by Darrell Williams

When you mention the word Nicaragua in the modern day world of boxing, one name, “Ricardo Mayorga,” the chainsmoking egomaniacal banger from Managua is the constant that comes to one’s mind.
But while Mayorga has been scooping up millions in Las Vegas for his own bizarre version of the sweet science, a positive revolution has been taking place back home in Nicaraguan boxing. Four years ago, a couple of avid fight fans, Carlo Pilato and Silvio Conrado, along with former amateur fighter Fernando Sánchez, embarked upon a dream that would take them on an unforgettable ride. With the support of legendary fighter Alexis Arguello they took their first steps into the world of boxing promotion. “When we started, we did not know anything about professional boxing,” Silvio Conrado said. “We had a deep love for the sport, which was demonstrated by our constant efforts to promote amateur boxing in the Roger Deshón Gym in San Judas. The winner of each bout would receive a basket full of supplies in order to help their families out.”
After numerous promotions in the amateur game, the three amigos decided it was now time to take this dream a step further and moved into the murky world of the professional game.
Conrado fondly recalls one of their early experiences. “An amateur boxer named José Alfaro decided he wanted to turn pro and without our consent, fought in a professional fight card. He won, knocking out a guy’s tooth in the process, for the astounding figure of C$320.00 (US $20) or C$60 per round,” he recalls.
Unable to quite comprehend how this could be possible and with successful backgrounds in the financial world, they decided to launch their own promotional company and PRODESA Boxing was born. “We decided to launch our own boxing promotion company in order to be able to pay the boxers more decent salaries. Also in order to negotiate better purses for boxers, we decided to represent a few boxers by managing their careers,” Conrado said.
At PRODESA, the welfare of the fighter in and out of the ring is of great importance. With their experience in finance, they advise their fighters on how to take care of their hard earned purses. “The most frustrating part about managing and promoting is trying to isolate the kids from the dangers of their environments,” Conrado says. “If a kid is disciplined and has success, he becomes an idol in his area and starts being surrounded by people who are a bad influence. Drug dealers, certain kind of girls, and on some occasions even family members want to take all the money the fighter makes. Also because of lack of education, fighters tend to waste money instead of using it wisely.”
Since its early inception PRODESA has come a long way, but a great deal of their success can be attributed to their joining forces with Gaston McKnight and Pharaohs Casino.
“Pharaohs Casino has done wonders for the sport of boxing,” Conrado says. “Without a doubt, they are the single biggest reason why PRODESA has been able to do so much in so little time. They are a quality organization which has always had faith in us and our kids. They support many charitable and notable causes besides helping kids break poverty through sports such as boxing and in our opinion are a positive force in the community. They help us by supporting various amateur boxing programs, by helping fix up gyms, and by helping us promote professional boxing in a constant manner.”
Although not a PRODESA fighter and certainly not the greatest ambassador for the humility that Nicaraguans are known for, Conrado can see the positives in Ricardo Mayorga’s success on the world stage. “Mayorga is an influence wherever he goes. Most of the time, its negative, but he definitely has helped create positive attention toward boxing in Nicaragua. People know that if you are going to fight a Nicaraguan he is going to give you a tough time even if it is in a losing effort.” Conrado, however, feels his new breed of fighters are a much more educated and polite bunch with good ability and staying power minus the bad boy image. “They may not punch as hard or create as much controversy as Mayorga, but they are a whole lot more polished when it comes to technique,” he says.
In Román “Chocolatito” González, they have the most exciting young fighter to come out of Nicaragua in many a year. Only 20 years old, he looks destined to be a world champion within the next year.
PRODESA recently signed a five-year promotional agreement for González with Teiken Promotions of Japan, which is Asia’s largest and most prestigious promoter. “Our five-year deal allows for three fights a year for the next five years,” Conrado relates. “We chose Teiken because of their prestige and because Japan is a great market for Román to make top quality money. Purses in Japan with its strong economy are much larger in those weight classes then what you would expect in other parts of the world.”
Recently signed William González is also another great prospect who scored a sensational 45-second knockout on his debut for PRODESA at Pharaohs on January 26. With a number 1 ranking, he will also be fighting for a title shortly.
But the best story of all has to be José Alfaro; yes the same José Alfaro that blindly stepped into the ring three years previous without his promoter’s permission for the grand sum of C$320. He recently captured the world lightweight title in Germany and also received a house on his return home from President Ortega.
When you hear Silvio Conrado recall that night, it is hard not to feel his passion and pride at reaching boxing’s Holy Grail. “I was so nervous that day. From the moment I woke up I felt nervous. The night before, I had not been able to sleep well because of how worried I was,” he recalls. “Not only was Alfaro’s welfare at stake, but also the reputation of our gym and our firm. Winning a world title would change Alfaro’s life and at the same time give legitimacy to our firm in boxing circles. It would also help open the door for other kids we manage to get a shot to participate in bigger fights.”
His recollection of that night in Düsseldorf, Germany sounds more like that of a condemned prisoner awaiting his fate than a boxing promoter/fan on the biggest night of his life. “The events that unfolded during the fight are a bit hazy to me,” he recalls. “It was a surreal experience. I had a hard time breathing. My heart was coming out of my chest. The bell finally sounded and after 12 hard-fought rounds, the fight was over. I felt tired as if it were I who had fought, but was relieved things were over.”
After what seemed an eternity, Alfaro was awarded the title in a split decision. “I did not celebrate. I could not believe this was happening. A friend of mine named Firas was screaming next to me saying, ‘Silvio, your boy won!!!’ It was not until then that I had this great sensation of pride.”
In four short years, PRODESA Boxing has grown into Nicaragua’s premier boxing promoter; not with money and arrogance but with a genuine love for the sport and the fighters who put their lives on the line every time they step in the ring. They have created a program to help these kids stay out of trouble and train hard. The program relies on the help of corporations and wealthy individuals who contribute sums of money on a monthly basis in order to help maintain certain kids. This money is invested in food, medicine, boxing gear, transportation, and counsel to try and help the kids stay out of trouble and focused on their athletic careers.
They now have 30 fighters under promotional contracts and manage the careers of eight boxers, five of which are ranked very high in various boxing organizations.
The tales of woe are many in the world of professional boxing, a young uneducated fighter can be beat with the signature of his own name. It’s good to see that in Nicaragua with PRODESA Boxing, it doesn’t have to be that way.