Dan Goossen: Iconic Boxing Promoter Speaks to RSR

Exclusive Interview by Marc Anthony

“I look for the next best event and fight and really quite frankly I am looking really forward as a fan to the Ward and Froch fight.” – Dan Goossen

Dan has an eye for talent. Outside of boxing, he is known for discovering and managing the career of famous actor and personality, Mr. T. Inside of boxing, Dan has been involved in some of the biggest fights this sport has had to offer. He was involved with the record setting fight in Mexico City with a reported 136,274 live fans in the packed arena, Estadio Azteca, which made history by setting the largest outdoor attendance on February 20th, 1993, between living Legend Julio Cesar Chavez and Greg Haugen for the WBC Light Welterweight championship.

Dan has also worked with Mike Tyson and helped shape the careers of Michael “Second To” Nunn, The Ruelas brothers, “Terrible” Terry Norris and the list goes on. Currently, the roster is deep with talent. He has heavyweights in title contention; fan favorite Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola who could become the first Mexican-American World Heavyweight Champion of the world. Dan also has Jr. Middleweight sensation Paul “The Punisher” Williams and possible future hall of famer, former Gold Medal Olympian, Andre Ward who is currently in the finals of the prestigious Showtime’s Super Six Tournament.

Dan sits with RSR and shares his love for boxing

MA: In 2009 ratings on HBO were down a bit, but still, in that slow period, on 9/26/2009 – Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola (live) – did 2.124 million viewers (per Nielsen Media). What is it about Chris that brings eyeballs to Boxing?

I just believe that what has always brought eyeballs to boxing and that is fighters that like to fight. Chris likes to fight. He is in one word, exciting.

MA: Fast forward to 2011 and the ratings on HBO have increased. Why do you think the ratings have gone up?

Promoters and the sport itself have realized what the fans want to see, what the networks want to see, what the media wants to see, what I want to see as a fan are good old fist fights, guys that are willing and able to go there and try to kick some butt. When you turn on a good fight, no matter what level, it’s at its going draw your interest.

MA: With so many options for entertainment in today’s world, what makes boxing to this day so special and their athletes so revered around the world?

I think that boxing has a history to it that has been passed down from generation to generation. You throw that in with the fact that probably every boy, girl, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, teacher, firemen, policemen, garbage collector, janitor…they always have one thought process that has probably crossed their mind throughout the years: They want to kick someone’s butt, it’s just part of life. You have it with the type of regulation that we do in boxing and the level of officials it makes it a sport that people are attracted to providing that you have two willing participants.

MA: What does it take for a young fighter to get signed with Goossen Tutor one of the top Boxing promotional companies?

Well if they got talent, that’s really what it’s about. I always like to have good young men that have all the other facets to them. That means good moral character, a sense of personality, but when everything is said and done, you can have all those other attributes and if you can’t fight it doesn’t go too far.

So, first and foremost you have to have the talent and then you look into the character of the person. It’s a very important factor. One that weighs heavily if you got two fighters that are interested in signing with you that both have somewhat of an equal talent, you certainly want the one that’s got the type of personality that is one that works within the framework of your company.

MA: Did you get a chance to see the remake of the new A-team and what do you think of the new Mr. T?

I think Mr. T is like me. He doesn’t really watch remakes, when the original was on the air for so many years and really played to the core of America for many years.

MA People liked the media content “inside training” when you did the Paul Williams vs. Martinez fight… can we look forward to more productions like that?

Yes, Rodney Hunt handles all of our video distribution, filming, editing, marketing and he is just bullish on that. We believe that video is really the next step towards communication with really anyone out there in this world today. You put a video out there with Paul, Arreola or Andre and not only does the media have the opportunity to get out of it what they would want for their line of reference but someone sitting in Ireland at a Starbucks can push down the button and listen right there thousands of thousands of miles away.

MA: In the future are their plans to show undercard fights on a YouTube channel or some form of internet broadcast?

Yes, Rodney is in the process right now of changing over our website and upgrading every aspect of it so that we will be able to provide undercard fights and everything else on our website at http://www.goossentutor.com/.

MA: With 26 years of promoting boxing what is fights your favorite one?

Trying to think, I have had a lot of great fights throughout the years from the days of Gabe and Rafael Ruelas, Michael Nunn to my time with Mike Tyson to our fight in Mexico that we did with Don King with Greg Haugen, Terry Norris and Gabe Ruelas all on the same card against Don’s fighters. We had 136 thousand screaming fans out there.

MA: Could you guys even hear anything with that big of a crowd of 136,000?

It was crazy, and then we have had Paul Williams a sellout crowd in the Home Depot Center against Margarito, Andre Ward of course with his great victories. There have been a lot of good times for us and I think to pick out any one fight I would be doing a disservice to the other fights that I would rank right up there. I look for the next best event and fight and really quite frankly I am looking really forward as a fan to the Ward and Froch fight.

MA: Some myths that people say about promoters that are just not true?

I don’t know if they are called myths as much as accusations but I like to stand and be graded under my own. Some of the more defined thoughts and accusations that have been hurled at the promoters, some accurately and some inaccurately but that’s their business. I am not here to judge my fellow promoters. I am here to keep on doing things what I have been doing for 20+ years and keep moving forward.

MA: With the success of the Super Six, has Showtime looked into your roster and possibly set up another tournament?

I think a tournament of the elites is always beneficial to the sport.

Ma: Final words to the readers?

Final words, Oh, I hope not because I hope I’ve got many more words to say as the days, the weeks and months and years go on. There is something about finality that I don’t like to ever end on. As my dad used to say when we say goodbye. He would say no don’t use that word goodbye it’s too final. So we used to always say. See you in a while… So, I guess I will stick to what my parents taught me and I will say, see you in a while.