The Ringleader

When Damon Feldman pits C-listers against each other, everybody wins.

by A.D. Amorosi

Scott Weiner C'MON GET HAPPY: Damon Feldman looms large (behind Danny Bonaduce) in the world of celebrity boxing. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Damon Feldman has fighting in his blood.

He's the son of renowned Philly boxer and trainer Marty Feldman. But the kid's own career inside the ring was cut short when his neck was injured in 1993.

"I was on my way to a big time in boxing when I got injured — stopped at 9-0," says the younger Feldman, 38. A few years ago Feldman told me that his dream was to be a world champ, to give his dad a champion belt for the family's mantel.

"But this helps me tick, keeps me ticking."

The "this" he's talking about is boxing promotion. But it isn't just the regulation world of boxing that we're talking about. Feldman traffics in showbizzy promotions.

Celebrity Boxing Federation, the company he started in January 2008, held one of its biggest matches last month, with former child star and current radio and television host Danny Bonaduce fighting local comedian the Rev. Bob Levy. A CBF fight in July pitted defamed baseball star Jose Canseco against football player-turned-reporter Vai Sikahema. Right now Feldman's promoting his next event, a two-match evening in November with headliners Phil "Bam's dad" Margera and John Wayne "reattached penis" Bobbitt.

"There is a future for this," says Feldman, who's seen the noncelebrity version of his sport suffer from a diminishing talent pool and reduced public interest. "Look, boxing is on a down slide so I added the 'celebrity' aspect to it and it is building." He actually started promoting events back in 1996, switching back and forth between legit boxers and C-list celebs. He had local mooks like John Bolaris box Diego Ramos from WIOQ. There was Bernard Fernandez, Tonya Harding, Beetlejuice and Bernard Hopkins. Maybe they boxed. Maybe they wrestled. Maybe there were suds and wet T-shirt contests on the side. Who cares? Feldman seems to revel in blurring the line between entertainment and sport.

"Superstardom is what I really want in the world of promoting now," he says.

Feldman's already tried walking the straight and narrow in the boxing world, however briefly. In 2006, he joined forces with lawyer/former Pennsylvania boxing commissioner/general counsel to the WBA Jimmy Binns Sr. for an enterprise called Broad Street Boxing.

Feldman's dad and his brother David were part of it, as was Jimmy Binns Jr. and Sly's brother, Frank Stallone. According to Feldman, Binns Sr. asked him to chill with the silly stuff — dippy Toughman contests, midget events — and concentrate on legitimate boxing.

But after launching on Nov. 9, 2006, with a sparsely attended main event headlined by junior middleweight Harry Yorgey at the Spectrum, Feldman wanted out and ended his association with Binns Sr. and Broad Street Boxing.

"It was a one-fight-only thing and the fight lost big," says Feldman. "I have nothing bad to say other than I was going in different directions. I don't feel like pointing the finger at anyone. There's no finger-pointing to be done. I respect Jimmy Binns.

"When Jimmy Binns was commissioner there were more fights and fighters you can build on," says Feldman. He misses the days of George Bochetto, Howard McCall and Rudy Battle. "They're guys who have competed — that is what boxing needs, more people that have that experience."

Feldman's not interested in promoting real boxing right now, doesn't currently see a future in it. "I feel like the state commissions are all corrupt and I don't do business that way. With the celebrities, it is building a league of its own and gives former athletes, child star actors and such a chance to make some money and stay in the spotlight."

For Feldman, this is like "Hollywood coming East in boxing."

At first, Feldman had to hunt for his fighter/celebs with lots of phone calls. But now Feldman claims they're calling him, too. Sometimes he gets on the phone with them directly or meets them one-on-one. "It is about being real with the personality and make them understand how I have a plan, how events are structured where no one gets hurt and that it is more entertainment than anything. But that they will battle it out."

Having witnessed Danny Bonaduce — an admitted former steroid rager — in fighting action, I can attest to the celebs' desire to do battle. Feldman says he and the onetime Philadelphian Bonaduce have become close. "I never expected that — how he's helped, how he got on board. Danny's really getting my company's name out there. Incredible."

Feldman just returned from Los Angeles where he's negotiating a possible fight between Bonaduce and Canseco in February 2009 in Hollywood.

Canseco's last fight in the area might've lost money — "it was in the wrong spot, a baseball stadium in Atlantic City rather than a casino" — but each event's a learning experience. Feldman's considering smaller events that he hopes to get onto cable television, where the paydays will be bigger. He won't talk specifics as to who gets paid what and how much he's making from each fight. Suffice it to say he's happy and about to get happier. So far he claims to only have been turned down by two men he asked.

"Nick Lachey wants to but is working on albums right now. And Christopher Walken wanted to but commitments with movies has him swamped," says Feldman. His dream bouts are Sylvester Stallone vs. Vince McMahon, and Dennis Rodman vs. Charles Barkley.

But what about Feldman? Would he do some fighting again? He's not against it.

"Me and my dad were talking about that with my attorney, Bob Bush, and the possibility of doing a few matches," says Feldman. "I am training every day but it would only be good for what I am doing — the celeb fights. Other than that, I'm happy to do what I'm doing without taking too many punches."

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

Check Feldman's events out at myspace.com/celebrityboxingfederation.