VETERAN promoter Abdul Feroz is back in boxing with Toe-2-Toe Promotions.
The Sigatoka farmer received his licence from Boxing Commission of Fiji earlier this month and is planning for a program in March or April.
Toe-2-Toe Promotions have in the past thrilled boxing by organising a number of super fights in Fiji.
During an interview in Suva, he shared his thoughts on a number of issues relating to professional boxing.
Times Sport: What difference can you make in professional boxing now that you’re back?
Feroz: I’m back after five-six years and what I can see at the moment is… there are not many drawcards left.
Times Sport: What kind of boxers are you looking at, to fight in your next program?
Feroz: Boxers can contact me if they want to fight for Toe-2-Toe Promotions. The boxers who have already fought for Toe-2-Toe, they know the taste of Toe-2-Toe. I already have some boxers who are training from last year. Some they fought before, some haven’t fought. You can’t make a program overnight.
Times Sport: The ‘golden boy’ tag in Fiji is vacant following the death of Joy ‘The Jet’ Ali. What is your comment?
Feroz: There are plenty boxers around who are training now and only time will tell, who can become a golden boy and a big drawcard. The drawcard will be the boxer who brings the crowd in, he can become a golden boy. Talk is cheap. But the right time will tell who is a draw-card and who is a champ. To see that there will be some good fights in Fiji.
Times Sport: In the past, Toe-2-Toe had great champions like Joy Ali and Sakeasi Dakua. What is needed to groom champions like Joy and Dakua?
Feroz: You can’t bring boxing overnight. It takes 8-10 years to groom a champion. Fiji boxers have potential.
Times Sport: What do you have to say regarding talks of a fight between Junior ‘The Razor’ Farzan Ali and Sebastian ‘The Sniper’ Singh?
Feroz: Junior Farzan versus the Sniper. I think that’s not a good thing to do. “The Sniper” is a coming-up champ and his father is a trainer. Farzan should not challenge him now. It will be unfair. It can also be a missmatch. Let Sebastian work with his management team. His father is there. They got a plan and there are ways to take boxers up like I had taken Joy Ali to number 13 in the world (World Boxing Council). If we got a product, if we got a promoter, you got the connection, you can do anything. To me, it’s not an issue. Farzan’s had many fights. He should be fighting some ranked boxers. Before retiring he should bring some big fights. Sebastian is a new boy.
Times Sport: Where do you see professional boxing in Fiji after three years?
Feroz: I think we will have some great champions.
Times Sport: What kind of training and effort have you guy’s put in ahead of your son’s professional boxing debut?
Feroz: That’s why I’m saying only time will tell inside the ring. That’s the aim. Talk is cheap. There is too much talking. Some promoters are talking about some very big fights. International fights. We don’t have boxers for big fights at the moment.
Times Sport: What is your expectation from the Boxing Commission of Fiji?
Feroz: I think BCF will learn more like since I’ve come back and I will be working with BCF, if they need any advice, I’m always there. I’ve got a track record and I’ve done some big fights.
Xavier Mamani — In 2005, he was WBA number 10, Gary Comer — 2005, he was Australian number one light middleweight (champion), Paul Smallman (Australian), he was once rated WBA number seven super middleweight.
Times Sport: How long will it take you to get some boxers like that back?
Feroz: I got a plan with my son. I think by next year, we’ll be having some good ranking fights here. I’m already working on it. Start the year with a meeting. The BCF, media, police department, sports minister and the sports commission, all should sit together with the promoters and boxers. There are so many things in the promulgation. Who plays which role? Boxing is a different sport. You can’t put it together with soccer and rugby. The media should have journalists who know how to build a particular sport. Media is reporting without full information. Media should know their boundary. Sometimes media leave the promoters and write one side of the story. Media is not balancing the story. The story should be balanced before it is published.
Times Sport: What do you have to say about the relationship between a promoter and boxer?
Feroz: It should be a very good relationship. If a boxer wants to become a champ, he should have respect for the promoter. The promoter is the only person who runs the show and puts the money on the deals. So for the boxer to stick with a good promoter, it is going to lead him to the ladder.
Times Sport: The issue of boxers signing for fights and pulling out injured. This is after signing the contract. It happened last December. It has happened in your programs too. What can be done about this so that it does not happen in future?
Feroz: We can have reserve boxers. While putting the match you have to use the scale. When we sign a boxer, we must have his weight. Use the scale to see if he can make the weight he has signed for. Heavyweight — weight is not an issue. If a boxer is 130kg, that’s the weight of a wrestler. There is no limit but I think not more than 105kg. The lighter the better because you are carrying the big weight on your legs, moving and punching. It makes you boring.
