50 Cent gets into promoting boxing - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

50 Cent gets into promoting boxing

50 Cent is a hip hop superstar and a successful entrepreneur. Now he is hoping for a knockout in the ring.

"Me, I just love the sport so it's exciting to be a part of it," 50 Cent said.

This was no video shoot at the Judah Brothers gym in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

The punches were real. 50 Cent watched closely as the trainers put the boxers he's now promoting through their paces. At one point he couldn't resist jumping into the ring.

"I'm aware of fighters because I travel so much," he said. "When I was in Australia, Billy is the one."

Billy "The Kid" Dib is training hard. He'll defend his IBF featherweight title Friday night at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods casino in Connecticut under the banner of SMS Promotions, which is 50's boxing management company and his latest venture.

"He knows we're going to go out and do the business," Dib said. "We've got a great training team. We just have to go out and make sure we secure the victory for SMS Promotions."

50 Cent is now a licensed boxing promoter and says the connection between the sport and hip hop music is strong. He even plans to sing a song as his boxer comes into the ring at the Friday night fight.

"The music's playing when the training is there to take away from how tough it is, the discipline, and even the running, the roadwork, the music is playing," he says.

Who would be the one other hip hop star, he'd get into the ring with?

"Flo Rida would be the toughest guy to fight because he trains that way," he says. "It would be real entertaining. We need to get pay per view going right now. Let me call Flo Rida, let's see what we can do!"

50 Cent is hoping that by bringing some flavor to the world of boxing, he'll introduce the sport to a whole new generation.