Interview with Robert Rodas, Amateur Boxing Trainer and Two of His Boxers: Johnathan Steele & Josh Hayden

There is an array of talent from which a talent manager can choose:  sports, acting, modeling, writing, announcers of all kinds, etc.  Today, I venture upon the sport of boxing.

I interview Robert Rodas, one of the amateur boxing trainers at Maple Gym.  I speak to two of his boxers:  a professional boxer with a resemblance of Sugar Ray Leonard, Johnathan Steele, and an amateur boxer Josh Hayden.  The boxers train at the Maple Gym, owned by Arnie Verbeek, located in downtown Dallas, Texas.

As a trainer, Robert Rodas, manages the intricate details of the boxers’ lives, to ensure their focus.  He makes sure their physical training; diet, psychological health and the social aspect of their lives are up to par, in order to stay fit for a match.  Robert is the right-hand man to the manager, sits in on negotiations, and has input on the details of the boxers’ financial arrangement.  In addition to training boxers, Robert is one of the trainers, who teach boxing “boot camp” at Maple Gym.

Maple Gym is a great way to stay in shape and to feel like a boxer in training without the bruises from getting hit.  The boxing bootcamp classes are outstanding.  Although, Manny and Roger have different styles of training; both will have you completely depleted of energy after a 1-hour and half of constant aerobic activities; punching combined with circuit training.

Errol Spencer is another successful boxer from Maple Gym

Julie:    How did you get into training Boxers?  

    Roger:  When I was going to school, I was getting into fights and I said one day, I need to learn how to fight.  I stayed in the gym for 2 years, just training and when I went back and started whipping some ass.  Since then I feel in love with boxing.

    Julie:    They consider you a top amateur coach, what makes you a top coach?  

   Roger:  We have been open for about 4 years, in the first year we won a team trophy, 6 Golden Globe guys, out of 12 guys I had 4 guys win the Golden Globe in the second year, 6-7 Golden Globes champions, 4 heavy weight champions.

    Julie:       How long have you been training? 

    Roger:  About 10 years

    Julie:    How many boxers do you train? 

    Roger:  6 boxers

    Julie:    How can you tell when you have good talent?  

   Roger:   I have to get to know them first, so that I put my time into them.  They have to able to take a punch, not everyone can take a punch. 

    Julie:    For those who do not know, what are the levels/steps a boxer may take to get to the pros? 

    Roger:  Amateur is a way to start, 3, 1-minute rounds, then you have to fight 14 fights to get to open the second level which is 3, 3-minute rounds.  You can at the second as long as you want to get the experience after that you become a pro.

                                                    Interview with Robert Rodas

I                                                 Interview with Josh Hayden

Josh is from the state of Washington and came to Texas specifically for boxing.  Josh is a power puncher.  He is the owner of Vino Brokerage and finds the time to pursue his passion, boxing.

                           Interview with Johnathan Steele

Johnathan is a professional boxer.  He became a professional within 2 years of boxing.  He resembles Sugar Ray Leonard with an awesome smile and personality.

Sparring Match

  Robert, Josh, and Johnathan are very special and super nice guys.  

Thank you for your time!    ~ Julie

                

                                           

Interview with Paul Rogers of Natural Change, A Local Jazz Band from Dallas, Texas

Negotiations in the Entertainment Industry

In the entertainment industry, the lack of specifics can be detrimental to a negotiated agreement.   Negotiations are the means of communicating desires and interests.  According to William Ury negotiations have grown over the years and have become more complex.  Specificity is a key element in negotiating any contract.   He states the third side of the negotiations are the heard and unheard voices of the community, the community being parties on the artist's side and the parties on the other side.  He suggests a goal of a peaceful outcome should be achieved in any negotiation.

Weissmann and Levine are entertainment lawyers in Hollywood, California who give pertinent information in a mock negotiation of a studio versus a writer.  In the example they reveal that the Writers Guild has specific guidelines that both parties must adhere to in the negotiations.  The main interests for the writer that are paramount in the negotiation are the protection of the writer’s credit and the monetary rewards (i.e., bonuses, residuals, and royalties). 

Matthew Middleton is an attorney in the entertainment industry; his main focus is on the music aspect of the industry.  Matthew Middleton suggests that it would advantageous to an artist to be as independent as possible in order to have leverage going into negotiations.  Examples of independence would be to produce and write their own material.  The more creative control the artists have the more independent he or she will be and the more monetary gains.  He also suggests that the artist be well versed on the business aspect of the industry prior to negotiations.  He spoke of a joint venture being a partnership between the artist and record company.  The record company will supply the money and the artist has control over the creative expression.

Understanding how to negotiate affectively is a skill that the talent manager must acquire in order to best represent talent.