Dmitry Salita
Encyclopedia
Dmitry Salita is a Ukrainian-born Jewish-American boxer
from Brooklyn, New York in the welterweight
division.
He has a 33–1–1 record, with 16 KOs. He is , and his reach is 69".
He is a practicing Orthodox Jew, and became so after he moved to Brooklyn. He does not fight on the Sabbath
or Jewish holidays and follows Jewish dietary laws.
, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Odessa, Ukraine) as Dmitry Aleksandrovich Lekhtman, Salita was five years old when he saw his first boxing match. "It was Mike Tyson
, and I remember dancing around my room that night imitating the moves", he recalled. Salita moved with his family to Flatbush, Brooklyn
, at the age of nine because of the escalating violence against Jews in Ukraine. His father, Aleksandr Lekhtman, was an engineer; his late mother, Lyudmila Salita, was an accountant. He has one brother, Mikhail. He uses his mother's maiden name as his professional name.
He said:
In New York, classmates picked on Salita in school. He said, “When I first started going to school, I had the clothes that I wore over in Russia. I used to get made fun of because of it, and the fact that I didn’t speak English. I had to learn how to defend myself. I got involved in karate, and as time went on my brother brought me to a boxing club. That is how it all started. I got called into the principal's office. I got suspended a few times, but I got my respect. I started kicking some ass at school.”
.
Salita said, “Jimmy runs an old school gym, a ghetto
gym. My style isn't European. It isn't even American. It's a city style. It's Black. I don't know how else to say it. But some of us White boys got it like that”. The radio at Starrett was always tuned to HOT 97
; Salita described it as “Blasting. A lot of Biggie. A lot of Tupac
. I think that changed my style. That's what gave me some rhythm.”
and won a bronze medal
. "I thought, 'I'm ranked in America as a boxer.' That's when I really felt like an American", he said. His last loss came when he was 17 in a split decision in the finals of the Golden Gloves tournament in 2000.
He followed that up by becoming U.S. national under 19 champion at the U.S. Amateur under 19 Championships in Gulfport, Mississippi
.
At the 2001 New York Golden Gloves
, he won the championship at 139 pounds. Salita won the finals on April 5, 2001, at Madison Square Garden
in New York City. Bill Farrell of the New York Daily News
reported, “In a bout that lived up to all its expectations, Dmitriy Salita battled past Joey Rios to win the Golden Gloves 139-pound open title last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The 3–2 decision won by Salita in as fine a boxing match ever staged in the Golden Gloves finals earned Salita the Sugar Ray Robinson
Award as the outstanding boxer in the tournament. Salita, who is as talented as they come, got into his rhythm midway through Round 2, and finally took control of the bout to earn the decision and a pair of Golden Gloves.”
Salita said , “You know, with me growing up in New York, the New York Golden Gloves is a big, big deal. A lot of the great fighters that have come out of New York have all managed to win the Golden Gloves. The Golden Gloves in New York is like the Olympic games
, everyone knows about it. You really get your respect after you win the New York Golden Gloves. I thought that it was an important step, and that it would boost my professional career. Plus, I was just dying to have those Golden Gloves around my neck.”
-based promoter Bob Arum
, whose Top Rank stable of fighters has included George Foreman
, Larry Holmes
, and Manny Pacquiao
.
On August 25, 2005, Salita captured the North American Boxing Association light welterweight
championship by stopping Shawn Gallegos via ninth round TKO
.
Salita remained in contention for a junior welterweight title bout, extending his unbeaten streak to 28, with a unanimous 10-round decision over Grover Wiley at the Hammerstein Ballroom
in New York in March 2007. Salita staggered Wiley (30–9–1) with a series of body punches in the 7th round.
In May 2009 he scored a dominant 10-round shutout victory over Raul "El Toro" Munoz (20–12–1, 15 KOs) in Las Vegas
for his 30th win. "Salita wobbled Munoz with a barrage of power shots. An uppercut flush under the chin awakened a startled Munoz, who somehow found his way back to the middle of the ring", noted distinguished boxing reporter Albert Howell.
light welterweight
champion Amir Khan
on December 5, 2009. Khan knocked out Salita in 76 seconds, knocking him down three times in the first round to defend his world title, shattering Salita's dreams of a world title. Salita credited Khan's superior hand speed as the reason for being knocked down. "He has very quick hands. I didn't see the punches coming". Salita was criticized before the fight for not having fought difficult competition while racking up an undefeated record. Salita made a comeback on September 1, 2010, fighting as a junior middleweight, winning an eight round unanimous decision over Franklin Gonzalez at Oceana Hall in Brighton Beach
, Brooklyn, New York. After the Gonzalez bout, former world champion Paul Malignaggi
entered the ring to congratulate Salita and propose a bout between the two of them in the very near future.
On April 13, 2011, Dmitriy Salita (33–1–1, 17 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision victory over Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13–5–1, 4 KOs) at the Oceana ballroom in Brooklyn, New York.
It was Salita’s third fight in only eight months and he came through in front of the hometown crowd, aggressive from the first bell, controlling the bout and show casing his superior fighting skills. On the offensive for most of the eight rounds he forced his left-handed opponent to adopt a defensive stance, while using his greater reach and speed to his advantage. The Brooklyn native put on a clinic by outmatching his opponent on all levels.
One frightening moment came in the final round when Salita sustained a nasty gash over his left eye after a head butt from Warrior. But the “Star of David” had the final say with many devoted fans and supporters cheering him on as he pulled out of the last round with a well-deserved victory.
. When she was hospitalized, Salita divided his time between James Madison High School
, the Starrett gym, and Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital. He said, “I’d spend the night sleeping in a chair at the hospital and wake up to do my roadwork.”
. He said, “Anyone who wants a good whuppin' from me is just going to have to wait until sundown.” There are as many as 70 Jewish holy days each year on which he will not fight, and he follows Jewish dietary laws. When he’s training, he stays within walking distance of a synagogue
for Friday and Saturday services, and he does not drive on the sabbath.
Promoter Bob Arum said, “If he's as good as it appears he is, and he can be held up as an example of religious devotion to both Jews and gentiles, he'll be a great attraction.”
Salita said, “I will never compromise my beliefs. Never. It’s not a question. I have a personal relationship with God that I won’t compromise. My boxing is such a big part of my life, but it won’t get in the way of my religion. It can't, and it won't.”
Salita is one of several active Jewish boxers. Others include heavyweight
Roman Greenberg
at (27–1–0) and junior middleweight Yuri Foreman
at (28–1–0) as well as Muay Thai
kickboxer Ilya Grad
at (29–9–0). Salita enters the ring to Yiddish rap.
, received its world premiere at the 2007 Silverdocs
Documentary Festival and had its second showing and West Coast premiere at the 2007 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival as part of an evening devoted to Jewish boxers. Both Salita and director Hutt participated in a panel discussion following the presentation. Orthodox Stance received Best Documentary Film honors at the 2008 London Jewish Cultural Awards.
He was offered a small role in the HBO boxing movie, Infamous, as a fighter who loses a match against the film's protagonist, played by John Leguizamo
. Salita turned down the part. "It was tempting, but if I did that, a lot of people who never saw me fight would see me lose."
showing a video of himself boxing.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Brooklyn, New York in the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
division.
He has a 33–1–1 record, with 16 KOs. He is , and his reach is 69".
He is a practicing Orthodox Jew, and became so after he moved to Brooklyn. He does not fight on the Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
or Jewish holidays and follows Jewish dietary laws.
Early life
Born in OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(now Odessa, Ukraine) as Dmitry Aleksandrovich Lekhtman, Salita was five years old when he saw his first boxing match. "It was Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, and I remember dancing around my room that night imitating the moves", he recalled. Salita moved with his family to Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
, at the age of nine because of the escalating violence against Jews in Ukraine. His father, Aleksandr Lekhtman, was an engineer; his late mother, Lyudmila Salita, was an accountant. He has one brother, Mikhail. He uses his mother's maiden name as his professional name.
He said:
Basically, we came to America because Jews were discriminated against. My parents thought that my brother and I wouldn’t grow up with the opportunity to be the best that we could be. My brother, who is nine years older than I am, used to get into a lot of fights, because he was often called names. There were rumors of pogromPogromA pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
every now and then, and Jews would go away to the suburbs from the city. ‘Pogrom’ means that groups of people would break into homes and bash the house. I remember that my father bought a gun just in case something was to happen. It was very difficult to get top jobs or to go to top schools and still remain proud of your Judaism. I am very grateful to America for letting me pursue my goals, and have freedom of religionFreedom of religionFreedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
and speech. You don’t normally appreciate it, but when you don't have it, you understand just how great it is to have it. Now that I am older, I understand it.
In New York, classmates picked on Salita in school. He said, “When I first started going to school, I had the clothes that I wore over in Russia. I used to get made fun of because of it, and the fact that I didn’t speak English. I had to learn how to defend myself. I got involved in karate, and as time went on my brother brought me to a boxing club. That is how it all started. I got called into the principal's office. I got suspended a few times, but I got my respect. I started kicking some ass at school.”
Boxing career
Salita started boxing at the age of 13 at the Starrett City Boxing Club, which is run by Jimmy O'Pharrow. Among others, he trained with Zab JudahZab Judah
Zabdiel Judah is an American professional boxer. Judah has won five world titles between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, and is a former undisputed welterweight champion....
.
Salita said, “Jimmy runs an old school gym, a ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
gym. My style isn't European. It isn't even American. It's a city style. It's Black. I don't know how else to say it. But some of us White boys got it like that”. The radio at Starrett was always tuned to HOT 97
WQHT-FM
WQHT is a high-profile American radio station in New York City under the corporate ownership of Emmis Communications. The station broadcasts on 97.1 MHz FM...
; Salita described it as “Blasting. A lot of Biggie. A lot of Tupac
Tupac
Tupac is a relatively uncommon male name. Notable people with the name include:*Túpac Inca Yupanqui , tenth Sapa Inca of the Incan Empire*Túpac Amaru , last indigenous leader of the Inca people in Peru...
. I think that changed my style. That's what gave me some rhythm.”
Amateur career
Salita had an amateur record of 59–5. When he was 16, he represented New York in the Junior OlympicsJunior olympics
Junior Olympics and Jr. Olympics can refer to any one of many different sporting events and organizations around the world dedicated to youth sporting activities.*Junior Olympic Gold, American national youth singles bowling tournament...
and won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. "I thought, 'I'm ranked in America as a boxer.' That's when I really felt like an American", he said. His last loss came when he was 17 in a split decision in the finals of the Golden Gloves tournament in 2000.
He followed that up by becoming U.S. national under 19 champion at the U.S. Amateur under 19 Championships in Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
.
At the 2001 New York Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
, he won the championship at 139 pounds. Salita won the finals on April 5, 2001, at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City. Bill Farrell of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported, “In a bout that lived up to all its expectations, Dmitriy Salita battled past Joey Rios to win the Golden Gloves 139-pound open title last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The 3–2 decision won by Salita in as fine a boxing match ever staged in the Golden Gloves finals earned Salita the Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
Award as the outstanding boxer in the tournament. Salita, who is as talented as they come, got into his rhythm midway through Round 2, and finally took control of the bout to earn the decision and a pair of Golden Gloves.”
Salita said , “You know, with me growing up in New York, the New York Golden Gloves is a big, big deal. A lot of the great fighters that have come out of New York have all managed to win the Golden Gloves. The Golden Gloves in New York is like the Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, everyone knows about it. You really get your respect after you win the New York Golden Gloves. I thought that it was an important step, and that it would boost my professional career. Plus, I was just dying to have those Golden Gloves around my neck.”
Pro career
He turned pro at the age of 19, in the summer of 2001. He signed a contract with Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
-based promoter Bob Arum
Bob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
, whose Top Rank stable of fighters has included George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
, Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, and Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
.
On August 25, 2005, Salita captured the North American Boxing Association light welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
championship by stopping Shawn Gallegos via ninth round TKO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
.
Salita remained in contention for a junior welterweight title bout, extending his unbeaten streak to 28, with a unanimous 10-round decision over Grover Wiley at the Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
in New York in March 2007. Salita staggered Wiley (30–9–1) with a series of body punches in the 7th round.
In May 2009 he scored a dominant 10-round shutout victory over Raul "El Toro" Munoz (20–12–1, 15 KOs) in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
for his 30th win. "Salita wobbled Munoz with a barrage of power shots. An uppercut flush under the chin awakened a startled Munoz, who somehow found his way back to the middle of the ring", noted distinguished boxing reporter Albert Howell.
Recent bouts and the future
Salita lost to WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
light welterweight
Light welterweight
-Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
champion Amir Khan
Amir Khan (boxer)
Amir Iqbal Khan , is a British Pakistani professional boxer who is currently the unified WBA & IBF light welterweight champion....
on December 5, 2009. Khan knocked out Salita in 76 seconds, knocking him down three times in the first round to defend his world title, shattering Salita's dreams of a world title. Salita credited Khan's superior hand speed as the reason for being knocked down. "He has very quick hands. I didn't see the punches coming". Salita was criticized before the fight for not having fought difficult competition while racking up an undefeated record. Salita made a comeback on September 1, 2010, fighting as a junior middleweight, winning an eight round unanimous decision over Franklin Gonzalez at Oceana Hall in Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
, Brooklyn, New York. After the Gonzalez bout, former world champion Paul Malignaggi
Paul Malignaggi
Paul "Paulie" Malignaggi is an Italian-American professional boxer. He is the former IBF junior welterweight champion, and former WBO NABO light welterweight champion.-Light Welterweight:...
entered the ring to congratulate Salita and propose a bout between the two of them in the very near future.
On April 13, 2011, Dmitriy Salita (33–1–1, 17 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision victory over Ronnie Warrior Jr. (13–5–1, 4 KOs) at the Oceana ballroom in Brooklyn, New York.
It was Salita’s third fight in only eight months and he came through in front of the hometown crowd, aggressive from the first bell, controlling the bout and show casing his superior fighting skills. On the offensive for most of the eight rounds he forced his left-handed opponent to adopt a defensive stance, while using his greater reach and speed to his advantage. The Brooklyn native put on a clinic by outmatching his opponent on all levels.
One frightening moment came in the final round when Salita sustained a nasty gash over his left eye after a head butt from Warrior. But the “Star of David” had the final say with many devoted fans and supporters cheering him on as he pulled out of the last round with a well-deserved victory.
Family
His mother, Lyudmila, originally opposed her son's boxing, but eventually became an enthusiastic supporter. She died in January 1999, after a two-year battle with breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. When she was hospitalized, Salita divided his time between James Madison High School
James Madison High School (New York)
James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education...
, the Starrett gym, and Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital. He said, “I’d spend the night sleeping in a chair at the hospital and wake up to do my roadwork.”
Jewish heritage
After he moved to Brooklyn, he was exposed to Orthodox Judaism and became an observant Jew. He strictly follows Jewish law – if he has a fight on a Saturday, it must begin after sundown, the end of the sabbathShabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. He said, “Anyone who wants a good whuppin' from me is just going to have to wait until sundown.” There are as many as 70 Jewish holy days each year on which he will not fight, and he follows Jewish dietary laws. When he’s training, he stays within walking distance of a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
for Friday and Saturday services, and he does not drive on the sabbath.
Promoter Bob Arum said, “If he's as good as it appears he is, and he can be held up as an example of religious devotion to both Jews and gentiles, he'll be a great attraction.”
Salita said, “I will never compromise my beliefs. Never. It’s not a question. I have a personal relationship with God that I won’t compromise. My boxing is such a big part of my life, but it won’t get in the way of my religion. It can't, and it won't.”
Salita is one of several active Jewish boxers. Others include heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
Roman Greenberg
Roman Greenberg
Roman Greenberg is a British-based Israeli heavyweight boxer, currently International Boxing Organization's Intercontinental heavyweight champion, with a 27–1 record. Greenberg has been nicknamed the "Lion from Zion."-Biography:...
at (27–1–0) and junior middleweight Yuri Foreman
Yuri Foreman
Yuri Foreman is a Belarusian-born Israeli-American professional boxer. He is a former World Boxing Association super welterweight champion...
at (28–1–0) as well as Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
kickboxer Ilya Grad
Ilya Grad
Ilya Grad is an Israeli Muay Thai boxing champion. His current record stands at 29 wins with 14 knockouts, nine losses and no draws. He is considered one of the eight best amateur Muai Thai boxers in the world...
at (29–9–0). Salita enters the ring to Yiddish rap.
Movies
Orthodox Stance, a documentary directed by Jason Hutt about Salita's career to date (2007) and his life as an Orthodox JewOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, received its world premiere at the 2007 Silverdocs
Silverdocs
AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival is an American international film festival created by the American Film Institute and Discovery Channel. It is held every year in Silver Spring, Maryland near Washington, D.C.. Started in 2003, the festival is held for eight days in June at...
Documentary Festival and had its second showing and West Coast premiere at the 2007 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival as part of an evening devoted to Jewish boxers. Both Salita and director Hutt participated in a panel discussion following the presentation. Orthodox Stance received Best Documentary Film honors at the 2008 London Jewish Cultural Awards.
He was offered a small role in the HBO boxing movie, Infamous, as a fighter who loses a match against the film's protagonist, played by John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
. Salita turned down the part. "It was tempting, but if I did that, a lot of people who never saw me fight would see me lose."
Endorsement deal
In 2009 Salita signed a deal to represent ARTHUR, a French based Homewear company.Television
On November 20, 2009 he appeared on Last Call with Carson DalyLast Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
showing a video of himself boxing.