I’m a retired professional boxer. My story dates back a few years to when I first became a professional boxer and how I used The Secret and didn’t even know it. It’s a kind of an eerie story.

I turned professional after a long and successful amateur boxing career where I compiled a record of 136-12. I was 6 time State Champion, and 3 time US National Champion. I was also a finalist in the Olympic trials . I started boxing at the world renowned Kronk boxing gym in Detroit where I learned from the best. Trainer and manager Emanuel Steward.

As a professional I was an up and coming prospect fighting on ESPN, etc., all over the country. I even negotiated a promotional contract with Don King and spent time at his office and training camp in South Florida.

While boxing professionally my mindset was that I wanted to fight for a world championship so that I can make some money to invest and get out of the sport. I would always say to myself, if I fight for $100,000, then that would be enough to invest. This was the mid 90’s, so $100,000 went a longer way then it does today. All I thought about was getting that $100,000, day in and day out. I would tell friends and family that I wasn’t going to be around the boxing game long enough to get my brains busted in. I would say to them that I’m going to hit that $100,000 payday and then I’m out! For those of you reading who don’t know, top elite boxing world champions can make millions in a boxing match. Even though I knew I had the talent of the top boxers, I was still content on fighting for that $100,000 and getting out of the sport before getting my brain bashed in.

I was 19-0 and I was rated #6 in the world by the WBC and #4 by the WBO. These are two of the top boxing organizations. I was rated in the top 10 in the world for two years, but never given my opportunity to fight for a world championship. I came close when I signed to fight the current world champion at the time, only to have the fight cancelled because the champion sustained an injury in training. For reasons beyond my control, the fight was never rescheduled. I became so frustrated with the business and political side of boxing that I retired. I allowed the frustration from the business side of boxing get to me and I lost my passion for the sport.

I retired and moved on to a new career. I never did make that $100,000 payday that I wanted to make in one fight. I needed that championship fight to attain that. I was fine with what was, and moved on. I went back to school and received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and then got into the real estate business. I became a real estate investor and I was making six figures yearly. I never looked back at boxing or even thought about making a comeback. I was done!

Fast forward about 4 years later and I receive a phone call out of the blue from Sylvester Stallone. It was about a boxing reality show that he was going to produce along with producer Mark Burnett, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, and DreamWorks Entertainment. It would be called “The Contender”, and it would be aired on NBC. It was the highest budgeted reality in history at the time. This was 2005. 16 fighters worldwide were chosen to compete on this reality show. The boxers would live, eat and sleep together, and then fight each other in a tournament. The ultimate prize for the winner would be one million dollars.

I accepted the offer to be on the show. They chose me because they wanted to give me that opportunity that I never received. They knew my story. Only one problem. I had been inactive for nearly 4 years and I was 20 pounds over the weight limit. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I went on a crash diet, trained, and got into the best shape I can possibly get in after such a long inactivity. I was going to be fighting world rated boxers who were active.

I ended up lasting 8 episodes on the show before losing a close decision. I wasn’t too disappointed because I knew it wasn’t the 100% me in that ring after such a long layoff and such a short time to get back into boxing shape, drop weight, and get my timing back. I had only two months to do this.

The entire show was 14 episodes. 13 were pre-taped months before the show aired. The finale would be live in Vegas. We knew who the final 2 boxers were that would be fighting for the one million dollars live in Vegas.

After episode 12, it was announced that they would have an undercard to the final matchup in the finale. The undercard would be determined by fans voting for their fan favorites from the show to return to fight in the finale. It was decided that the top 6 fan fav vote getters would fight on the undercard live at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. I was one of the boxers as a fan fav. I was actually in the top two fan favorite vote getters. Fan fav 1 would be fighting fan fav 2. The winner would receive $200,000.

The fight took place that night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. I ended up fighting a good fight and thought I had the fight in the bag. The crowd even thought I won the fight. When the decision was announced, I was in shock. It was given to my opponent. The crowd even booed the decision. My opponent was given the $200,000.

My purse for losing the fight? $100,000!

It wasn’t until after I read The Secret years after my fight that I realized that I had manifested that $100,000 throughout my career, and no matter how well I fought, I was still going to end up with that $100,000. Even though I had been retired from boxing for nearly 4 years, the world still found some way to get me back into boxing for that $100,000 I always wanted. I wasn’t even thinking about that $100,000 during the show. The only thing we were told at the beginning of the show was that the winner would receive 1 million dollars.

What’s really baffling is even though everybody, including myself, thought I had won the fight, I still wasn’t given the winning decision. I truly believe that no matter how great I fought, or how much better I was than my opponent, I was still going to end up with that $100,000. It was manifested and there was nothing I could do about it. I asked and I received. I had no idea what The Secret was at the time.

I now live my life by The Secret. I’ve read the book, watched the DVD, and listen to the audio daily.

Thank you,
Tarick Salamci