My E-Mail To Mark Burnett!

By Ishe Smith

04/08/2005

My E-Mail To Mark Burnett!

Hello Mark, I am writing because I am currently unhappy with the direction of my boxing career, and I believe it is time for me to move forward with my career and put this experience away as a huge milestone of my life.  It is well known that the favorites, as far as characters, and personalities to you and the company are Peter, Alfonso, and Sergio.  It is also well known that my ‘character’ will always be runner up to the above mentioned names in Mark Burnett Productions, and your promotion company.  I unfortunately do not have the time left like the above mentioned fighters as far as age is concerned to wait the 5 plus years for you to create something great with the other fighters.   At this current time I am not happy with the direction that your production company and the promotion company are going
in. 

I do realize that you are very knowledgeable in all that you do,
however, just as someone had to give you a break when you came to America, for you to create an honest chance for yourself, I am trying to do the same thing for my career, and my family.  It is time for me to do what is best for my family, and the only thing that will make me and my wife happy is to return to the real boxing world, just as you allowed Ahmed, Jimmy, and Joey to do.  My name has never been mentioned in the future ‘mega’ fights of your promotional company, I want my rematch with Sergio.  As a
fighter that was ranked in all 3 organizations before this show, I need and want to avenge my only (controversial) loss.  Why have you not entertained anything that would be remotely lucrative for your company, and for Sergio, and I. 

I do not want to fight outside of my weight class. I do not want my minimums to be based on an admitted flawed fan favorite
voting system.  Everyone in Mark Burnett Production has admitted to knowing that we do not know what some fighters did for bigger purses and bigger minimums.  I am not going to take the back seat any longer.  My minimums should be the same as Alfonso or Jesse.  You created their Bronze match (which was not contractually based) and their minimums followed.

As I said before, I along with all of the rest of America that Sergio, Alfonso, and Peter are all a part of your special plan, and I truly believe in my experiences from the show, that unless somehow forced, your boxing promotion company will never give me a chance to fight any of them. It was a great experience being apart of The Contender, and I met a lot of influential people, but it is time for me to move on from the show, and proceed forward in boxing.  I truly believe that you do not need me, or my 'character’.  Especially after the way I was portrayed on the show, and all of you never revealed to the American public the reality of the fight with Sergio. 

This is because, as you and I both know, Sergio did not win his fight against me on the show.  I believe this will always put me last on your list of ‘characters’ and unfortunately fighters as well.   At the end of the day your boxing promotional company is not basing anything on talent, and ability. Mark you base it on television, and the ‘Reality’ you have created.  Well, boxing is no television show, and I believe you cannot create greatness; you have to be born with it.  I am willing to entertain anything of reasonable intent for a fair tournament series that will get me to my rematch with Sergio, or my immediate release; but I also
believe that I have paid you millions already, in emotional grief,
disappointment, and illegal unfair treatment.

As, you know, I always did a lot to help and make sure that this show had dignity an honor and that all the fighters were taken seriously.  In turn, I sometimes, was made to look like a fool.  I am ready to return to the boxing world at my normal weight of 154lbs, and I am ready to fight real fighters, and fight for a real championship.  Please do not deny me of my dream of becoming Las Vegas’s first, born and raised world champion. Please do not stop me from making an honorable living for my family.  I am just a little fish in your big pond; I believe that you do not need me to go forward with your plans for the future. I can not continue to take seconds of what is the best, when I believe and know that I am the best.


Sylvester Stallone always said that I was the ‘over dog’, and only ‘underdog’s’ are taken seriously in your production and promotion company.  I will not be put on the shelf, while you take the time to turn the top 3 into your superstars.  It was a great run, but everything has to come to a end sooner or later, lets end this sooner rather than later.

‘I do not think that I am better than any of the previously mentioned fighters, but I refuse to accept that any of them are better than me or bigger superstars than me!’

Ishe