Those of you who have been long-time boxing fans in the area probably know firsthand about the success of the Ballroom Boxing promotion at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie. Without question, the shows that Scott Wagner has help promote have been among the best not only in this area, but throughout the country.
Recently, however, I have talked to some fans who have been dissatisfied with the recent Ballroom Boxing shows. I received an email from a long-time Ballroom Boxing fan named Gary Garadetsky who very honestly and thoughtfully detailed his constructive criticism toward the promotion. With his permission, I share his email with you.
"Good day.
I wanted to take some time and provide you feedback from last night's fights plus give you my opinion on the recent Ballroom Boxing shows.
I have been attending Ballroom Boxing since the late 90's. We used to get the balcony seats because, at the time, they came with a free open bar for several hours. You then changed the free open bar to giving a few drink vouchers for each person. Eventually, the drink vouchers were stopped and we stopped getting the balcony seats because it wasn't worth the extra dollars any more. Regardless of how the perks for the balcony seats were cut back, I could always count on at least 7 good quality fights, and I always had a great time at the Ballroom.
Recently, however, the number and quality of the fights has been in a steep decline (noticeably along with the paid attendance). Last night, myself and 3 co-workers paid $100/seat to watch only four professional fights. Last month's Ballroom card had only 5 pro fights, and this has now become the rule rather than the exception. I understand that fights and fighters are subject to change, but only 4 pro fights for $100 seats? I feel that you guys are constantly pulling the "bait and switch" with both the fighters and number of fights. If I paid $100 for a Casino fight ticket in Atlantic City, I would get to see at least 8 fights from better known fighters. Is it worth it now to pay $100/seat knowing that the advertised fighters are most probably not going to be on the card, and I'll get to see 5 pro fights if I'm lucky - no, it's just not worth it anymore.
It's a real shame. What used to be a great night of fights has tuned into a night of feeling disappointed and ripped-off. It is not a one time occurrence but is now the current state of Ballroom Boxing. I overheard many fans last night who felt the same way.
What happened? What happened to Ballroom Boxing? Did you get too greedy for your own good? Is there competiton from other local venues that's taking the fans away? Are you having internal issues that's effecting the quality and quantity of fights?
I think I'll give the Ballroom one last try. I'll buy General Admission seats as the price of Ringside seats isn't worth the $100 anymore. If the next fights are similar to the recent fights, I am done with the Ballroom and you will lose a long time supporter.
I hope that you can solve your issues and return Ballroom Boxing to what it used to be.
Good luck and thanks."
I am REALLY interested in what you all have to say about this situation. Ballroom Boxing has had a string of bad luck in their main events recently, but they also put together what is the bout of the year thus far in the matchup between Maxell Taylor and Derek Ennis. Please send your thoughts about the state of Ballroom Boxing.
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22 comments:
I WILL TELL U WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IT IS CHRIS THE MATCH MAKER HE HAS SINGLE HANDEDLY RUINED THE LOCAL BOXING IN MD. THE ONLY REASON HE HAD SUCH A GOOD FIGHT BETWEEN MAX AND DERECK ENNIS WAS BECAUSE THIER FIGHTS FELL OUT LIKE ALL HIS CARDS.AND HE TALKED THEM INTO FIGHTING LAST MIN.THE WHOLE BOXING COMMUNITY IN A GENERAL THINKS THE SAME WAY I DO.AND LUCKILY THAT FIGHT WAS A DRAW BETWEEN MAX AND DERECK BECAUSE BOTH THEM ARE YOUNG FIGHTERS WHO DO NOT NEED A WAR LIKE THAT IN THEIR CAREER.HE HAS AGROUP OF FIGHTERS "OUT OF TOWN GUYS"that THAT HE USES FOR ONE REASON HE TAKES A % OF THEIR PURSE'S TO PUT THEM ON A SHOW.AND IF THAT MEANS GETTING A LOCAL GUY BEAT,THATS WHAT HE DOES. IN A NUT SHELL CHRIS MITINDORF HAS RUINED THE BALL BOXING SCENE.YOU CANNOT HAVE EVERY SHOW, FIVE OUT OF THE SEVEN FIGHTS FALL OUT AND LAST MIN U ARE TRING TO MATCH PEOPLE UP.
Amen!!! The guy's only interested in his pockets. He also shits on fighters if they don't take the fights he wants them to. Ask any fighter or manager with his fighter's best intentions in mind and he'll tell you to steer clear of him. There are a lot of hard feelings building. There is a difference in putting a guy in tough and trying to get a guy beat because of malice.
Ballroom Boxing is no longer a quality show. The matchmaking is horrible. Most of the time out of town boxers are featured. Why can't local fighters be featured. There is no cable or satelite deal anymore. Local fighters will put asses back in the seats. You don't have to match a local fighter with a guy thats simply gonna take a nose dive but you don't have to match him to have an all oout war that could shorten his career( Max Taylor) Chris Middendorf should see how the fighters are matched at Jake Smiths shows. The local fighters are featured, matched with a fighter they have 75% chance of beating and put on a good show. I beleive the match maker is the less publized Josh Hall. Maybe Mr. Middendorf should take a few pointers on how to match a local club show. This isn't Showtime. Your not supposed to get the house fighter beat, your supposed to match him so he can learn.
Middendorf is taking a lot of heat, and he should. He's very high handed and acts likes he's better, and knows more, than everyone else. He has a very cozy relationship with Gary Shaw (maybe he is Shaw's matchmaker, I'm not positive) and Showtime, which makes him powerful. I also know that he's a crook. I know of several boxers who fought on a Gary Shaw show in Atlantic City a while back. Those boxers medical fees were deducted from their purses even though the contract called for the promoter to pay the medical fees. The boxers only dealt with Middendorf, he was the matchmaker and he handled all the contracts. When the boxers approached Middendorf, the spectacled one said it was in the contract that medicals were the responsibility of the fighter, not the boxer. A closer look at the contract revealed Middendorf to be a liar. Then the boxers approached Larry Hazzard, the commissioner for New Jersey. Do you know what Mr. New Suit Hazzard said? Take it up with the Promoter! He acted like he didn't have time to hear a couple of undercard boxers complaints about being short changed on a small purse to begin with. Of course this all makes sense now. I didn't know it at the time, but the promoter of the show, Gary Shaw, used to work for the New Jersey State Athletic Commission under Hazzard. Anyway, I digress, but you get the picture. As far as the shows at Michael's 8th Avenue, they used to be more competitive because Ballroom Boxing prided itself on not having a "house fighter". They were not concerned with which corner won, they were only concerned about putting on competitive fights. Of course Beltway boxing fans know that the original matchmaker for Ballroom Boxing was Josh Hall who was summarily dismissed by the powers that be once Middendorf came in to the picture. I am not sure of Middendorf's involvement in boxing prior to Ballroom Boxing, but I have heard he is a Harvard Graduate and an Art Dealer. That makes him better than you and me, at least in his eyes, and it shows when you deal with him. Here's a funny story about Middendorf, again in AC. There were some issues with a boxer's contract. Middendorf acted all snooty with the manager and boxer. The manager raised his hand as if to smack Middendorf (which I don't condone, I'm just telling the story). Middendorf, who was sitting down with papers in his lap, screamed out like a little girl, then brought his knees together to keep the papers from hitting the floor. He turned in to a shivering little coward. Everyone who was in the room, and there were quite a few, shrieked in laughter. To say the guy was emasculated would be to infer that he was a man to begin with. The guy has his personal agenda, he's only out to make connections and get what's in it for him. Unfortunately, that's not only the way of the boxing world, that's the way of the whole world.
Well for all of ya who DO want to see a good show, come out to Jake Smith's Show this Wednesday at Martin's West. Josh Hall is the match maker, and it will be a exciting sold out show.
Bull
Whoa! Be careful what you say about Mittendoff, he'll get ya. I heard he was a former amateur boxer. Yeah right! How a guy like that got in to boxing is beyond me. What a candy (bleep)!
Gary- I love the fact that these brave guys will write and put me and the Ballroom show down, but these tough guys aren't willing to sign their names. But I guess that reveals something about what they are...
In terms of the evolution of Ballroom Boxing, since we stopped having television, the shows have changed. If a fighter was committed to be a main event on a televised show he was less likely to pull out at the last minute for a minor injury or, as sometimes is the case, because they get cold feet about fighting the guy that they have signed a contract to fight. Ballroom is now looking to sign good young talent and as that develops, there will be fewer fall outs for sure.
To clarify one of the allegations made by one of the gutless wonders who did not have the balls to sign his name, I have never taken percentages from fighters who I have put on cards. As a licensed matchmaker, I am paid by the promoter and my job, if I want to keep it, is to keep the costs of the show within reason, and to put on quality matchups. If that means that, for example, I match up a local 5-1 kid with a 1-4, 40 year old fighter with no amateur experience who knocks the local out cold, and I have kept it within the budget, and made a great fight, then so be it. I cannot have a stake in the local fighter. If the local fighter is under a promotional contract with a promoter and I am hired by the promoter to not only match-up the fighter, but also, as he is with the promoter, match him in a way that he develops, then I do my job and make that type of fight.
Josh Hall is hired to match up the ticket sellers on the Baltimore Pro Bouts cards. I do not know whether they are under promotional contracts with Jake, but clearly they are matched in such a way that the home town corner always wins and the fans go home happy. Whether those fighters are being put in fights where they actually learn something is a different matter. Are they being developped or are they just being put in fights where they will always win because they sell the tickets. The only way that we will be able to tell is whether any of the fighters matched that way are able to develop and move on to the national stage and make a mark in the sport. So we can agree to discuss this in a few years and look at their careers.
On the other hand, if you look at the Ballroom shows over the last five or six years, you will realize what has made it such an exceptional series, and a series that is nationally recognized. Whether it is a show with guys from Europe, Asia, California or Laurel, the average fan is going to see some of the real future stars of the sport. Because of the fact that I am the matchmaker for several other promoters around the country including Gary Shaw, I am in a unique position. If I see a young fighter locally or in Philadelphia that I think has potential, I can put him on a local card or two or six and watch him develop. When the time or the opportunity is there, I can take that young fighter and put him on national television and really give him a shot. And that has been the real difference with the shows in the area that I do not do. I have a mandate with the local promoter to try and put on a good local show, but also to feature talent that is stopping here on its way to stardom or superstardom. So for those of you with complaints about the local shows that I do, lets agree to sit down in a few years and compare the fighters that have been on the Ballroom cards or the Keystone cards or the Raging Promotions cards or the 10Kount cards or the Jeffrey Jackson cards locally with the fighters that have been on all the other shows in the area and lets see who put the real talent on.
And finally regarding last weeks show let me add a few thoughts. When all the fights were confirmed two weeks before the show, we had a great main event in Ishmail Arvin vs. Purcell Miller. Purcell pulled a muscle in his back two days before the fight and we lost what I considered to be one of the best local matchups in years. Our co-feature was the return to the Ballroom of Jed Phipps against a 15-8 James Stanton who had been off for four years. James failed to meet the requirements of the state at the weighin, while Jed told the promoter he had some personal issues that he was dealing with and he would prefer to fight an easier opponent. Jed and James would have been a great fight and a real opportunity for Jed to wipe away some of the disastrous beatings that he had taken in the past at the Ballroom against totally unheralded opponents. So we lost our top two fights. But in the end we showcased three fighters who are certainly three of the best young fighters in the area, Arvin, Samuel and Coleman. Arvin was in a with a 9-5 guy who was a top amateur,from a heavier weight class; Coleman (4-0) was in with a tough 4-1 kid, and Samuel was in with a guy who had three times as many fights and was an extremely rugged opponent. All three local fighters won and looked very, very good in each case. Now I would have loved to have more fights on the card, but with a card the night before in Dover and one the next night in Philly, everyone was scrambling for opponents and I was not able to add to the card. But the fans some some top talent who were fighters that they will certainly see in the future as they develop. Arvin for sure will soon be seen on the national television, and he has fought almost all his fights at the Ballroom and remained undefeated.
I am glad, Gary, that your column has opened up the avenues of discussion in our area. I do think that it would certainly be more fair and definitely more honest if you required anyone who wanted to voice their comments to sign their names. But hey, its your site and you can run it whatever way you want.
Chris Middendorf
ps. regarding the Gary Shaw show in New Jersey- that was the first show that I did for Gary in Feburary of 2004, and I refused my paycheck after the show and walked away. When Gary hired me back three months later to be his full time matchmaker, I made it the policy of the company that we would pay all fighters medicals.
Regarding my screaming, thats a wonderful story, but a bit of boxing bull shit. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not raise my voice, and I certainly do not scream.
To Chris Middendorf. I have a few questions for you. RE: the Atlantic City Fights you made for Gary Shaw in 2004. Are you saying that the contract said that the medical fees were to be paid by the boxer and not the promoter? Also, since you insisted that Gary Shaw pay for all medicals since you came back to work for him, have you also insisted that other promoters for whom you work, do the same? Thanks.
I HAVE ONE ? WHAT LOCAL FIGHTER HAVE"CHRIS THE WORST MATCH MAKER MIDDENDORF" HELP OUT LOCALLY. I CAN NAME AT LEAST FIVE LOCAL FIGHTERS THAT YOU HURT. THESE ARE FIGHTERS WITH GOOD AMETURE RECORDS. OPEN CLASS GOLDEN GLOVES CH. THAT U RUINED. AND WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT MATCHING OUT OF TOWN GUYS UP GOOD,WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE LOCAL GUYS WIN LIKE JAKE SMITH. THATS THE REASON HE WILL CONTINUE TO SELL OUT AND BALLROOM BOXING AND ANY OTHER FIGHTS U DO WILL SUCK. FIGHTS FALL OUT ALL THE TIME BUT WHEN U HAVE 5 OUT OF THE SEVEN FIGHTS FALL OUT EVERY CARD WHOS THE PROBLEM. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ONE FIGHT U HELP LOCALLY. CHRIS. PS SCOTT WAGNER GET RID OF THIS GUY AND GET JOSH HALL BACK. HE IS SINGLE HANDLY RUINING BALLROOM BOXING. IF U ARE SMART YOU BETTER GET SOME TICKET SELLER LIKE JAKE SMITH. BECAUSE THE LAST SHOW LOOK A LITTLE EMPTY SCOTT.
You know what be a true grudge match? Chris Middendorf vs. Josh Hall! It will sell out any arena in B-more!
I know some fighters Middendorf has helped out. Henry Buchanan fought on some cards with Chris as the matchmaker. Now I hear he's fighting in a super middleweight tournament to be shown on Showtime in August. I'm sure Middendorf got him that gig. He's down with Showtime. Sugar Poo is fighting Anthony Hanshaw, who is a Gary Shaw promoted fighter. I'm sure if Sugar Poo wins, Shaw will have promotional options. That's just the way this game goes. In other words, if Sugar Poo wins he will become a Gary Shaw promoted fighter. I've heard that Middendorf tried to get Sugar Poo beat, but I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Shaw, and Middendorf win even if they lose. It doesn't matter if Buchanan wins, or if Hanshaw wins. Chris Middendorf and Gary Shaw win. Middendorf also got Ding A Ling Man on Showtime. Remember that terrible draw he had with the African Lubwuma? Chris has also helped out Jimmy Lange. Lange was a stable of the Ballroom shows. Not to mention the shows in Northern VA with Keystone as the promoter. There were huge crowds at both shows. I'm sure they made a killing! I would say that Middendorf definitely helped out Lange. I'm sure there are other beltway boxers that Middendorf helped. Joey Gilbert, who used to be with Shaw (they had a falling out, they may be back together, I don't know) is also fighting on the same Showtime card. As far as the Ballroom Boxing shows go, there have been Gary Shaw promoted fighters that have fought in The Ballroom: Chazz Witherspoon, Nick Casal, Andre and Anthony Dirrell (not 100% about them, but I think they are Shaw fighters). There may be some other Shaw fighters that fought in the Ballroom, and if there are, I sure they ALL won. When you have a promoter like Shaw, and he can get his fighters some wins, and some exposure (when Ballroom Boxing was on TV), they will jump at the chance. This is the way it works. Gary Shaw Promotions (and Gary Shaw isn't the only promoter that does this) will pay the purses of their fighter and his opponent's purse. Did you get that? They will pay the fighter's purses and they are not even promoting the show. How can a promoter, like Scott Wagner, and a matchmaker turn that down? Usually, you don't. And here you have Middendorf in the middle, as the matchmaker for Ballroom Boxing and the matchmaker for Gary Shaw, and he's walking a fine line. You just try to make the fight semi competitive, not too tough, and not a blow out. Is that a fair fight? Well, not exactly. Is it a fixed fight? Definitely not. Is it right? I would say it is definitely not right! The Ballroom Boxing fans are the ones who are cheated in this arrangement. They are the ones who expected a good competitive fight between boxers who may not necessarily be legitimate title contenders, but they would give it a good honest go. You don't have to have two great fighters to have a great fight! Remember when The Ballroom used to say they don't care which corner wins. Well they can't say that anymore, and I would have to say that Chris Middendorf, in a blatant conflict of interest as the matchmaker for several promoters, but particularly for Gary Shaw, is at the top of the list when it comes to who is to blame for the decline of Ballroom Boxing. I think that in the interest of full disclosure since Mr. Middendorf has let us all know that he is such a man of integrity that he
"refused my paycheck after the show (the Atlantic City show in 2004) and walked away. When Gary hired me back three months later to be his full time matchmaker, I made it the policy of the company that we would pay all fighters medicals",
that he answer the following questions: 1) How many Gary Show promoted fighters have appeared on Ballroom Boxing shows with you as the matchmaker? 2) Who paid those fighter's, and their opponent's, purses? 3)Since you are such a man of honor and integrity to insist that Gary Shaw pay for the fighter's medical tests since you are now the matchmaker, do you also make that same concession as the matchmaker for other promoters? 4)Concerning the Atlantic City February 2004 fight card promoted by Gary Shaw (Sharmba Mitchell was the main event by the way) did the boxer's contracts call for the promoter to pay the medical fees or for the boxer to pay the medical fees? 5) Do you, or more precisely Gary Shaw, have promotional options on Sugar Poo should he win his bout with Hanshaw? Thanks.
Response #1-
The contract that was sent out that all the fighters signed said that they were responsible for the medicals required by the state. Many states require that you use their contract between boxer and promoter and none of them address the issue of who pays for medicals. With all the Maryland contracts that I send out for the Ballroom shows, if the fighter is not already licensed, I add a line that says that promoter pays all meds. There are certain promoters who still try and pass on the costs to the fighter, most of them do not stay in business. Where it becomes hard is in Nevada where the requirements for the medicals can end up costing close to $1000. per fighter. As long as the fighter does not need anything beyond the usual state requirements, all the promoters for whom I have done shows there bear the total costs.
Response #2
Lets get something straight- I never have the intent of knocking someone off. They may be a good amateur or whatever, but if they are put in a fifty-fifty fight and they get beat, then so be it. I am not into mismatches as they do not make for entertaining fights. Nor am in to knockouts, because all they do is satisfy the blood thirsty nature of some fans. I would far rather see a solid back and forth type of fight where one fighter's style gives him the advantage and the other fighter adapts and comes back. I am lucky enough to do a fair amount of tv fights, and what the networks want are rounds and good fights. That is the goal wherever and whenever I make the fights.
In terms of the Ballroom show looking light, please keep in mind that our June shows are always light because season ticket holders do not always come out. If you have 500 season ticket holders and only a handful come out, then you may look light, but you still sold the tickets.
My final Response-
I wish whoever wrote this and pontificated so much about what he thinks he knows had put his name on the article. Then at least he would reveal to all how much he did not know.
My interest is in working with the best fighters at whatever stage of development that they are and seeing them move to the highest level possible. I put Eric Aiken on a ShoBox show and he was hurt and should not have taken the fight and he lost. But I tried to put him in other fights after that as I knew, as many local boxing people knew how good he could be. And now he is world champion.
Buchanan is fighting in the super middleweight tournament that I have created for Showtime but Gary Shaw has no options on him and he is not fighting Hanshaw so stop spewing stuff that you know nothing about and are just dead wrong about. As I am doing all those matches, I can tell you right now that I have the group that I want in the tournament but none of the matches have been made, nor have I even proposed a match to Poo or his representative. And why would I try and get Poo beat. Ask Poo. Since way back in his amateur career, I have been a fan of his and wanted to see him develop. So I am happy that I may be part of giving him a great shot.
You are right that I did put Ding a Ling man on Showtime. I put him in a bunch of Ballrooom fights and then stepped him up to national tv and he fought a draw with a guy he should have beaten. I also put Lange and Pearson and Teddy Reid on numeous ESPN shows.
Gilbert is not fighting in the tournament.
In terms of Shaw fighters let me again set your record straight- no fighter under a promotional contract to Gary Shaw has ever fought on a Ballroom card. Nick Casal fought there, but Shaw did not sign him until this year. Chazz Witherspoon was someone Shaw was interested in, but he never signed a contract with Gary. And the Dirrells were not interested in signing with anyone until just recently and they have signed with Al Haymon. So your statements were 100% wrong. In fact you really have the whole concept wrong- I put people on at the Ballroom that I am interested in and am lucky enough to have that forum to put them in a fight and see how they perform. Maybe I do it a second and third time as part of thei development. and if they continue to shine then I can consider offering them to Shaw or to any promoter and attempt to take them to the next level.
And in answer to the rest of your questions, Scott and Mike Wagner paid all those purses in cash as they have always done and always will. If you read above you will see my answers to the medical questions. And I still have copies of the signed contracts where they agreed to pay all their own costs. Also as stated above, we have no rights or options on Poo. I tried very hard to get him to sign with Gary Shaw but Poo chose to remain independent. So if Poo wins in the first round in late July, he will advance to the semis, also on Showtime on October 6th and if he wins there he will fight in the finals which will be held as the opening bout on Showtime Championship Boxing in early 2007. And along the way he will get paid well and get seen three times on national tv and be someone that everyone watches. He is one of the most exciting young fighters from the area and it is a great opportunity for him to shine. But there are no easy fights in the tournament as it includes several other undefeated fighters like Poo; three world ranked fighters; the 168 champions from Mexico and France. And if Poo wins, he wins as a free agent and then can go sign with anyone in the world. It is a great deal for him.
So that is it for my answers to Gary Williams anonymous bloggers. I am at most area fights, and you can always send me an email at chris@middendorfsports.com with anymore questions. The truth of the matter is thanks to the internet, if you spend a litle time and use your head you can get the facts straight. And to be perfectly honest a dialogue is a whole lot better when both people know what they are talking about. So make an effort to get your facts straight.
Chris Middendorf
Chris,
I will give you that there are a number of local boxers that you have been involved with that have done well. The post that said name one local boxer that Middendorf has helped out is just wrong. There were quite a few. I think a major problem is that people just don't like you. You have a very bad reputation of acting better than everyone else, or talking down to them. Just telling you what I know of your perception in the game (especially locally).
To everyone else reading this other than Chris. Mr. Middendorf has a rock solid reputation with Showtime. In the past few years, fighters Chris has been involved with have appeared on Showtime at a tremendous rate. He definitely has their ear, and more.
RE: Chazz Witherspoon and Nick Casal. So what you're saying is that you had those guys fight in the ballroom, liked what you saw, and told Gary Shaw that he should sign these guys. Is that right? So you're saying that Shaw had ZERO promotional interest in either fighter prior to the fight, is that correct? If that's what you're saying, particularly in the case of Witherspoon, I believe you're the one who is not stating the facts correctly.
RE: who paid the purses. You've got me on the cash thing as to who paid the purses. All boxers prefer cash over a check. I'm not going to do the commissioner's job and audit any financial records (I don't even know if he has that authority) to see if any other promoters, managers, interested parties, etc. paid the purses of others involved in a Ballroom show. When you pay in cash, as is the custom at this level, it's untraceable. Very nice. I would suggest, although I will admit that I can't prove, that someone other than the Wagners paid the purses of the fights that Witherspoon and Casal were involved in. Those interested parties probably paid the Wagners in cash, and then the Wagners paid the fighters in cash. Very clean, quick, and untraceable.
According to BoxRec.com on August 4th on Showtime:
Anthony Hanshaw vs. Henry Buchanan
Joey Gilbert vs. Jose Juan Vasquez
Notice Middendorf danced around the question about who pays the medicals on non-Gary Shaw shows in which he is the matchmaker. That's because, even after the 2004 Atlantic City Shaw show, Middendorf has written in contracts that the boxer was responsible for all medicals! So don't give me that sanctimonious B.S. about not accepting a paycheck and insisting that Shaw pay all the boxers medicals. If you insisted on it for Shaw, you would have insisted on it for other promoters, and obviously you did not! Even after you walked away in disgust from Shaw in early 2004.
As far as the 2004 Shaw show in AC. I disagree with Middendorf. It did NOT say on the contract that the boxer was required to pay medical tests. Middendorf admitted that he would have had to write that provision in the contract. If it says it on his contract, why doesn't it say it on the one I saw? Also, if he was so dismayed by this practice of having the boxer pay the medicals and he walked away after the fight in disgust not accepting his paycheck, how come he didn't tell Shaw how he felt about this before the fight? Chris, you admitted that you would have to add a line to the contract concerning who pays the medicals, the boxer or the promoter. Obviously, it's not that big a deal to you. Just admit it! Don't act holier than thou on the issue! Tell the truth! And there is a lot of it, not only on the medical payment issue, but also concerning Shaw fighters, Ballroom Boxing shows, etc. that you're not telling.
As for who I am, my name is Robert
THATS FUNNY YOU SAY THAT YOU THINK HENREY BUCANNON IS A GOOD FIGHTER. WHY DONT YOU SAY WHAT YOU ALWAYS SAY ABOUT HIM MEANING THAT HES A THUG AND YOU DONT KNOW IF HE WILL BE IN JAIL OR ON THE CARD. BECAUSE THATS HOW YOU REALLY FEEL YOU DONT CARE ABOUT HENRY BUCCANON. I HOPE HIS MANAGER KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON YOU IN THE CONTRACT BECAUSE YOU ARE KNOW TO BREAK THE "WHITE OUT" OUT.YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FRAUD AND A CROOK.EVEN PEOPLE AT KEYSTONE WHO YOU HAVE INBEDDED YOUR SELVE WITH CANT STAND YOU OR TRUST YOU.I AM SUPRISED THAT YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR IN THE GAME WITH OUT GETTING YOU ASS WHUPED.IT GOES TO SHOW EVERY BODY THAT NICE GUYS ARE IN BOXING.AND JUST LIKE I SAID YOU HAVE NOT HELPED ONE FIGHTER IN MD DC OR VA OUT.WHEN YOU SET A FIGHT UP AND BRING IN A 50 50 FIGHT THATS BAD FOR THE PROMOTER STUPID.YOU DONT WANT TO GET THE "TICKET SELLER"BEAT. BACK TO THE FAN THAT IS UPSET ABOUT BALLROOM BOXING, AS LONG AS THIS GUY MATCHMAKES FOR SCOTT WAGNER AND BALLROOM BOXING THERE WILL BE GUYS IN HEAD GEAR FIGHTING FIRST ON A PRO CARD TRING TO MAKE ROUNDS SO THE SHOW CAN GO ON. IT'S A JOKE THAT THE REST OF THE BOXING AREA CANT FIGURE IT OUT THAT THIS GUY IS A CROOK AND A FRAUD. TO THE FAN ASK FOR CHRIS MEDDENDORF CTHE NEXT TIME YOU GO TO BALLROOM BOXING AND MAYBE HE CA TELL YOU WHY THAT HUNDRED DOLLARS YOU SPENT FOR THE TICKET WENT TO WAIST. AND ABOUT THE FIGHTS YOU MATCH MAKE FOR WETHER IN MD OR NJ IT IS A FACT THAT YOU ALWAYS SCAM MONEY OFF FIGHTER THE LITTLE MONEY THEY ARE MAKING YOU TAKE SOME OFF. YOU ARE A CROOK AND A FRAUD AND IF YOU ARE SUCK A GOOD MATCH MAKER WHY IS IT EVRY SHOW ALL THE FIGHTS CHANGE AT THE LAST MIN FOR YOU. BALTMORE BOXING SHOWS ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT TURN OUT MOST OF THE TIME ASELL OUT AND THE PEOPLE GET TO SEE THE FIGHTERS THAT ARE ON THE POSTER FIGHT,THERE MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO CHANGES BUT NOT THE WHOLE CARD,AND THEY ARE NOT GONNA HAVE SOME GUY IN HEAD GUY FILL IN SOME ROUNDS. LET ME SAY IT ONE MORE TIME MATTER OF FACT GARY HAS SAQID IT BEFORE THAT IS WHY JAKE SMITH IS THROWING THE BEST SHOWS IN MD AND BALLROM IS NOT."YOU CHRIS YOU ARE THE REASON NOT THE TICKET SELLERS YOU ARE THE RESON BALLROOM SUCKS NOW.
Am I the only one that thinks the following statement made by Middendorf in a previous post is extremely arrogant?
Middendorf said:
"Whether it is a show with guys from Europe, Asia, California or Laurel, the average fan is going to see some of the real future stars of the sport. Because of the fact that I am the matchmaker for several other promoters around the country including Gary Shaw, I am in a unique position. If I see a young fighter locally or in Philadelphia that I think has potential, I can put him on a local card or two or six and watch him develop. When the time or the opportunity is there, I can take that young fighter and put him on national television and really give him a shot. And that has been the real difference with the shows in the area that I do not do. I have a mandate with the local promoter to try and put on a good local show, but also to feature talent that is stopping here on its way to stardom or superstardom."
Everything is I this and I that. What a jerk!
The next time you try to put Jed phipps on a card make sure he has a guy that has been knocked out at least a dozen times. The kid has no heart and no chin.Take this advice Mr. Middendorf. That advice goes to Jake Smith also. Your gonna get this guy killed.
Why can't we keep the comments to the matter at hand. There have been some quality fights, but the fact is for some reason or another there seems to be too many last minute changes to the ballroom cards.
In my opinion you should feature more local talent instead of out of town fighters making a stop on the way up the ladder.
I'm no expert in the subject of matchmaking but as a person that buys tickets to the fights you like to see the advertised fights not last minute thrown together cards.
Chris Middendorf
Whats the talk going around about you and the Jimmy Lange camp? Looks
like They wouldn't put up with you!! Looking at these
comments/statements it seems others have been screwed/messed with and don't have to mush of a problem posting comments on how bad you are promoting boxing in the Maryland/Dc/Virginia area...
Maybe some of these boxers should team together with Jimmy Lange! and compare notes, And could eliminate scum like you from the boxing business.. And return Ballroom boxing and other matches back to the way it was.
A Buchananon fan
Wow, 21 comments on this thread and still going.
I wrote my e-mail to the Wagners early Friday morning, June 16th, after the Ballroom fights on the 15th to express my concerns about what I was seeing as a downward trend relating to the quantity and quality of the Ballroom Boxing fights. I wanted to give an honest fan's assessment and opinion without being too negative. I was upset that I paid $100 for ringside seats and felt that I did't get the value that I used to get.
I was surprised that Scott left a message on my cell phone Saturday night and managed to get a hold of me Monday morning in work. We spoke for about a half-hour about Ballroom Boxing and boxing in general. I appreciated the fact that he took the time to call and I respect him for it because he could have easily blown off the e-mail since it was critical about the state of the Ballroom shows in my opinion.
As I discussed with Scott, I have been living in Baltimore since 1990 and have attended most of the Ballroom shows since the late 90's. I have not attended any other local boxing shows - the Ballroom was always the place to go. As I am from Philly, I do not have a preference for watching local Baltimore fighters like many local fans do. As a matter of fact, I don't even have a preference for Philly fighters - I don't really care where the fighters are from, I am only interested in watching a good, competitive fight. I think many of the Ballroom fans feel the same way I do about competitive fights regardless of the fighter's hometown. I remember the Ragin' Cajun, Cliff Richard (pronounced "Reeshard"), from the Louisiana area who always gave great fights at the Ballroom (it is very sad that his accident from falling from a tree left him disabled). I don't think anyone at the Ballroom who watched him fight really cared that he wasn't from Baltimore because of the action that he provided.
I have never heard of most of the undercard fighters at the Ballroom who fight in 4 round fights. But these fights are surprisingly many times the best fights on the cards because they are evenly-matched, up-and-coming fighters who only have 4 rounds to fight. They can't waist time like they can in an 8 round fight.
Of course I have also seen "name" fighters at the Ballroom in the past such as David Tua, Hasim RockHead, Kermit Cintron, Julian Letterlough (R.I.P.), Louis Collazo, Yuri Foreman, etc.
I am also well-familiar with the "name" local fighters that I've watched at the Ballroom such as Jimmy Lange, Darnell Wilson, Lamont Pearson, the Dirrell brothers, Clarence Vinson, Sharmba Mitchell, etc.
Regardless of whether or not the "name" fighters are local or nationally known, I still think the best Ballroom fights come from the guys that are the unknowns fighting in the 4 round undercard fights.
I read the comments concerning the Promotor, and I think that he intelligently responded to the questions/accusations. As I am not knowledgeable with what goes on with fights and fighters behind closed doors, I cannot comment on what I am reading about the Promotor. I do believe that a National Boxing Commission would solve many of the problems that fighters have with Promotors and Managers.
Finally, I hope that the Ballroom can return to its hey days by providing at least 6 evenly matched fights. It's fine if they show local or national talent, as long as the fights are competitive. The venue at Michael's 8th Avenue is great, and I hope that I see great fights again in the near future.
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