Reno's Joey Gilbert built his reputation as a three-time NCAA boxing champion for the University of Nevada, Reno, and as a fan favorite on NBC's "The Contender."
Now, Gilbert, 30, has added a business wrinkle to his career as promoter of his own fights and head of Joey Gilbert Promotions.
Gilbert, 13-1 as a pro and the reigning WBA-NABO middleweight champion, makes his second title defense in the "Snow Brawl" March 2 at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Stateline. Gilbert's bout against Robert Dula (15-2-1, 8 KOs) headlines an undercard filled with the region's top talent.
Gilbert says "The Contender" co-host Sylvester Stallone took a liking to him, and one day the salty boxing movie veteran passed along some sage advice.
"Stallone says to me, 'Hey, so'd you figure out what side of the ropes you're supposed to be on kid?' I said, 'Ya,' and he said, 'Well, let's not take too long gettin' there, huh,' and just walks away from me and rolls his eyes. I knew I needed to be on the other side of the ropes as soon as possible."
Gilbert says promoting his own fights allows him to maximize his opportunities within the sport.
Another close mentor, boxing icon Mills Lane, also helped plant the seed.
"He said amateur boxers don't get paid, so I started looking at things from that aspect. Ever since college I knew I was going toward promoting, but was I going to do it in the middle of my career? It is going to take some juggling, but I have got a great team and I have got a lot of good people behind me."
He's hoping ticket sales, event sponsorships and personal sponsorships allow him to turn a profit on the $50,000-$100,000 he'll invest in the event.
"What I have done is leverage a lot of my past paydays. It is not 1950 anymore; fighters do quite well," he says. "I'm trying to leverage the assets I have and leverage the assistance I can get through close contacts without having to give up equity or bring on more partners."
Gilbert is sole owner of Joey Gilbert Productions, but he will offer a partnership to former UNR boxer and close friend Bret Summers. He says the massive television exposure from "The Contender" was worth infinitely more than any payday.
"Having a bad day at the office is like a 2 on a 1 to10 scale," he added. "You get up in front of a million people and someone is trying to kick your butt, it is a little different. It's taught me to handle pressure on a level where I am unbreakable."
Gilbert says his phone began blowing up when other boxers found he was promoting fights, and his dual role as a fighter and promoter gives him a unique insight into his clientele's needs.
"If you haven't been hit with those 10-ounce gloves, or ridden a Stairmaster on a Friday night while your friends are out at the bar, or lived off tuna fish and carrots trying to make a weight, you won't see eye-to-eye with the sacrifices."
Since taking on more projects, Gilbert hired strategic planner Erica Olsen to help map out a strategy for the year.
"I think she thinks I have lost my mind," Gilbert says. "If could vote for a 36-hour workday I would. I have never been a big fan of sleep. It just gets in the way of things. I really don't like the weekends, either."
Gilbert, who also holds a law degree, attributes his work ethic to his father and to his success in boxing.
"If you want to be great, you have to put in everything," he says. "There are days I wake up exhausted, and the last thing I want is to go to Gold's Gym at 4:45 in the morning. But my father is a Marine, and he's nuts, so he's going to make me show up. I am not going to get out of that."
His ties to northern Nevada run deep.
A 1994 graduate of Bishop Manogue High School, Gilbert says he's probably spoken at almost every middle school and high school in the area. He is also a champion of juvenile diabetes research, work that has garnered him respect from all parts of the state.
"The support I receive in all my endeavors is unbelievable," he says. "Not only was Kenny Guinn like a grandfather to me, but now Jim Gibbons is someone who has been mentoring me from the Air Guard to when I went into law school. The people here have helped me so much. These older businessmen reach right down to pick you up and get you in the door. It is unique, I think, to our area."
