by Pavel Yakovlev: (HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA – 8/19/10) A year ago, South Florida businessman Kris Lawrence launched The Heavyweight Factory, a boxing promotional firm devoted to turning athletes from non-boxing backgrounds into heavyweight contenders. Lawrence has since made several strong moves in pursuit of his goal. He created a massive training facility — the Lucky Street Boxing Gym — that includes three boxing rings and state-of-the-art conditioning equipment. Numerous talented athletes have been recruited by Lawrence, and top-flight trainer John David Jackson has been hired as the gym’s head coach. To keep his fighters active, Lawrence regularly stages cards at the nearby Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Lawrence also appointed savvy South Florida promoter Henry Rivalta to direct his firm’s boxing activities.
Lawrence’s hypothesis is that the best heavyweight in the world, potentially, is an athlete not currently in boxing. In a recent interview with ESPN, Lawrence explained, “Since the 1990s, you have the best athletes in the country going to football, basketball, baseball, soccer, any sport other than boxing. What you have in your amateur boxing program is the leftovers. The amateur program in boxing is dead. You’re not getting the high quality caliber athletes like you are in every other sport.”
Consistent with Lawrence’s philosophy, The Heavyweight Factory has assembled an impressive roster of athletes culled from other sports. Quadtrine Hill, a former fullback for the University of Miami Hurricanes, is currently 1-0 as a boxer. Another Hurricanes player, James Bryant, is unbeaten in three bouts since joining Lawrence’s program. Henry Fuentes, who has won 11 of 12 pro fights, was a Cuban national champion as a Greco-Roman wrestler. There are also numerous other athletes transitioning to boxing at the Lucky Street Boxing Gym.
But Lawrence and Rivera are not focused exclusively on athletes from non-boxing backgrounds. They are recruiting professional and amateur boxers as well. Luis Ortiz and Yasnay Consuegra, two of Cuba’s most accomplished amateur heavyweights, have joined the stable. Timur Ibragimov, a veteran of 31 professional fights and the WBA’s 12th rated heavyweight contender, was added to firm’s roster in June. In a surprise move, Lawrence and Rivalta signed undefeated welterweight prospect Brad Solomon. Hence, The Heavyweight Factory will soon be active in multiple weight classes.
In this article, ESB interviews Henry Rivalta and Luis Ortiz regarding their boxing activities and plans. Note that The Heavyweight Factory will be holding a card featuring Ortiz on Tuesday, 8/24/10, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
HENRY RIVALTA, DIRECTOR OF BOXING, THE HEAVYWEIGHT FACTORY
ESB: YOU ARE TAKING ATHLETES FROM OTHER SPORTS AND TURNING THEM INTO HEAVYWEIGHT BOXERS. THAT’S A CONTRARIAN IDEA IN BOXING. WHAT IS “THE HEAVYWEIGHT FACTORY’S” CONCEPT?
RIVALTA: We’re giving these young athletes – former sportsmen in other sports – the opportunity to learn the ropes and be a heavyweight fighter. Being that they are athletes, we’re trying to mold them into fighters. We’re not blinding ourselves; not all of them will make it, but we’ll see. We’re giving them tough fights from the start…we’re not in the business of giving guys 15 wins only to find out that they can’t make it. If a guy shines from the start, then we’ll put the right resources behind him. This isn’t for everyone. It’s tough. We’re focused on heavyweights right now, although we are considering other weight classes if it’s worth our time. But we’re always going to be the “Heavyweight Factory,” to compete in the heavyweight division…we’re aware that the heavyweight class is the money division.
ESB: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU SCOUT ATHLETES, WHEN YOU ARE IDENTIFYING A POTENTIAL HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER?
RIVALTA: We look for athletic talent, skills, and dedication…we want dedicated athletes. We’re looking for guys who don’t drink, don’t smoke or party. We look for guys who are disciplined.
ESB: WHAT KINDS OF PROBLEMS DO YOU ANTICIPATE IN TRANSITIONING AN ATHLETE FROM ONE SPORT INTO BOXING?
RIVALTA: Physically, there’s a big difference between boxing and most other sports. When athletes try boxing, and they get hit in the head, sometimes they aren’t ready or willing to continue. Take football, for example. Football is rough; it goes hand in hand with the physicality of boxing. But in football it’s all shots to the body, as opposed to taking punches to the head. When these guys try boxing, they get can get broken noses and cuts, and they sometimes say, “This isn’t for me.”
ESB: DO YOU REJECT THE IDEA THAT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS NEED TO BEGIN BOXING EARLY IN LIFE IN ORDER TO SUCCEED? I KNOW TEDDY ATLAS DISPARAGES THE IDEA THAT ATHLETES CAN TRANSITION LATE IN LIFE FROM ONE SPORT INTO BOXING.
RIVALTA: No…I don’t think it’s a myth. Personally, I think an early start makes a guy a better fighter, especially when they come up through the amateur boxing system. They learn the ropes early, so it’s easier for them to make the transition to professional boxing. But can there be a heavyweight champion who didn’t start at any early age? Yes, there can. There’s always that one shining star who can start late. Teddy Atlas is right, I’ve got to back up his remarks, but there are exceptions to the rule. There a lots of examples in pro boxing; look at Brad Solomon…he started late, and he’s going to be hot.
ESB: WHAT ABOUT ATHLETES COMING FROM KICKBOXING AND MMA BACKGROUNDS? DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER GUYS TRANSITIONING TO BOXING AFTER CAREERS IN OTHER SPORTS?
RIVALTA: I don’t think that MMA or other martial arts athletes necessarily have an advantage over athletes coming into boxing from other sports. Boxing is an art; the concept has to be learned, with a coach working with you. But of course, there are certain things MMA and martial arts guys have that may give them a head start. MMA guys, for example, have conditioning advantages…they do five-minute rounds. Also, as fighters who have performed in a ring, before roaring crowds, they feel more comfortable than other athletes starting boxing. With the MMA guys, it’s in their head…what it feels like to fight in a ring. For example, Henry Fuentes has made a really nice transition. But overall, boxing is a new concept that has to be learned, regardless of what sport the athlete is coming from.
ESB: DO THE ATHLETES YOU RECRUIT BYPASS AMATEUR CAREERS ALTOGETHER, BEGINNING THEIR CAREERS AS PROFESSIONALS? OR DO ANY OF THEM FIGHT AS NOVICE-LEVEL AMATEURS BEFORE TURNING PRO?
RIVALTA: A few of our guys have competed in the Golden Gloves, or had two or three amateur fights, but not many of them have done this.
ESB: IT LOOKS LIKE KRIS LAWRENCE HAS CREATED A UNIQUE GYM TO HELP YOUR ATHLETES GET THE MOST OUT OF TRAINING. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FILM ALL SPARRING SESSIONS, FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING TO TRAIN YOUR FIGHTERS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT?
RIVALTA: Yes, we film sparring sessions then watch the films on a giant TV screen. The fighters can see themselves on film, they go over it with their coaches, see what works, and point out mistakes. Here at the Lucky Street Boxing Gym, we didn’t just make a boxing gym out of a warehouse…we installed every single piece of equipment that you can conceive of. Anything you need to strengthen yourself is here. The fighters have everything they need here to take it to the next level. We have three boxing rings here. This gym is basically something that Kris did so his athletes have a place they can call home. The gym is only for Heavyweight Factory fighters; it’s a not a gym where anyone can come in and buy a membership. It’s something different. I hope these athletes appreciate what Kris has done for them here; they won’t get this treatment anywhere else…this is a class act operation.
LUIS ORTIZ, UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT PROSPECT, FORMER CUBAN NATIONAL CHAMPION, WORLD-DOMINANT AMATEUR DURING THE ‘00s
ESB: YOUR HANDLERS ARE MOVING YOU FAST. IN ONLY YOUR THIRD PROFESSIONAL FIGHT, YOU ARE FACING KENDRICK RELEFORD, WHO IS A VETERAN OF 35 PRO FIGHTS. RELEFORD HAS FOUGHT MANY EXCELLENT BOXERS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR OPPONENT?
ORTIZ: I expect to face tough opponents…that’s the only way to advance. The only way to achieve greatness is to take tough fights. I need to have tough tests all the time. At the end of the day, a fighter is only as good as the opponents he beat. I have complete respect for everyone I fight, for all of my opponents. I honor them. But when the fight begins, it’s another matter altogether.
ESB: DOES YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE CUBAN AMATEUR SYSTEM GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE AS A PROFESSIONAL?
ORTIZ: I learned much in the Cuban system. I started at a young age and learned all the techniques and tactics. The Cuban system is very tough, very disciplined. But most important, in the Cuban system, I learned at a young age to fear no man.
ESB: DO YOU REGARD YOUR SOUTHPAW STANCE AS A MAJOR ADVANTAGE?
ORTIZ: I don’t think that there is a greater advantage in being left handed or right handed in boxing. What really matters is the fire in a fighter’s gut, that desire…that’s what counts. It has to be in a fighter’s temper to want to dominate, to be champion. Nothing can substitute for that. That’s what really matters.
ESB: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE: ARE YOU A DISTANCE BOXER, AN INFIGHTER, OR A BOXER/PUNCHER?
ORTIZ: I am dominant in all three of the areas you mention. I am like a snake in the ring.
ORTIZ: WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON IN THE GYM, WHAT TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES ARE YOU REFINING?
ORTIZ: I am working on improving in all three areas we mentioned. Everyday I work at getting better at everything I do, to improve more and more. A fighter can never know what situation he may encounter in the ring, so he must always have his guns loaded.
ESB: WHO WERE YOU BOXING HEROES WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP IN CUBA? PERHAPS TEOLFILO STEVENSON AND FELIX SAVON?
ORTIZ: Juan Hernandez Sierra. This is because Sierra’s style in the ring was to dominate by using his legs and lateral movement. Sierra had a great, stiff jab; he used his jab to dominate. Everything comes off of the jab. (Note: Sierra, Cuban’s dominant welterweight during the 1990s, won four world championships).
ESB: I UNDERSTAND YOU THINK MUCH ABOUT YOUR FAMILY IN CUBA?
ORTIZ: My daughter Luz Mercedes – she is two years old – has a serious disease. I think about her everyday. It is my hope to bring her here to South Florida so she can get treatment from the most advanced hospitals. She is the reason I train everyday in the gym. The hardest thing I ever did was leave Cuba, leave my daughter behind, but I knew her best chance to get treatment is if I can bring her to South Florida. (Note: Luz Mercedes Ortiz suffers from congenital lactose intolerance.)
ESB: THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW, LUIS. HENRY, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR LUIS?
RIVALTA: I would like to add that The Heavyweight Factory is handling Luis Oritz together with manager Jay Jimenez and Nelson Lopez of Nelson Promotions. We’re convinced that Luis will be the next big thing. We’re moving him very, very fast. He’s fighting for the WBC FECARBOX title in only his third professional fight. This October, we intend to make put Luis in a ten rounder as the main event in one of our promotions. By 2011, Luis will have fought a 12 round bout, for another important belt, as well. I hope to see Luis fight the Klitschkos some day; that’s our goal. We believe he will be the first Cuban professional heavyweight champion. Right now, our biggest problem is finding sparring partners for him (laughs)…nobody will spar with him. We have to pay sparring partners to get in the ring with him, and have to go to other gyms, too. Even when we promise sparring partners pay they still sometimes back out (laughs). Just the other day we had a paid sparring lined up and he backed out just before we got to the gym, said he had to go to the doctor. That just shows you how fast Luis’s reputation is growing.