Jimmy Burchfield Sr.

Jimmy Burchfield Sr. the president of Classic Entertainment and Sports. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Jimmy is known as the hardest working promoter in boxing. He has served as a referee, cornerman, and an international boxing judge for world championship fights. As the President of his own company, he has promoted countless shows and fights around the world. CES is a multi-faceted boxing operation based in Providence, Rhode Island. As one of the leading boxing promotion companies in the world, CES also specializes in the marketing and consulting of world-class boxing. Furthermore, CES has been building champions for more than two decades, including: Five-Time World Champion Vinny Paz 'The Pride of Providence' and star of NBC’s The Contender, Peter Manfredo Jr. NABF Cruiserweight Champion Matt Godfrey Olympic Heavyweight, Jason Estrada Nine-Time National Amateur Champion Aaron Williams WBC Youth Champion Matt Remilliard World Super Middlewieght Champion, Scott Pemberton WBC Youth Middleweight Champion, 'Bad' Chad Dawson Former Five-Time Title Holder, 'Sucra' Ray Oliveira Plus many more to come...

The Beginning

Some might say that it is Burchfield’s life outside the ring that has made him into a legendary figure in Rhode Island. Educated in the North Providence School System, Burchfield obtained his first job at the age of thirteen. He worked for a company called CAP products, a purveyor that had everything from pickled peppers to pasta in a truck catering to Italian families on Federal Hill. He would walk up and down the stairs of six-story tenements in the area to make deliveries from the truck. When his schooling was over, he then went to work for his grandfather’s business, International Building Wrecking, one of the largest demolition companies in New England. Burchfield spent his days taking apart buildings, by hand, piece by piece. They would then save all the materials and resell them. Burchfield recalls that the experience working there, 'taught me, at a very young age, not only the kind of work ethic one needs to be successful, but how to run a business and how to make money.' Burchfield then moved on to work for one of his mentors, Clarence Coutu, at his company C.J. Coutu Lumber. Burchfield worked extremely hard, so hard in fact that he gained the utmost trust and admiration from Mr. Coutu. After a few years, Burchfield worked his way up to the position of general manager of the company. During his time there, he made lifelong friendships and discovered a new family for which he cared deeply. Then came along an particular opportunity to buy a run down and dilapidated building on Charles Street in North Providence.

The Classic Restaurant

Jimmy Burchfield wanted to open a restaurant. Everyone of his friends told him he was out of his mind when he expressed interest in the property, which was in dyer condition. But, Burchfield is never one to back down from a challenge or what he sees as a great opportunity, and so began Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Restaurant. At first, Burchfield was working days at the lumber yard and nights at the restaurant. After a long day working at C.J. Coutu Lumber, Burchfield would drive to the restaurant to cook, bartend, and clean tables. For the first few months business was slow. Burchfield was at a crossroads. The Classic could no longer sustain itself, unless he was willing to put all of his time and energy towards the restaurant. So, with much regret and a heavy heart, Burchfield decided to leave his job at C.J. Coutu Lumber to operate The Classic Restaurant full-time. Burchfield knew if the restaurant was going to succeed, changes had to be made. He closed up shop one Saturday to start work on renovations to The Classic. Men worked around the clock in eight-hour shifts, even sleeping at the restaurant, only to get up and work some more. Four and a half days later, Burchfield had transformed a checkerboard italian restaurant that served spaghetti and meatballs into Las Vegas. The Classic soon became the place to be. Now an up-scale but affordable restaurant and bar, evenings at the Classic were happenings. Celebrities and Athletes would stop in if they were in town, including Dan Marino and Three-Time Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, who even took a turn serving drinks behind the bar one night. One of The Classic’s most frequent visitors was World Champion and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard. Even President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline stopped in one night. But what made the Classic most special was Burchfield’s trademark work ethic, charm, and attention to detail. Everyone felt like a movie-star when they spent a night at The Classic. Burchfield never failed to remember a customer’s likes and dislikes, favorite tables, etc. During the winter months, customers would return to their cars to find them cleaned of snow and all warmed up. Burchfield cared immensely about his clientele and would do anything to make their night a special one. It was at The Classic Restaurant where Jimmy Burchfield’s life outside the ring collided with his life inside the ring; it’s where he first met Vinny Pazienza.

Jimmy and Vinny Paz

Pazienza first came to Burchfield’s attention in the early 1980s. While watching the National Sports Festival on ABC’s 'Wide World of Sports,' he took notice of the 18-year-old amateur boxer from nearby Cranston who won a gold medal at the event. Paz said of Burchfield,'This guy is unbelievable to know; I love him….he is incredible. In and out of the ring, he was always much more than my promoter. Mr. B is a true friend who really cares about his fighters. My boxing career ended but our relationship will never end.' Whether it’s a five-time world champion like Vinny Pazienza or a winless club fighter, Jimmy Burchfield serves as their father figure, always in their corner, in and out of the ring. Burchfield’s tenacity often comes out when one of his fighters isn’t treated fairly by opponents, officials, or members of the media. He is always there to protect, guide, and stand by them through thick and thin. When asked what got him interested in promoting fights, Burchfield Sr. Replied, 'As an international boxing judge, I saw internal challenges and I saw people doing good, fair and poor jobs and I said to myself, 'I know I can do this better than these people'. I then made the incredibly difficult decision of relinquishing my judgeship and promoting my first fight. I lost $18,000 and that was enough for a young man to say, 'what am I doing?' but I said 'no, I'm gonna keep going'. Today, we have a successful franchise at CES and are known the world over for providing world class entertainment.'

Charities

Burchfield also cares deeply about many charities. He has raised over two million dollars for various charities in his lifetime. One such charity for which he has worked so hard is the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis (NFIC). It was for this charity that Burchfield founded the Classic Road Race. In it’s first year, the event had two hundred runners. By it’s last year, the event had over two thousand entrants, becoming the most prestigious road race in all of New England and involved the help of the North Providence and Lincoln Police Departments, The Rhode Island State Police, as well as the Lincoln Woods Municipal Police. Through the Classic Road Race, Burchfield was able to raise thousands upon thousands of dollars for the NFIC. Whatever the endeavor, Jimmy Burchfield brings to it a great sense of pride and determination, and the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of a Jimmy Burchfield production is class, class, class. Burchfield is still at the helm of CES and continues to bring world class entertainment to cities around the world. When Burchfield isn’t promoting fights or spending his time on charitable causes, he enjoys vacationing with his wife, JoAnn, and his three sons, Jimmy Jr, Joey, and Scott, and their families, especially his four grandchildren. Much like his many fighters and champions, nothing brings about more happiness and pride in Jimmy Burchfield than his grandchildren.

Italian American Man of the Year

On September 27, 2008 Jimmy Burchfield Sr. received the Italo American Club's man of the year award for the Providence chapter. The oldest such club in America, gives out the award annually to someone fitting of the title and a person who does good humanitarian causes for the community. Burchfield received the award at the Twin River Event Center in front of 1,000 friends, family and fans.

External Links

* [http://www.CESBoxing.com Classic Entertainment and Sports]