From steak homes to slug fests and every part in between, he has represented all of them.
The newest addition of inductees into the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame consists of promotional legend Fred Sternburg.
To say his expertise on the prime stage of sports activities and leisure is huge and diverse can be an understatement as huge as his consumer listing.
For over 35 years, Sternburg, the president of his personal Sternburg Communications, Inc. since 2002, has represented an inventory of those who have included EPIX Sports activities, award-winning documentarians Aviva Kempner and Eric Drath, humorist Mark Russell, legendary sports activities columnist and writer Jerry Izenberg, Ruth’s Chris Steak Home, PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour and LPGA Tour occasions and ATP and Virginia Slims tennis tournaments, PPV.COM, to call however a couple of. And, working alongside a few of boxing’s largest fighters on boxing’s largest promotions.
In boxing, Sternburg has constructed an awesome status on his spectacular resume. And, individuals wish to be round him. Along with his ever-present smile and infectious snort, he is likely one of the nicest and friendliest guys you possibly can hope to fulfill within the sport.
It has been in boxing the place Sternberg has constructed a who’s-who consumer listing that features world champion, Corridor of Famers like Sugar Ray Leonard, Riddick Bowe, Winky Wright, Gennadiy Golovkin, Manny Pacquiao, Joe Calzaghe, and coach Freddie Roach, amongst many others. His resume boasts an limitless listing of legends within the sport.
Sternburg, who received the Marvin Kohn “Good Man” Award from the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America in Could 2005, caught up with MaxBoxing to present his ideas on his profession in a loopy sport like boxing.
The final time we spoke was in Las Vegas on the Tszyu-Fundora card. Immediately we’re catching up over the cellphone the place he’s in Harlem, New York for the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson press convention which came about on the iconic Apollo Theater. It could be not possible to seize this man’s profession in a single interview, however I did have the possibility to meet up with him and chat about a couple of highlights.
BT: Hello Fred, thanks for taking a minute to speak.
FS: Hey Invoice, comfortable to do it.
BT: Effectively first off congratulations in your son’s current commencement from legislation college and passing the bar examination. Final time we spoke he was simply attending to take his bar examination. You have to be very proud.
FS: Sure, we’re. What a man, we’re very pleased with him.
BT: OK, sufficient on the child (laughs) let’s speak about his dad entering into the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame. Fairly particular. I’ve bought 1,000,000 issues I might ask you about however let’s simply contact on a couple of issues.
FS: You wager, sounds nice.
BT: You end college, you might be out working and one in all your first assignments (in boxing) is the “Sugar” Ray Leonard – Marvin Hagler struggle. What an occasion. What an introduction to the game.
FS: I had been working for Charlie Brotman who ran a preeminent public relations company in Washington, D.C. One in every of Charlie’s largest shoppers was Ray Leonard and Charlie had been Ray’s publicist since Ray’s newbie days. Charlie assigned me to work with him on the preliminary press convention saying Hagler-Leonard. It came about through the night TV newscasts on the new Hyatt Regency Resort in Bethesda, Maryland. I didn’t now an entire lot about boxing and the PR work, publicity, and what have you ever for any sort of boxing occasion a lot much less one in all this magnitude. I actually didn’t know rather a lot in regards to the sport moreover being a fan. Effectively, I get to this press gathering, that is earlier than the precise press convention began. It’s loopy. I imply the entire media world is there (laughs). CNN, ESPN, all seven TV community associates from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore … you title it, they’re there, and the seven associates and two networks are all doing reside interviews with Ray and Marvin for 5 minutes every earlier than we begin the press convention. The eye this struggle was going to generate was off the charts. I mentioned to myself, ‘I like this, that is gonna be enjoyable’. The entire world actually stopped and watched that struggle and its buildup. Folks have been apprehensive Ray was going to get killed in there. He had the attention damage and hadn’t fought in practically three years. Combating such a formidable man in Hagler. The press the world over was throughout that struggle. It actually was an incredible occasion.
BT: You had (have) a protracted relationship with Manny Pacquiao and his coach Freddie Roach.
FS: I met Freddie when he was coaching Mike Tyson and my consumer, Gary Shaw, was selling these fights. I had been doing work for High Rank and I bought linked to Manny Pacquiao, skilled by Freddie, via High Rank. I imply, Invoice, Manny actually was my Sugar Ray Leonard. The best way Manny got here up. Only a small man and never many individuals, myself included, noticed what was coming initially. He constructed slowly, knocked off some powerful fighters to get the belts, after which the media, his nation and boxing followers actually began to get onboard. I imply for a small man who didn’t communicate English to perform what he did was unbelievable. First off, he received, and he received impressively. He was a fan-friendly fighter, and he got here throughout as so humble and gracious. All he wished to do was carry glory to his nation, the Philippines, and the Philippines bought behind him due to it. And, don’t neglect how laborious he labored at talking English. He made {that a} precedence and that opened numerous doorways for press and followers when he began to talk English. They embraced him due to it. However, all of it comes right down to successful within the ring and he received rather a lot and impressively. At his peak he was lined by each information outlet on this planet. After the De La Hoya win it was Manny mania. He was humble, devoted to his nation, he was simply so big. He was on the quilt of TIME journal, featured on 60 MinutesI, and was a favourite visitor of Jimmy Kimmel Dwell. So, when Manny was getting mobbed within the ring after a struggle, typically I’d slide over to Freddie and get his ideas which have been typically a gave me a novel angle and perception into the struggle and Manny’s efficiency. Freddie and I shared the identical humorousness and have become shut buddies, not simply from that, however from the time I spent in Manny’s coaching camps at Freddie’s Wild Card Boxing Membership in Hollywood, California.
BT: Is the texting and posting and tweeting by fighters themselves, by no means thoughts publicity outfits, good or unhealthy for the fighter? Is it an excessive amount of? Everybody, or a lot of individuals, reside their life in actual time on social media. Are you controlling the fighters at occasions as a lot because the story?
FS: Effectively, it actually is a method to promote a struggle and lift profiles. You will get numerous data on the market right now. I feel there’s actually an dependancy downside with individuals and sensible telephones as they’re actually, as I say, hooked on them. It’s a little bit of a double edge sword as fighters could be reside and interactive with everybody, however it may well trigger difficulties if the content material being put out isn’t what you need. It actually could be difficult to regulate that narrative now however how do you argue with somebody with 2 million followers (laughs).
BT: You’ve got a couple of different shoppers, however you might be primarily doing boxing now. Did you discover boxing or did boxing discover you? As soon as you bought into it, was it word-of-mouth?
FS: Ha, that’s fascinating. Effectively, all of it begins with one relationship or connection that results in one other. At first, whereas I used to be nonetheless working for Charlie Brotman, who taught me a lot in regards to the worth of public relations, the best method to do the job, and tips on how to develop relationships with the media and shoppers, I used to be assigned the account of Barry Linde, a profitable Washington, D.C.-based builder and developer who had began managing two very gifted, undefeated fighters — junior welterweight Reggie “Showtime” Inexperienced and welterweight Derrell “Too Candy” Coley. Due to Barry, each fighters grew to become TV regulars on “USA Tuesday Evening Fights,” USA Community’s extremely popular prime time reside boxing sequence run by Corridor of Famer Brad Jacobs, who I’d later work with at High Rank. It was an awesome platform for fighters and Reggie and Derrell had some success, main them to world title photographs. We did two native fights with Riddick Bowe, we labored with Dan Goossen at ‘America Presents’. We did fights on Fox Sports activities Internet, HBO, Showtime, did press conferences for Bob Arum when he wished to make D.C. a cease on a media tour for an enormous struggle, a lot of exhibits and plenty of connections. You get to fulfill individuals, they just like the work you do, and it typically goes from there. I began to grow to be often called the ’throwback publicist’ recognized for a artistic bent in my work that had the flavour of a bygone period.
BT: Apart from struggle week the place the media descends on a metropolis, there aren’t numerous remotes from camps it appears. I cherished the larger fights as a result of they’d have remotes from camps, and you probably did a good bit of that.
FS: For a few of the larger occasions and larger fighters, sure. I had a busy run with Manny Pacquiao. It actually relied on Bob (Arum) to approve these camp visits however I went an increasing number of as Manny bought larger and larger, and I give Bob numerous credit score for investing in me to supply coaching camp tales to assist construct up Manny’s fights. I’d spend a piece week in camp and go dwelling on weekends. I’d be on the market through the (work) week for a month earlier than the struggle. You’ll be able to attempt to line up all of the zoom calls and in-camp interviews you need however you want somebody there to arrange the press and keep on prime of the camps to fulfill their media obligations. The media requests for Manny have been limitless at the moment.
BT: I’ve a sense that you will say it’s not possible to decide on. However, best reminiscence or favorite individual or individuals to work with?
FS: (Laughs). Effectively, Invoice, you might be appropriate. It’s laborious to decide on only one reminiscence as I’ve had, and am having, a profession of recollections. I’ll say I’ve nice, fond recollections of working with Gary Shaw from years in the past. We began our companies on the similar time. He employed me to do P.R. and we jumped into some nice promotions collectively and we had numerous enjoyable, numerous nice occasions working with completely different fighters. Plenty of good recollections of working with Gary. Winky Wright, Shane Mosley, Diego Corrales, so many nice fighters through the years. We embraced our roles as underdogs. And, I have to say Bob Arum is no doubt the best promoter ever. I imply his promotion of Oscar (De La Hoya) alone, from Olympic gold medalist to the face of boxing and a significant crossover star, might be a case examine for MBA candidates. A fast story about Bob. I used to fax him articles and promotional concepts and all types of issues associated to boxing to him at his workplace or to his resort room when he was on the highway. Sooner or later in June 2008, I added an additional web page to the articles I used to be faxing him — it mentioned, “The Curse of the Billy Goat.” Inside seconds after it goes via the fax I get a name from Bob, who mentioned, “I don’t know what it’s however I’m all for it!” (laughs). We have been on the point of do a Los Angeles press convention for Manny Pacquiao’s problem of Chicago native and WBC light-weight champion David Diaz. It was Manny’s first struggle at light-weight. Bob goes P.T. Barnum and presents from Manny’s coach, Freddie Roach, a reside Billy Goat, and never simply any Billy Goat, however “a direct descendent of Murphy, the goat that instigated the curse on the Chicago Cubs through the 1945 World Sequence.” Cubs followers, together with Diaz, take that curse severely and Diaz ran for the hills slightly than get close to it for a photograph for worry that the curse would rub off on him. It was nice and it was loopy. A.P. ran the picture worldwide, and Bob cherished it. He cherished ingenious concepts and promotions. Biggest promoter ever.
BT: Talking of nice, let’s speak about your current Corridor of Fame announcement. Fairly particular. Did you ever dream you’d get to this stage in your profession, particularly linked to the game of boxing. Share some ideas.
FS: (Laughs). I by no means, ever thought I’d be working in boxing, not to mention one thing like this. It’s overwhelming, it truly is. I heard my title was on the poll for this 12 months and I assumed, ‘OK, that’s sufficient, that in itself is rewarding’. Then I heard rumbles about maybe getting elected. Then sooner or later my cellphone rings and I see Ed Brophy’s title flash and he often doesn’t name you to say you didn’t get in (laughs).
BT: Fred I do know you’re a light-hearted man who loves snort however in all seriousness, you’ve got an awesome status industry-wide. You’re (clearly) extremely revered for the good work you’ve got performed through the years for the fighters you’ve got represented and the good work you’ve got performed within the sport on many different ranges as nicely.
FS: Thanks, Invoice. These are good phrases. I by no means thought in 1,000,000 years I’d get an award for having as a lot enjoyable as I’ve had (laughs). However, severely, the popularity is sweet; its humbling, I’m honored. It’s a privilege to hitch boxing legends of all generations in such a particular place.
BT: Fred, I might speak for hours, and I do certainly need to do that once more. I’ll see you subsequent month in Vegas for the Tank Davis card and I’ll congratulate you in individual. Thanks a lot on your time.
FS: Ah, Invoice, you’re too type. You’re very welcome. Thanks, it was nice chatting.
