Scott Patrick Farrell’s blueprint to get to the top
Sports really teaches you many things early in life, and these learnings develop your character and can later on help shape your career.
Scott Patrick Farrell is the founder and CEO of Ringstar, a boxing promotional outfit that looks to take the sports scene by storm, and his blueprint to get to the top consists of these values learned growing up.
Scott started in fight sports at an early age, getting into taekwondo, karate, and kung fu before finding his true passion, boxing.
Things didn’t start out perfectly for him, as he lost his first four fights, but with perseverance, determination, belief in himself, and hard work, he went on to win his next 19 fights!
I loved what he told me: “The more uncomfortable I was, the better I became,” when he made the transition to boxing, because he found it difficult to “put everything together.”
All these set in motion Ringstars meteoric rise in the sport.
PHILIPPINE STAR: How did you start in promoting boxing?
SCOTT PATRICK FARRELL: I was looking at the fight scene in general, then I saw how MMA was growing and I watched the UFC. I said to myself, this was a benchmark on how to produce a show. Boxing needs its version of the UFC. It needs Ringstar! It’s about genuine contenders. It’s not somebody padding his record. This is what I want to deliver. So I’m saying “if you want to pad the stats of your body, don’t give me a call.” It’s two contenders and wrapped around that is some entertainment value, activations, media tours, open workouts, and create these heroes and stars like Michael Dasmarinas in the Philippines and Muhammad Ridwan in Singapore. I want to bring to the broadcasters and to boxing real integrity.
What do you look for in a fighter for Ringstar?
I want to see if he has tenacity and focus, and what makes him tick! I always ask guys about their lives. What do you want out of boxing? So these are real genuine guys that want to go for the world title. But most of the time, it’s out of their reach. They don’t have money, financing and exposure and really might not have the ability yet. They want to test themselves. They might find out after a few fights from Ringstar, this isn’t for them. In your head, you might think you’re somewhere else, but Ringstar will tell you exactly where you are.
Michael could step into that ring, and things don’t go his way. That’s the integrity of what we are promoting. Everybody in boxing would agree that my matchmaking is fair, it’s a very risky business and it’s not really what people would normally do, but for the fans, that’s what they want to see.
Should the youth get into boxing?
Boxing is not for everybody, but two things: If you want to be a professional fighter, that’s a whole different focus and whole different journey. If you want to get into boxing to better your life, for fitness and healthy living, 100 percent! Make a conscious decision to get up every morning, two or three times a week, and see how you feel about it. You don’t always have to fight to box! You can just go there to work out and train.
Now, the budding Muhammad Alis out there, find out if it’s for you first. It’s a long lonely journey, where everybody will doubt you, and you will even doubt yourself at times, but if you have enough belief, and enough focus, you can make miracles happen.
Do you still make it a point to work out?
I’m not actually in shape, I’m a shape! But seriously, I make it a point to get up in the morning at 5 a.m., I go with my wife, we go to the gym and work out for an hour and a half, at least three times a week. When I’m travelling, I try to get at least one session in.
Fitness should be a part of everybody’s life!
You don’t have to be that guy with the rock hard abs. You need to keep active, go for a walk, or to the gym. Sharp body, sharp mind, that’s what you need. You don’t need to be a supermodel, just go to the gym, work out, keep in shape and you’ll feel better for it.
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