Dr. Chaplin’s Sports Economics class was served a pugilistic treat Thursday, April 5th, as Super Middleweight Prospect and Weiser, Idaho native, Tommy Turner (pictured along with his trainer/manager, Martine Castellanoz) spoke to the students about the business side of competing in professional boxing and MMA.
Tommy filled the hearts of Idaho’s sports fans with pride in his pro debut when – as literally a last-second substitute – he tore up the script and upset the odds in beating Reno’s Carey “Bubba” Dupree (pictured below), the highly-touted and well-connected sparring partner to 3-Division World Champion, James Toney.
While the students learned much about the mechanics of how deals are made (and the pitfalls to be avoided) in the professional sports industry, they also have the opportunity to help market Tommy in the world of professional boxing as part of a brief “non-traditional marketing plan”. Chair of the Department of Business and Economics and Professor of Marketing, Dr. Konya Weber, joined the discussion and had this to say about the experience: “I was intrigued to learn from Tommy and his trainer about the boxing industry and how the principles of economics and business strategies can be applied to be successful in this industry.”
Article by David Chaplin