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Bash Is Bringing Boxing Back!
Arcadia Weekly Mar 16, 2016
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– Photo by Jacob Bigley
An Interview With Steven Bash
By Jacob Bigley
We at Beacon Media sat down with Steven Bash, attorney and owner of Bash Entertainment/Bash Boxing Inc., a full service sports and entertainment company providing professional athletes and companies legal representation as well as management, marketing and promotional services.
In an effort to bring back the “good old days” of professional boxing and give young fighters an opportunity to showcase their talents, Bash Boxing is involved with Art of Boxing Promotions in the organization and promotion of live boxing events. Together, Bash Boxing and Art of Boxing Promotions have organized over 15 professional boxing shows. Their current projects include Hollywood Fight Night at the Florentine Gardens, War At Woodland Hills at the Warner Center Marriott, and Glendale Glory at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.
BMI: How did you first get into boxing?
SB: About 12 years ago, a professional boxer came into my law office and asked me to represent him in a legal dispute with his promoter at the time, Don King. I resolved the dispute and when the boxer came to pick up his check, he asked me to become his manager. I always liked sports so I agreed. That boxer became a World Champion and it just kept snowballing from there.
BMI: What is your favorite aspect about the sport?
SB: As representative of boxers, there is nothing more rewarding than being involved with a boxer or MMA fighter that climbs the latter of the sport and achieves its highest level. As a promoter of the events, I mostly enjoy seeing a packed house of fans and feeling the energy of the crowd during an event that took a tremendous amount of work to put on. Personally, my favorite aspect has been the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world for boxing events.
BMI: How did “Bash Boxing” get started?
SB: After being lucky to represent some World Champions as an attorney and manager, I started to represent younger fighters who needed a platform to build their careers on the local level. There were few options for these fighters in the L.A. area and so Bash Boxing came to existence. 30-plus shows later, we keep bringing a fun and entertaining live sporting event option to the local fight fans.
BMI: What would you ultimately like to see “Bash Boxing” become?
SB: Bash Boxing has always been my “hobby” (while often times taking up a great deal of my time). We have gone from two to three events per year to 10 to 12, including boxing and MMA. Certainly the platform has the potential to expand beyond the local level but ultimately, these shows are done for fun. So long as demand from the local communities and boxing industry continues, we will keep putting on shows for people to enjoy.
BMI: What are your thoughts on MMA?
SB: I have been fortunate to be involved with some of the bigger names in MMA like Ronda Rousey and Fedor Emelianenko and have represented MMA promoters. And I enjoy the sport and have recently partnered with Lights Out Promotions and Combate Americas on some great MMA shows in the San Fernando Valley and the L.A. Area. I think the sport will continue to grow and for good reason.
BMI: Does MMA threaten boxing’s popularity? If so, what is your approach to keep “BashBoxing” competitive?
SB: After doing both MMA and boxing shows, I feel the fans are somewhat different and that both MMA and boxing have a place in the hearts of combat sports fans. I don’t think neither sport threatens each other at this point but that both sports will continue to co-exist and maintain their popularity.
– Photo by Jacob Bigley
BMI: What is your relationship with the fighters?
SB: My relationship with the fighters used to be a lot closer when I took more of a management role in their careers. But as my own two kids become older, I have made sure to focus on their development and limit my involvement with the fighters. With that said, I still am a fan first and foremost and always like to help fighters in any way I can.
BMI: What is the process to get an event up and running and how do you maintain a constant schedule?
SB: I have always compared the organization of a boxing or MMA event to throwing a huge wedding … except nobody brings you any presents and there is no honeymoon. You have to deal with the venue, the entertainment, the food, the production, getting the word out, and all other aspects of any live event. Then there is a tremendous amount of work involved in with getting the fighters matched, licensed, and ready to go on fight night. There is a constant schedule and a lot of work involved by some very dedicated people. And then a few days of rest and on to the next show.
BMI: What is Steve Bash’s next step to grow “Bash Boxing”?
SB: That’s a tough question because the company has pretty much grown organically without a huge desire to keep climbing any particular ladder. But as the business grows and we do more shows, more often, the next step would certainly have to be getting some additional staff so I could do less work!
BMI: Explain Steve Bash’s love for the sport and his business…
SB: I have always felt there are two sports, boxing and hockey, that need to be seen live and in person to truly appreciate the speed, force, and true nature and beauty of their respective sports. Many folks have seen a boxing event on TV but have never experienced it live. I fell in love with the sport of boxing when I first saw it live and I fell in love with the business when I felt I could make a difference in the careers of fighters and how events are organized. I love when people that have never gone to a live event come up to me and tell me how awesome and enjoyable their experience was. There is just something about that live experience in boxing that cannot compare to most sports. The business part is actually a love/hate relationship. There are some really good folks and some not so good folks in the business of boxing. I have been fortunate to make some very close friends in the business and work with great people. And at the end of the day, you have to love and enjoy what you do and who you work with. And when it comes to boxing and MMA, I simply love and enjoy it.
– Photo by Jacob Bigley
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