Lou Dibella, CEO and founder of Dibella Entertainment, has been involved in the sport of boxing for over twenty six years, sixteen as a promoter and ten years as an executive working for HBO Boxing. He has pretty much seen a lot of the ups and downs that the sport has endured over the years but nevertheless has still managed to soldier on and remain passionate about the sport he loves.
In a recent interview conducted by Lenny the Fight Smith at Leave it in the Ring Radio, that passion was on full display when Dibella was asked about the recent rumors about the alleged troubles of the Premier Boxing Champions series (PBC). “The thing that blows my mind is all the wishful hating that’s going on against these PBC efforts on free TV or on basic cable or media outlets that haven’t traditionally done boxing. If you think that the failure of any chance being taken to bring boxing to new fans and more eyeballs, if anyone who thinks the failure of that is good for an industry is a f**king idiot,” Dibella stated.
When asked about the rumors of Waddell & Reed, the asset management company, who allegedly invested over five hundred million dollars in PBC and has supposedly lost eighty five percent of their investment Dibella responded, “What stuff has come out? Some f**cking moron took a thread on Reddit and acted like that was some great source.” Dibella went on to say, “I don’t know anything that’s going on with Waddell & Reed. If I walked into someone who worked for them on the street, I wouldn’t know who they were. I have no idea how much money is really out there to back PBC or how much money the venture capitalist put up. I have no idea. It’s not my business.
“I’m promoting my fighters and I’m running my business. I’m running Dibella Entertainment which is distinct completely from PBC. I have a very good relationship with Al (Haymon, PBC founder). I have an ongoing relationship with a number of the fighters that are promoted by PBC and if I have the opportunity promote good shows and good fights and major events I’m very happy to do that. I get paid when I promote and when I promote I work my f**cking ass off and I think I’m one of the best out there. I don’t think I have to defend myself against clowns that are out there spreading hatred and innuendo without really knowing what they’re writing about.”
Dibella also refuted another rumor being put out there by the boxing media about PBC severing ties with Warriors Boxing, a promotional company that has promoted several PBC shows. “It also came out that a promoter from Florida who has a perfectly fine relationship with PBC and continues to do shows for them was quote on quote fired or let go or had a falling out and it was totally b*llsh*t. Ninety percent of what I’ve been reading lately is totally bullshit. If I’m reading on the internet that Leon Margules (CEO of Warriors Boxing) is having a fallout with PBC, I talk to Leon everyday and he is not having a fallout with anybody. Does anyone care about journalistic f**cking responsibility anymore?”
Dibella went on to explain the reason why he has been involved with so many PBC shows since the series’ inception. “I can’t do business with HBO. They are not calling me for my fighters. Believe me I’ve attempted to call them many times.”
In closing when asked if his most lucrative shows are the ones that he does with PBC Dibella answered, “I promote Deontay Wilder. So when Deontay Wilder fights I do well particularly when I can put thirteen thousand people in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.”
