38 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2024

junior welterweight world title and
International Boxing Federation
and World Boxing Association
international titles along with
the North American Boxing
Association light welterweight
championship.
“Dmitriy was one of the top five
fighters in the world in his weight
class,” says Mark Taffet, president
of Mark Taffet Media, who works
alongside Salita to promote their
mutual client, two-time Olympic
Gold Medal winner and four-weight
world champion Claressa Shields.
“In addition to having superb
boxing skills, Dmitriy had excep-
tional ring IQ and an unbreakable
competitive will in the ring,” he
added. “His focus was incredi-
ble, and he rarely made a mistake
during a fight. He leverages those
same attributes today as a boxing
promoter.”
Through it all, Salita always man-
aged to keep kosher and refused to
fight on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.
He has often faced hate for his
Orthodox Jewish identity, but says
he’s been able to succeed and stay
true to his faith and values “in a
space where being a religious Jewish
person is unusual.”
He remains an active part of the
Chabad community of Detroit.

BRINGING ‘BIG TIME’
BOXING BACK
In the latest iteration of his career,
Salita is still impacting boxing and
still receiving accolades. He was
recently named USBA Promoter of
the Year at the International Boxing
Federation convention in Puerto
Rico.
The boxers he represents
include Shields, who won World
Boxing Council and World Boxing
Organization heavyweight and
light-heavyweight titles in July
during her second big fight at Little
Caesars Arena in Detroit, and other
lesser-known fighters like rising
junior middleweight prospect and
Flint native Ardreal Holmes Jr., who

had a fight Sept. 12 in Flint.
“Detroit is one of the hotbeds
for boxing talent that’s been unex-
plored for a long time,” Salita says.
“I have never seen such a crop of
young and hungry fighters … I feel
the next U.S.-born world champion
will come from right here in greater
Detroit and surrounding areas like
Flint.”
This year, Salita launched a box-
ing series, “Big Time Boxing USA,”
with broadcast partner DAZN,
arranging fights and matchups that
give up-and-coming prospects a
platform to grow their reputation
and fanbase. He believes his boxing
career was his “education for right
now.” No surprise, Salita’s current
goal is to be the sport’s No. 1 pro-
moter.
“Dmitriy and his Salita
Promotions are coming into their
prime right now,” Taffet said. “I
believe Dmitriy is poised to be
among the top promoters of the
sport for years to come, and it has
been a real pleasure watching him
grow and expand as he takes his
place among the sport’s royalty. I
am proud to call him a friend and
wonderful business partner.”
A long way from Brooklyn and
his early struggles, Salita says the
Big Time Boxing series has become
the premier developmental platform

for young fighters in the U.S. And
he says he’s grateful for the United
States, which gave him opportuni-
ties.
“Even though it’s not easy and
there are challenges, who you are
will not stand in the way of who
you become — and that to me is the
American dream,” he says. “The law
of the land allows you to progress
and be true to yourself and be an
individual and that’s why America is
the best country in the world.”

Salita expects a growing audience
of big in-person crowds and viewers
watching the live and on-demand
sports streaming platform DAZN
to see his Michigan-based Big Time
Boxing matchups that can make or
break his fighters’ careers.
In true promoter style, he says,
“You don’t want to miss it.”

To learn more about Salita Promotions, visit

salitapromotions.com.

Salita wins the World
Boxing Foundation
junior welterweight
world title in
November 2008.

World-rated boxers Michel
Rivera and Shohjahon
Ergashev are pictured with
Salita (center).

continued from page 36

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