7/8/07 - Tom DodgeAn interview with David Rivas By Tom Dodge www.keeppunching.com Rivas, 41, will make history again on July 14 at Coushatta Casino Resort when there are two world title fights on the same card – Shootout at Coushatta. Detroit’s Damien Fuller will fight Mexico’s Carlos Gamez for the NBA World Lightweight Championship, while Alexandria’s Heath Nichols will put his undefeated record on the line for the NBA Junior World Lightweight Championship.  So what attracted Rivas into boxing promoting?“I have always liked boxing since I was young,” he said, “not only watching it, but doing some amateur stuff in the ring.” Born in Houston, Rivas graduated high school in Bethesda, Maryland and earned his degree (criminal justice and political science) from Frostburg State University in western Maryland. Rivas played football and then got into power lifting in his early 20’s, but his love for boxing stayed with him. After graduation, he became an investigator tracking down corporate espionage in Houston before getting involved in the regulatory aspect of the gaming industry. Before becoming a boxing promoter, Rivas owned Diverse Concepts, a booking agency for bands and entertainers to perform at casinos. The first fights he promoted occurred in 2000 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans as part of the Bayou Classic celebration. “It was a black tie boxing event,” he explained, “and I put all the parties together and I made it all work.”  How did Rivas Warriors Boxing and Keeppunching Entertainment get together?Rivas Warriors Boxing Promotions joined Kerry Daigle’s Keeppunching Entertainment three years ago in the joint effort to bring quality boxing shows to Louisiana. “I chase down the venues, the fight and put all the right parties together to do the promotion,” Rivas said. “Kerry is hands on in every aspect including the fighters themselves.” “The boxing industry is very competitive,” Rivas said. “You try to get the promotions together when at the end of the day, everybody thinks it is a win-win. “You trust the people you work with will do what they say they will do, but that is not always the case in boxing. “This business is all about reputation, quality and bottom line,” he said. “What makes a quality show is ticket sales at the box office, excitement in the ring and the type of personalities of the fighter that the people want to see. People want to see the boxers be warriors, have the heart to go in there and take on any comers.” How many championship fights has Rivas Warriors Boxing Promotions been involved with? “I have had 10 or 12 championship events, but the Shootout at Coushatta is the first time I have had two title fights on the same card,” Rivas said. “There is more bang for the buck when there are two main events instead of just one.” What do you think of the fighters on the Shootout at Coushatta card? Besides Damien Fuller and Heath Nichols, the card includes Daniel Garcia, Michael Martinez and Wilford Scypion Jr. “They are all young, aggressive and hungry,” he mentioned, “they all want to make a name for themselves.” Rivas said he is impressed with the fighters from the Keeppunching stables. “We know the fighters as they are from Louisiana and Texas and they worked through the system as amateurs and now to the professional ranks,” Rivas said. “We know their pedigrees and we know what the expectations are in the ring. “We want to do what is in the best interest of these fighters, to make sure the fights will be competitive fights. “Over the last few years interest in boxing has increased around the state of Louisiana. “Hopefully it will be a short matter of time before we will have at least two or three different fighter who will hold world titles. We are looking at that caliber of fighter. “They are all class acts, all have jobs and families. They know about responsibility and they all want the brass ring and they know each fight will determine what happens in their future. They are all hungry. “You have to have the heart or you might as well not show up. You can be the meanest guy on the planet but if you don’t have any heart – it is not going to happen.” About Damian Fuller: “Damian Fuller is action packed. If you have ever seen him fight, when he gets in the square circle he is just throwing everything. He is not scared to mix it up with anybody. When he hits somebody, you can hear it throughout the arena.” About Heath Nichols: “Heath is going to draw a lot from Rapides Parish and Alexandria,” Rivas said of Nichols (5-0). “He is a great fighter and he has a real good shot at the title. He can take a punch and go in there strong. He has the heart to go in there and take care of his business. If the other guy is not ready to fight early, he is done. About Carlos Gamez: “Carlos Gamez is a traditional Mexican fighter. They only know one speed and that is 100 miles per hour and they are coming right at you. I hope he has a strong chin because Damian is going to let him know what happens if you come right at him.” About Daniel Garcia: “He is very fluid in the ring. He will move around and counter punch a little bit and he is going to feel out his opponent. But once he has his plan in mind, it is just about closing the deal.” About Michael Martinez: “When Michael gets in the ring, he is really quick with his right hand and uses it to his advantage. When he uses it, you are going to see the opponent step back about two steps.” About Wilford Scypion Jr: “In the last fight, the guy taunted Wilford a little bit. I looked down for a second and when I picked my head back up, the guy was knocked out – laying between the ropes. Wilford is very tough and very strong.” Ticket information: For tickets call Ticketmaster at 1-800-488-5252 or the Coushatta box office at 1-800584-7263. Reserved stadium seating is $40, Bronze (floor seating) is $100, Silver (main floor seating) is $150 and Gold (ring side) is $200. FREE BEER ON ALL FLOOR SEATS. For more information or interviews contact: kerry@keeppunching.com DAVID RIVAS, RIVAS WARRIORS BOXING PROMOTIONS @ 318.305.4100 rivaswarriors@aol.com TOM DODGE, KEEPPUNCHING MEDIA @ 337.692.5809 tdodge3@yahoo.com AMBER BURKHOLDER, KEEPPUNCHING MEDIA @ 337.344.1857 
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