Hello Ali and Liberace! Bring Back Showmanship to Pro Boxing and MMA
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Nothing in life is better for a cause than the good old fashioned spectacular publicity stunt. As Liberace, once stated, “Be Outrageous!” Muhammad Ali, Liberace and Elvis Presley and Freddie Mercury knew how to work the press and any audience to dramatic effect.
Personality superseded everything, and the giants of entertainment had great concepts of how to get attention and remain in the limelight. Boxing still has some good promotions, but the concept of a box office draw after Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s retirement seem remote.
It was indeed Lee Liberace who put one of his costume jackets on a young Elvis Presley and dared Elvis to imitate him. Muhammad Ali mocked other boxers with rhythmic poetry, and captured the attention of the world when he refused draft induction and would not go to Vietnam, then came back and regained his title. The world was intrigued.
WrestleMania and the USC, like boxing, know how to put on a great promotion. Giving celebrities guest appearances always helps to energize the concept of filling the seats and selling the pay-per-views. It seems to me sports were better years ago at recruiting stars and attracting celebrity interest. Today’s boxing events and MMA events are attended by celebrities for the most part only if they happen to be there, which is not like it used to be. Then again, nothing ever is.
Publicity sells, not only in sports but in all vocations. Muhammad Ali and Liberace were truly two of the masters of the dramatic appearance to captivate the attention and intrigue of the general public in the entertainment and sports genres. To date, nobody has captured the hearts and the intensity of the fans like Ali or Liberace did, who could rise up well enough to take their place. Sportswriter Robert Brizel got an education in showmanship from Muhammad Ali and Liberace, two performers who ‘sold the show’ by means external to their respective professions, and they did it with superior emotional personality, style and flair, and generated great public interest for their shows as well. They cannot and will never be beaten or equaled over the course of time. Ali and Liberace had a certain timeless magic for capturing the attention and admiration of the general public, and they also knew how to handle the media brilliantly.
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