Washington, US W KO 2
2010-07-10 Lawrence Jones 3-2-1 Fairfax, US D TD 1
2010-04-02 Vincent Robbins 3-8-2 Washington, US W KO 2
2009-09-26 Keith Gross 3-1-0 Fairfax, US W KO 1
2008-11-14 Darrett Crockett 6-20-0 Millersville, US W TKO 2
2008-09-19 Chris Cook 3-14-1 Millersville, US W UD 4
2008-04-18 Pete Guthy 1-3-2 Pikesville, US W TKO 1
2005-12-02 James Shedrick 3-4-0 Millersville, US L KO 4
2005-10-07 Lawrence Frisby 3-8-0 Millersville, US W TKO 2
2001-10-05 Kwame Bumpus 1-0-1 Philadelphia, US L UD 4
2001-06-29 Richard McCombs 1-0-0 Washington, US W TKO 1
2001-03-30 Curtis Wilkens 1-5-0 Dover, US NC NC 2
2001-02-07 Donald Beynum 0-1-0 Washington, US W KO 3
2001-01-25 Ervin Fuller 1-1-0 Glen Burnie, US W TKO 1
