Gabriel Fanous’ Red Owl Boxing Bringing Life to the Sport

“We’re fundamentally trying to reorganize, restructure, and redistribute how boxing functions”

Gabriel Fanous is designing a blueprint for the future of boxing.

It is an ambitious concept, one that has previously stymied many promoters. Yet Fanous, who oversees Red Owl Boxing, believes he can help play a part in rebuilding the sport.

“We want to build a platform,” said Fanous. “The regional promotional model is broken. A lot of people aren’t making money because the economics don’t make sense.

“Right now, the sport is top-down. That’s not our philosophy. Let’s build it bottom-up. We’re trying to build consistency with great fights.”

Courtesy Red Owl Boxing

Fanous’ Box Fest VII card takes place later tonight in Houston. The four-fight main card airs on DAZN at 10pm ET, and it is headlined by a bout pitting Quashawn Toler against Vlad Panin for the vacant Continental Welterweight title.

“This is a broadcast for fans brought to you by fans,” said Fanous. “We’re fundamentally trying to reorganize, restructure, and redistribute how boxing functions. We’re taking steps, and I’d love to build this into a league one day with five or six different venues–all with exceptional fan experience.”

Quashawn Toler (left) and Vlad Panin (right) will fight at Box Fest VII for the right to become the next WBA Continental Welterweight champion / Courtesy Red Owl Boxing

Fanous never intended to become a boxing promoter. His journey into the sport began unexpectedly. Utilizing the same tenets of teamwork and dedication that made him a successful entrepreneur, Fanous has steadily become an integral piece of the boxing circuit.

Along with business partner Sam Ibrahim, Fanous co-owns a collection of 24 businesses in Toronto. Four years ago, Ibrahim started to give back to the community through grassroots basketball programs, and that is when Fanous decided to get involved in boxing.

Serendipity also factored into the equation. One of the young men involved in the community basketball program was friends with promising young boxer Zsolt Daranyi, who visited one day with Fanous.

“I’d never been involved in boxing, and I didn’t know Zsolt, but we met–and he asked me to be his manager,” said Fanous. “I didn’t realize he was 15-0 at the time. I’d never been a boxing manager, but I said I’d do it. He left his coach, and he lost his next fight, which was devastating–but I didn’t like the idea that someone so talented could have their career ended by one loss. So we went about looking to line up some new fights.”

A week later, as Fanous encouraged Zsolt to forge forward, former three-time heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis made a surprise visit to Fanous’ office, offering to help train Daranyi.

“Lennox Lewis randomly showed up at my office–can you imagine that?” said Fanous. “I’m a huge boxing fan, and there is Lennox standing in my office. He said he wanted to help Zsolt with his training. I really admire Lennox, and I appreciate his support.

“And that’s how I stumbled into all of this. All these great things started happening. We got on DAZN by our second show, and then we turned an old, dilapidated gym into a boxing arena.”

Courtesy Red Owl Boxing

As fate would have it, the landlord for Fanous’ boxing gym in Brampton, Ontario also had a facility in Houston, Texas. That is now the Owl’s Nest, a 1,600-seat arena facility, which is where tonight’s card will take place.

“We built it into a state-of-the-art facility,” said Fanous. “We’re not trying to build world champions, we’re trying to find fighters who need to fight. Some of the best prospects in this sport aren’t fighting. You need to be fighting, so we’re trying to change the business model. We need to put money in these kids’ pockets.”

Tonight marks the second show in a nine-event series. Fanous knows there is a mountain to climb, but he is powered by the idea of bringing boxing back into the mainstream.

“I’m a boxing fan,” said Fanous. “I don’t do this because I have to do this. I do this because I love it. We’re trying to tackle some of the problems in the sport, and we have to work together to achieve greatness.”