Exclusive Boxing Interview: Dmitriy Salita

**With Slideshow**

© Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

The documentary Orthodox Stance began its exclusive theatrical engagement at Cinema Village (www.cinemavillage.com) yesterday in New York City featuring Dmitriy Salita, a Russian immigrant, undefeated professional boxer and a religious Jew.

Director Jason Hutt documents Salita’s journey over the course of a few years near the beginning of his professional career and describes the film as a portrayal of Dmitriy’s maturation in each of these disparate communities, and the seemingly incompatible cultures and characters working together to support his rare and remarkable devotion to both Orthodox Judaism and the pursuit of a professional boxing title. In the end the film is about more than just boxing and religion, but about a young man’s search for meaning in life.

I was fortunate to have watched a press screening of the documentary at the end of last year and was impressed with the director’s presentation of Salita and the challenges he faces within his boxing career and his faith in his religion. I highly recommend the documentary to anyone who has the opportunity to see it.

Salita was relatively inactive in 2007 fighting only once in March but feels 2008 is off to a much better start. Not only is his documentary debuting in New York City but he is fighting as a free agent and is being considered on the short list of possible opponents for Oscar De La Hoya’s May “tune-up” fight. Although it appears De La Hoya is near an agreement with Steve Forbes, Salita is hopeful that he may still have an opportunity.

The undefeated Salita, 27-0-1 (15), is currently training for a fight scheduled against an opponent to be named as the co-feature on February 28 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City .

Saddoboxing had the privilege of an exclusive interview with both Dmitriy Salita and director Jason Hutt to discuss his documentary and was invited to a private workout with Salita at Starrett City Boxing Club before he departs for his final training camp in the Pocono Mountains, PA this weekend.

Special thanks to Dmitriy and his team for inviting Saddoboxing to his training session for an extensive photo shoot.

Interview with Dmitriy Salita:

SaddoBoxing: I enjoyed the press screening of your documentary Orthodox Stance and was not aware of all the challenges you faced in your boxing career; how long have you been working on the film?

Dmitriy Salita: “Thank you. Jason started about five years ago around my seventh pro fight. The first fight was on the undercard of the Morales – Ayala Pay-Per-View in Las Vegas . He stuck with the crew until I fought Shawn Gallegos for the NABA Junior Welterweight title in 2006 and then it took him about a year and a half to edit it.”

SB: When you first started working with him early on did you have every intention that it was going to be this type of documentary or did it evolve into something else?

DS: “No, it evolved into something else. At first I though he would follow me around for about a week or so, but a week turned into a month, a month turned into a year, and a year turned into three years.”

“The great thing about Jason why he was able to get some of that incredible footage was because he totally respected everyone around boxing and everybody in the community. He was kind of a fly on the wall where no one really noticed him; he just went on about his business which is why I think it worked out so well. He was just one guy with a camera, it wasn’t a whole crew just one guy and then you see some of the more personal stuff on the big screen it’s just pretty amazing. It’s a great compliment when someone wants to do that and I’m happy with the product.”

SB: Where do you feel that you will be able to go with the documentary?

DS: “It’s opening at the Cinema Village Theatre and it’s also playing on the BBC* February 12 and opening in Los Angeles on April 11. As far as I understand they have not sold the distribution rights in the United States yet, my hope is that a major network picks it up.”

“I think some of the struggles are common to most pros that are trying to make something of themselves from a young pro to a championship level. I think some of those things are common and people will get to see what a boxer’s life is like. I hope that it will increase awareness of me and people will really understand what I’m about.”

“The two fights that I’m currently interested in are Gavin Rees, who I’ve called out before, but for whatever reason it didn’t happen. I’ve also learned that Oscar De La Hoya is considering me for a fight and I’m incredibly interested in that fight as well, I couldn’t wish for anything better.”

SB: You made some comments about the film being able to portray fighters and the things that they have to go through, I think with your faith it adds a whole other element to it which can really limit you career if your not working with the right people who are willing to make sure you go on at a specific time or night. I’m not fully aware of the Jewish religion but what are some of the current religious beliefs that keep you from fighting like the Sabbath for example.

DS: “Basically it’s a time difference. Sabbath comes in Friday night at sundown and it comes out Saturday night at sundown. It can cause a problem; it doesn’t really cause many problems now because I’m really the main event and I fight in New York City , but if the fight was on the west coast with a three hour difference in the summertime it can cause a problem. In the summer Sabbath comes out very late at nine o’clock that will make it twelve o’clock on the east coast which might make the fight being broadcast on television a bit difficult. But if the fight is taking place on the east coast its better because the main event doesn’t happen until nine or ten o’clock anyway but in the winter time it’s fine everywhere because as of now Sabbath comes out at 5:30 p.m. so there’s not any problems with that.”

SB: Is Sabbath something that is year round or only for a specific period of time?

DS: “Sabbath is basically the seventh day of the week which is the day of rest, Friday night to Saturday night.”

SB: Your career has been progressing nicely and hopefully you have some of the bigger fights you have mentioned coming up; if you get to the point in your career when you are fighting for titles or defending titles and you have millions of dollars on the table and a negotiating point is something that will conflict with your faith what do you feel you will do at that point, will you have to walk away from the fight?

DS: “I feel that all of my success is because I do what’s required of a Jewish individual to do. I don’t think it will be good for me to do otherwise, I’m extremely strict with that and it’s something I believe in whole heartedly. I believe that something like that should not stand at a crossroads, especially at this level where I’m not forced to fight before the main event. It’s very doable now and it shouldn’t stand in the way.”

SB: It’s rare to find someone with such strong beliefs that something like money won’t interfere with your beliefs; I take my hat off to you for having such strong convictions.

DS: “Thank you very much.”

SB: What type of feedback have you received from the documentary so far?

DS: “So far it’s been great; all the reviews have been great. A lot of publications and papers have had good reviews. It’s a tremendous compliment. It helps me a great deal in terms of people knowing who I am and what I’m about.”

SB: When we spoke last year you were being promoted by Lou Dibella, I have recently read that you are a free agent; do you care to comment on what transpired?

DS: “I’m not at liberty to comment on those issues. There were some positive times and I got a chance to stay busy and expand my fan base on the Broadway Boxing shows. Now I’m looking forward to fighting world class type opponents and world class types of fights and becoming a world champion. I wish the best to DiBella Entertainment and thank them for their support.”

SB: Have you been entertained by any other promoters?

DS: “Yes, we have been talking to a few different people. I’m planning on staying a free agent for a fight or two and depending on how things develop we’ll see what happens.”

SB: You have a fight coming up on February 28 under Cedric Kushner’s Gotham Boxing; is trying to get fights as a free agent versus through a promoter easier or more difficult?

DS: “So far it’s been easier with this fight, I’m a good attraction and I put butts in the seats as they say. There was talk of me being on the Klitschko card but I wasn’t a free agent at the time we couldn’t really finalize it. I’m glad that this happened and it will be a good chance to get back in the ring.”

SB: You have been mentioned on a short list with Paulie Malignaggi and Steve Forbes as possible opponents for Oscar De La Hoya in May; I’m sure that would be a dream fight for you.

DS: “That would be tremendous. It would obviously be a great fight in New York City because of who Oscar is and I bring a lot to the table in this area. Even if the fight is at 150 pounds or in Mexico City I’m going to ruin their plans going forward. I hope that I get the fight. I’m all business. Oscar is a fighter I have looked up to since an early age so it would be that much more special. If this fight happens I look forward to taking care of business.”

SB: Thank you for taking the time with me today, on behalf of Saddoboxing I wish you the best of luck with getting the fight with De La Hoya, your career and your documentary.

DS: “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it,”

Interview with director Jason Hutt:

SaddoBoxing: I thought the documentary was great; I’ve interviewed Dmitriy in the past and I was not that well aware of what he goes through with his training and his faith and it was really an interesting perspective on what he has to go through to make his career work.

Jason Hutt: “Thank you very much. In my mind you get a chance to see what any professional boxer goes through which is incredibly hard not only in the ring but outside the ring in sort of the business sense, in the negotiations, and waiting for the right fight, but also especially what Dmitriy goes through as being an observant Jew. I was out at a screening in Tucson last night and Bruce Silver’s wife the owner of Gleason’s Gym was there with me and he was talking a lot about how a lot of what you see in the film is not unique to Dmitriy, in terms of being with one promoter and going to another promoter for different reasons, waiting for a fight, making weight all this stuff that is a real part of boxing and you get a chance to see in the film. I’m just grateful that Dmitiry and his crew and everyone else let me inside to see it.”

SB: I understand it’s been like a five year project for you at this point, I remember reading in the press kit that your parents sent you an article about Dmitriy which peaked your interest in starting the project with him?

JH: “There was a really big article in the Style section of the Washington Post from September 1, 2002 and I had recently moved to Brooklyn and I read all about the characters in Dmitriy’s life and his back story and I thought it was just a great documentary waiting to happen.”

SB: When you first approached Dmitriy and started taking some footage did you have a vision of what you wanted to complete or it was more of something that developed into this hour and a half documentary?

JH: “I guess I could kind of tell based on the vibrancy of the characters and the different cultures that were involved in that sort of inter sect around Dmitriy. I kind of knew it could be a fascinating feature documentary. I didn’t know how long it would take to make it but it did turn into one of those films like Hoop Dreams where you do spend time with the characters and you sort of get a chance to see not only what their life is like but what is happening in their life.”

“In this case it was the first three or four years of Dmitriy’s professional career and he and his team are trying to find a place of him as an observant Jew in the world of professional boxing. After spending time with Dmitriy and traveling with him while he was fighting on Top Rank’s Latin Fury cards I got the sense that something was happening and something was building and you start to realize what is that Dmitriy is looking for. You realize he is not only trying to win a world title but he’s like other boxers and he wants to fight in front of his hometown fans and that wasn’t happening so that became one of the goals happening within the film.”

“Once he comes back to New York there’s a series of other things in finding the right trainer and as that was happening he was also taking off as a minor celebrity and was invited to the White House and Mayor Bloomberg’s Hanukkah party where he met Jewish recording artist Martisyahu. These things just started to happen and one year turned into two, turns into three.”

“The film ends two years ago not because Dmitriy has reached that moment where the story is finished but he really sort of reached a certain place where the journey ended. He was able to find a comfortable place for an observant Jew in the professional boxing game and I felt at his Junior Welterweight title fight with Matisyahu singing him into the ring he had sort of arrived at that place. In the beginning he is fighting in Las Vegas and Puerto Rico , there are mariachi bands in the lobbies and in the end he’s marching into the Hammerstein Ballroom and being sung into the ring by Matisyahu. Professional boxing has its different ethnicities and it has its different music and cultures and in Orthodox Stance you are seeing Dmitriy’s which is a very unique one.”

SB: What are your plans for the documentary?

JH: “We had our world premiere last June at the SilverDocs AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival in DC which is one of the best documentary festivals in the world. We are just trying to get it out to good festivals and get audiences to watch the film and get it into theaters. We’re hoping to have a television broadcast in America while we have it in Britian and then it will move onto DVD. I think it has the potential to get out to a wide audience, if Dmitriy does well hopefully the film will get more exposure. I just hope Dmitriy gets more exposure period, he’s been working hard as you know.”

JH: Thank you for the interview, I appreciate your time and wish you the best of luck.

DS: “I’m glad you like the film and got to see it at the Lincoln Center . It was nice talking to you.”

*BBC UK BROADCAST

BBC 4 will be broadcasting ORTHODOX STANCE on Tuesday February 12th at 9PM as part of the prestigious Storyville series, the BBC’s flagship strand for international documentaries.