Ron Katz ”It has become more and more difficult to make matches these days”

By Boxing News - 03/09/2016 - Comments

By Cathal Jennings – Recently I caught up with legendary Matchmaker Ron Katz, who has 4 decades of match making under his belt. See what he has to say about the Boxing scene at the moment, fights he would like to see this year and the rise of Star Boxing plus much more.

CJ: For those who don’t know what does it take to make a match how much work does it take?

RK: It has become more and more difficult to make matches these days as opposed to days past. The lack of fighters is one reason and the fracture that exists in the sport is another.

CJ: What do fighters need to have to make a good match up?

RK: Styles make fights so you try to make a fight where the styles will mesh together nicely and try to make sure the match is competitive.

CJ: You have been in the Boxing game for over 35 years what is your fondest memory?

RK: That’s a good question, I have had so many thrills during my time. One of my proudest moments is when James Toney knocked out Michael Nunn to win the title, Chris Algieri facing tremendous adversity on his way to defeating Ruslan Provodnikov, Big George knocking out Michael Moorer are just a few off the top of my head.

CJ: What do you make of Boxing at the moment is it in a good place, Will MMA ever be the number 1 combat sport?

RK: Boxing will never be like it was. Unfortunately as I mentioned earlier, the sport is too fractured which prevents the best matchups from taking place. MMA is a hugely popular sport and both combat sports have a die-hard fan base. You have to see if MMA stands the test of time as Boxing has.

CJ: What match-ups that are currently made would you like to see happen this year?

RK: I think Fury-Wilder would be a fun event and good fight, Kovalev-Stevenson, Kovalev-Ward, GGG-Danny Jacobs, Canelo and our guy Demetrius Andrade, Khan-Brook, Thurman- Garcia are just a few I’d like to see.

CJ: Who is the greatest match maker of all time in your opinion and why?

RK: Teddy Brenner, my mentor, enough said.

CJ: Tell us about Star Boxing can you tell us about some of the exciting shows coming up?

RK: We have done very well here at Star Boxing under the direction of Joe DeGuardia. We have remained independent and have a great working relationship with everybody. We have a great venue in The Paramount in Huntington, NY where we have run 22 shows virtually all sold out and launched the careers of Chris Algieri, Cletus Seldin, and Joe Smith. We have a nice mix of highly skilled fighters and fan friendly sluggers so I am pleased where we are at this time.

CJ: Tell us about the fights you would have loved to have made but didn’t?

RK: Good question, we made so many significant fights during my 16 years at Top Rank that I really can’t think of any off the top of my head that may have escaped us.

CJ: What was your most success full match that you made and why?

RK: Barkley-Duran was not only a great fight but a hugely successful one, Foreman-Morrison is another that comes to mind, the involvement in so many big fights at Top Rank will always stay dear to my heart. I joined TR in 86 I only wish I was there a couple years earlier.

CJ: What has to be done to grow female Boxing?

RK: You are asking the wrong guy, I’m old school and although I truly respect the ladies that participate in the sport I’m not a big fan.

CJ: With all the years of experience you have, who in your opinion is the greatest boxer of all times?

RK: Well that’s a question that will always be debated. I liken myself to be somewhat of a historian so I look back at guys like Ray Robinson, Benny Leonard, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, and so many others from the golden age. More recently the 2 guys that stand out for me are Ray Leonard and Ali with Duran and Hagler not far behind.

By Cathal Jenning
@14Cathal



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