PROMOTER SNAPSHOT: SALITA PROMOTIONS
his own cards, but by 2014, he realized that promoting was what he wanted to do for his post-fight career. As a novice promoter, he didn’t have access to the best talent in the sport, but through scouting, an understanding of fighter development and shrewd matchmaking, he was able to get fighters such as Jermaine Franklin, Otto Wallin, Jarrell Miller, Vladimir Shishkin, Shohjahon Ergashev and others to the world stage. He believes that his focus on matchmaking gives his company a significant edge. Salita was born in Ukraine, then a part of the U.S.S.R., and immigrated to Brooklyn as a kid. His home base is now Detroit, where he has promoted shows for several years. Despite Michigan’s gloried history of boxing, with greats such as Joe Louis, Thomas Hearns, James Toney, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and countless others, when he arrived, he found the pro boxing scene to be lacking. In an earlier interview, Salita described the Detroit boxing scene when he arrived: “There are a lot of very talented fighters in Detroit,” he said, “and there have always been. But the fighters weren’t being developed.
And the streets, the pressure of life, withered many of them away. The problem was that people in Detroit would fight in a local high school. Someone who was 7-0 would fight someone who was 0-3. They were never tested. They were never developed. And then they would go to fight in Vegas against someone who was tested. But the Detroit guys didn’t have the support to be able to progress. And that was that. No one was looking out for them. “If you develop talented fighters wisely and properly, they can become contenders or world champions. If you have an infrastructure and a real system for developing fighters, from matchmaking to media to marketing to training, then the guys that have the talent can develop into something special. So I feel that there is a lot of potential here.” Salita’s biggest success story in Michigan has been Claressa Shields, who is already on the historical short list for the best in women’s boxing. Shields, from Flint, was a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Salita and his team have helped her become a massive ticket-seller. They’ve sold out Little Caesars Arena, home of
the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings. Salita also recently re-signed Shields to a multimillion-dollar extension that includes a partnership with Wynn Records, an R&B music label. Even though Shields met with other notable parties in the sport prior to her renewal, including Matchroom Boxing and MVP Promotions, Shields decided to resume her working relationship with Salita. “When I sign a fighter,” Salita said, “I say, ‘First I pay you, and then you pay me.’ And what I mean by that is that when a fighter gets to a certain point, where he or she is the boss, then my job is to service them and make sure that they reach the upper echelon of their potential. Eventually the fighter becomes the brand, not me. You see other promoters where they themselves are the brand. And that’s fine. They can be very successful that way. But with Salita Promotions, it’s not about me. It’s about the fighters and taking them as far as they can possibly go. With Claressa, we are now promoting her brand.” As a fighter, Salita challenged for a world title against Amir Khan and appeared on cards with some of the biggest fighters of the era, including
head of HBO PPV; Chris DeBlasio, a former director for Showtime Boxing and communications ace; Crystal Frost, the former director of brand communications for Mayweather Promotions; and John Wirt, the former CEO of Roy Jones Jr.’s Square Ring Promotions. Salita also utilizes two matchmakers: Kings Promotions head Marshall Kauffman and Steve Clemente. In addition, Salita believes that the quality of the television broadcast is essential in creating successful events. Even though his cards stream on DAZN, he controls the production of his events. He regards his broadcast team of Corey Erdman, Al Bernstein and Raul Marquez as the best in the business. He is confident that his company will become a major player in the sport. In addition to promoting in Michigan, he’s also focusing on Puerto Rico, another area that he thinks is ripe for a boxing renaissance. Similar to when he arrived in Detroit, he believes that the current boxing talent in Puerto Rico is impressive, but the infrastructure is not what it once was; he has already started to sign fighters and forge partnerships there. Salita plans for a busy 2026 with shows in Michigan and Puerto Rico. He is also looking at other potential underserved boxing markets. He believes that his company has built a solid foundation and is well-positioned to become one of the leading promoters in boxing.
Rangy super middleweight Da’Velle Smith is among Salita’s prospects.
313 Presents and Wynn Records. He understands the importance of social media as a vital storytelling platform, yet he also embraces the power of “traditional media.” He courts writers and television networks. Tony Harrison was recently on the local Fox Detroit affiliate promoting his upcoming fight on a Salita Promotions card. Harrison was also featured at a Red Wings and a Pistons game in the lead-up to the bout. Salita believes that grassroots promoting is crucial for creating pathways for local fighters. He promotes both arena-sized events and shows at the Fox Theater. These events have helped grow the local boxing scene and foster aspirational dreams for up- and-coming fighters. His success with Shields and his visibility in the region have helped him recruit Michigan-based talent such as lightweight Joshua Pagan (14-0) and super middleweight Da’Velle Smith (14-0). He believes that the perfect boxing company is the combination of a mom- and-pop shop blended with corporate vision. The mom-and-pop comes into play with specialized individual attention. Salita understands that
each fighter is unique, with specific gifts, family and life situations, and challenges. Each fighter requires his or her own personal development plan. But there also needs to be a corporate understanding of how to create big events and successful promotions. And with that aim, Salita has put together what he considers to be a dream team to execute his vision. His team includes David Berlin, the former executive director of the New York State Athletic Commission; Mark Taffet, the former
Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko, Erik Morales and others. He was always taking notes about the boxing industry. He learned how fighters were successfully moved from level to level and the elements that led to big events for the sport. His vision for success combines the old and the new, the big and the small. He espouses the tried-and-true methods of fighter development while also incorporating new elements, such as exploring novel partnerships, like those he has with Detroit-based
SNAPSHOT FOR SALITA PROMOTIONS Company: Salita Promotions Established: 2014 Principals: Dmitriy Salita, President and CFO
David Berlin, Chief Legal Counsel/Adviser Marshall Kauffman, Matchmaker Steve Clemente, Matchmaker
Broadcaster:
DAZN
Salita battles Derrick Campos at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
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