Who is Damon Feldman? Right away I know most of you are asking yourselves this as you read my headline. You probably know him as the man behind “Celebrity Boxing”, the outrageous spectacle of boxing matches pitted between the has beens of the celebrity world such as Danny Bonaduce, Tonya Harding, Jose Canseco and Doc Gooden just to name a few. Maybe you know him from the news as the guy who regrettably went to jail for hitting his ex-girlfriend in a fit of depressed and drunken rage. Or maybe you know him as the man who has quite often appeared on “The Howard Stern Show” being mocked and roasted yet still respected by the King Of Radio. But, who is Mr. Feldman really? Where did he come from? What is it that makes him tick? Behind all the mayhem and madness, what is it that Damon Feldman hopes to ultimately accomplish now that it seems he is getting his life back on track? Buckle up, it is sure to be a wild ride!
Damon Feldman grew up in a small town just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From as far back as he can remember, the sport of boxing was a part of his life. ” My father was a fighter and also an accomplished coach/trainer. He trained 6 World Champions. These guys were always in and out of the house training and staying with us to prepare for their fights”. As most children do at some point in their lives, Feldman felt it was his number one priority to try and impress his father. “No matter what I did, I was always trying to impress him and get his approval. I love my father but most of the time it felt like he was trying to live through me”. Feldman turned pro and accrued a total record of 9-0 before an out of the ring slip and fall injury derailed his career. Being a father himself, I asked Feldman about how he handles the relationship with his own son and boxing. “I love my son with all my heart. I do not force him to do anything he does not want to do. I do still train him and make sure he knows how to defend himself because you never know when he may need it, but a career? No. That is not the end goal.”
After Damon’s in ring career came to an end, he turned his attention to coaching and promoting. ” I started Celebrity Boxing in 2000 because it was a passion of mine. I could no longer fight with the injuries I sustained so I took pride in trying to get other people their chance. Whether celebrities or the undercard amateur fighters, it was a way for me to stay involved in the sport while also building a brand and making money doing it. I love money but I am not in love with money, it is more about the sport and discipline of boxing”. Feldman has received a lot of negative press for exploiting has been celebs for financial gain. ” I really do not care about the negative stuff said about me. 99% of it is not who I really am so it does not bother me any”. No stranger to making his way into the news, Feldman has been in the spotlight since the birth of Celebrity Boxing. Certainly none more unfortunate than the incident that sent him to jail just a few years ago. “Man”, Feldman said clearly fighting back emotions, ” I cannot and will not make any excuses for what I did. I put my hands on and hit that woman. It breaks my heart because I was in love with her. My life was spiralling out of control at the time. I was drinking heavily out of control nearly every night, I was in a major bout with depression because my father was dying, I just lost it. I hate that it ever happened. I look back and wish I never did what I did. I wish I could have been more of a family man and less of the trainwreck my life was becoming”. Feldman spent the next amount of time in jail writing his life story on a piece of paper titled “The 16 Minute Man”, a play on the fact that after their 15 minutes of fame, celebrities can come to him for another round. The book has since been published and is available wherever books are sold!
Damon Feldman is currently looking to get the book up on the silver screen as a major motion picture but obviously the times we live in have put that to a halt for now. The movie as well as being a more present and better father to his kids was a promise he made to them while over the phone in jail. One that in the 3 years since he has been released that he has been keeping. He also continues to promote and hold his Celebrity Boxing matches, still giving everyone their chance to do something in the ring. As I always ask anyone I interview, i asked what the end goal of all of this was and what he wants his lasting legacy to be to which he replied, “I want to be known as someone who made the people around me better people. I want to leave this place better than how I found it or even how I left it before going to jail. I have made so many mistakes in my life and I do not wish for those to define me. I cannot change anything that happened but what I can do is do better”.
This interview was a tough one for me I have to admit, but even more so it was one I am glad that I did. Every single person has made mistakes and done things we wish we could change. One cannot say how things will turn out for Damon. One cannot say where things will end up for him and his family. One thing I will say however, is I do hear the sincerity and passion in his voice when he speaks about his path to redemption. How long can we as journalists and more importantly, as human beings, punish someone for the mistakes of their past? How long can we beat them down and be harsh towards them, especially when they are working so hard at turning it all around? Ask yourselves these things the next time you judge anyone. Thank you Mr. Feldman for an enlightening and humbling experience and conversation.
To The Rack With Mac 