What Glaser knows best is boxing. The man and his signature dark sunglasses has been working in and around the sport for most of his life. Controversy is his middle name. His enemies likely outnumber his friends. A newspaper recently referred to him as a professional boxing businessman. Glaser has been involved in since 1992. He's a promoter, international agent and matchmaker.
Glaser, 54, loves to talk boxing. He uses his Facebook page as a fight prediction board.
The numbers don't lie. He rarely gets a bout wrong.
Glaser also never met an opinion he didn't like. In this age of political correctness, his honesty is refreshing. Ask him a question and you'll get an answer. During a recent telephone interview, Glaser discussed many things about the sport he loves. And as always, he didn't pull his punches.
John Raspanti: Are you planning to watch the upcoming Floyd Mayweather/Miguel Cotto fight?
Rick Glaser: I may not even watch it free on pay-per view. I think it’s a gross mismatch. The undercard is deplorable. Shane Mosley shouldn’t be fighting anymore. I would rather watch Alveraz and Mayweather, plus a rematch between Cotto and Mosley. Cotto and Mosley are both shot. Their on the back nine. I think Cotto might win the first round, but after that, it’s all Mayweather.
JR: Where does all your knowledge come from?
RG: I know a good fight as soon as I hear it. I’m a seasoned professional. I understand what Bob Arum and Don King do, and I know the sport better than most people. I know how judges are going to score a fight based on their ethnic backgrounds and the style the judges like.
JR: Have some of the American fighters lost their edge?
RG: The foreign fighters are more hungry then the American fighters. Our guys are soft. Americans have lost the desire to succeed, where it takes hard work and perseverance in a physical way. I’m not saying we have fewer warriors here, but that’s mental.
JR: Where is the next great American heavyweight?
RG: They're either selling drugs or on a street corner, in jail, on drugs, or dead. That’s where they are.
JR: How is boxing different now then, say, forty years ago?
RG: How many big name fighters have been knocked out by body shots? A lot of them. That never happened in prior generations. These guys aren’t punching any harder. The reason is they don’t fight as often. In the old days, the guys fought all the time. They were always on weight. Today they spend all their time in the gym losing weight. The body isn’t right. So the fighter is slow and sluggish and can’t take the body shot.
JR: Many say that boxing is dying a slow death. What is your opinion?
RG: I think boxing has some great things going right now and some bad things. It has the greatest promoters of all time in Bob Arum and Don King still doing it at 80-years-old. Boxing doesn’t have the talent it once did, but there are still a number of very good fighters.
JR: You've worked with Don King. Many boxing fans blame King for the downturn in boxing. Is that unfair?
RG: The networks have blackballed Don King and why I just don't know. I think Don King could help sell the networks. He could sell Showtime and HBO. It’s a shame about Don King. It’s not fair. Showtime made millions of dollars with Don King and Mike Tyson. The executives are very different today. They don’t care what happened in the past, and that's a shame. Don King made HBO a boxing network.
JR: He’s been accused of stealing money from fighters? (Mike Tyson and Terry Norris)
RG: Yes, he has been accused of stealing money, but it's not true. Here’s how it works with Don King. If you take an advance from Don King, he wants his money back. He doesn’t rob from fighters. Boxing commissions would never allow that to happen. The money to Tyson was an advance. As for Terry Norris, Don loaned Terry’s managers money. The court ruled it as conflict of interest. Don was fair and took care of Terry. Look at all the title shots he got. Don didn‘t steal any money from him.
JR: Let me ask you about the Lone Star state. It seems every fight in Texas is controversial. What's going on?
RG: Well, I love Dicky Cole (head of the boxing commission in Texas) He’s a wonderful guy. He’s a great humanitarian, and a great person. But that being said, the boxing officials out there are the "expletive" worse. Gale Van Hoye can’t see four feet in front of him. He’s a horrible judge. There has to be a reason that every time there’s a major fight in Texas there’s a problem. Everyone can’t be wrong. There’s truth in volume.
JR: I'm sure you watched the Molina/Kirkland fight. What did you think of the stoppage?
RG: One of the worst calls I’ve ever seen. As soon as Molina got up (from a knockdown in round ten) the round was over. What are they doing? That was embarrassing. Here they're paying a referee who doesn’t know the rules. Their morons. Kirkland is from Texas. He's the promoter’s fighter.
JR: What could the Texas commission do to stop the atrocities?
RG: The Major promoters are afraid to say anything. The Texas crowds are sensational. They love there boxing in Texas. If I were a major network like Showtime or HBO, I’d tell them that there will no more boxing until that judges situation is righted. Name me a major show in Texas where we haven’t had a major controversy? It’s the worse in the country.
JR: Above all, you're fan right?
RG: Yes, I want fair fights. A fight should be won and lost in the boxing ring. It shouldn’t matter who your promoter is who your friends with.
JR: Name your favorite fighters
RG: I like the obvious. I like Floyd Mayweather because he’s a greatest fighter of our era. I like Pacquiao; he’s exciting and explosive at times. I like watching Miguel Cotto. He’s a gritty and classy guy. I always liked watching Roberto Duran. If you didn't like a Duran fight (from the 1970's) you weren't a real boxing fan.
JR: You have an interesting take on the career of Larry Holmes.
RG: Larry Holmes was a great fighter. He was so tough. What people don’t realize about Larry Holmes is this. When he went out and won the 15th round against Ken Norton in 1978 (with a torn ligament) that changed the heavyweight division. He created a legacy for seven straight years. He was the heavyweight champion of the world. That round changed the heavyweights. It wasn’t like he was leading going into the last round. The fight was dead even. When he won the 15th round, he won the fight. That one round started his ascent to the Hall of The Fame.
JR: Thank you very much Rick. It's been great talking to you.
RG: Thank you John. Anytime.
Follow and visit John on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/johnboxing1
Recent work from Raspanti:
Manny Pacquiao: "I have God in my corner" John J. Raspanti Canelo Alvarez is ready for Shane Mosley John J. Raspanti Boxing Book Review: "Cleveland's Greatest Fighters of All Time" JJ Raspanti Diamond belt at stake for Mayweather and Cotto John J. Raspanti The Iceman speaks: Can Chad Dawson defeat Bernard Hopkins in their rematch? John J. Raspanti Michael Katsidis returns to the ring wars April 13 John J Raspanti Brandon Rios wants to knockout Richard Abril John J. Raspanti Boxing Results: Rising star Rios improves to 18-0 John J. Raspanti Julio Chavez Jr. and Andy Lee meet in June; winner gets Sergio Martinez John J. Raspanti Chazz Witherspoon prepares for his biggest challenge John J. Raspanti The last comeback of Kelly Pavlik John J. Raspanti Usher set to play Boxing Legend in upcoming Roberto Duran film John J. Raspanti Floyd Mayweather wants five more fights after Miguel Cotto John J. Raspanti Manny Pacquiao speaks - Not quitting Boxing... Yet JJ Raspanti Sergio Martinez rallies to stop Matthew Macklin after 11 Witherspoon chooses Hunter as new trainer Undefeated Heavyweight David Rodriguez: “The time is now, give me a Klitschko”-- Questions/comments johnboxing1@hotmail.com
For much more boxng headlines and videos, visit the homepage at DoghouseBoxing.
Write for Doghouse Boxing: anthonyc1974@gmail.com.
Tweet
NEW: Follow Doghouse Boxing on FaceBook!
For more Boxing News 24/7 and so much more...
visit our homepage now!
