Manager-Agent Dave McWater has 25 boxers under contract with his Split-T Management. They have an overall record of 149-7-7. Three of them are from Uzbekistan, one each from Senegal and Guyana. The rest are from the US.
McWater was born in Norman, OK, and came to New York to attend the New York University of which he is a graduate. He eventually sent hundreds of players overseas, including dozens of former NBA players. He briefly was the youngest general manager in the history of professional basketball. In 1992 he opened his first tavern. He has opened sixteen taverns in New York, City, many are bastions of the nightlife scene and have been featured in the national media.
McWater is active in politics and civic works. He was appointed to Manhattan’s Community Board 3 in April of 2000. In June of 2004 he was elected Chair of CB3, a role he filled for four terms. He served as the Chair of the Land Use Committee on the CB3 until late 2013 and is widely known for having authored the Lower East Side/East Village rezoning. Later he spearheaded the process to bring an agreement on the development of the Seward Park Urban Renewal sites, the largest area of undeveloped land in Manhattan south of 96th street. The agreement ended the forty-four year fight over SPURA and will now provide housing for over 500 low income families as well as 400,000 square feet of commercial development and 500 market rate homes. In all it will be 1.1 billion dollar development.
McWater served as president of the East Village Chamber of Commerce from 1998-2003, and as Vice president of the New York Nightlife Association from 1998-2004. He has served on the board of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and has served on various city task forces.
In 2002 in response to 9-11 he founded The Lower East Side Gauchos Baseball program. The Gauchos became a nationally powerful travel program appearing in several World Series and sending dozens of players to the college ranks. He is a long time member of The Society for American Baseball Research, and the largest contributor to the database of high schools attended of players from before 1964. He also currently serves as an editor for www.boxrec.com which is this writer’s favorite site.
After years of working with Don Elbaum, McWater ventured out and began managing boxers on his own. He currently operates Split-T Management. He is an avid genealogist, sports fan, and a former professional poker player.
“I said Dave you are going to become a powerhouse in boxing. I’ve only said that to one other person, Don King. I introduced Dave to the Bizzaro’s in Erie, PA. (10 brothers professional boxers Elbaum helped promote) Dave gave me 25k in living quarters without a penny in return. The apartment could have been worth 2-2500 a month in rent. He was fantastic, a great, great, great guy to me and never asked for anything in return. We went all over the country looking for talented boxers to sign especially in Ohio and Michigan,” said Elbaum
Elbaum is a personal friend whom I have known for over 30 years. Every time I see him I ask him “why don’t you write a book?” In running a show one night a fighter fell out and he filled in. In that mind of his ideas are buzzing around at all times. We don’t know how old he is but let’s say he is over 70 and went to school with a guy named “Moses!” In running shows on a weekly basis in Atlantic City at the Tropicana he was asked by now President Elect Donald Trump if he could bring in Muhammad Ali in which he did. It was a charity event with three chairs on stage. Elbaum took the one chair on the end and when Trump came on stage he moved Elbaum between him and Ali telling him “you are responsible for bringing in Ali and deserve to sit in the middle seat.”
“Joe Qiuambao and Tim Van Newhouse work with me and both are great. Qiuambo was matchmaker for DiBella Entertainment for 14 years and is as good as they come. Timmy has done everything in boxing and I think will be a major force in the industry himself soon,” said McWater.
McWater boxers include the No. 5 WBC welterweight “The New” Ray Robinson (21-2) and Mark Dawson, 0-0-1, both out of Philly. Michael “The Silverback” Moore, 14-1, and Antonio “Carita” Nieves, 16-0-2, Isaiah Steen, 4-0, Fred “Dynomite” Wilson Jr., 2-0, all out of Cleveland OH. Other OH boxers include DeAndre Ware, 8-0, and Wesley “King Wes” Tucker, 13-0, both out of Toledo, Joe “Mack” Williams, 10-0, of Far Rockaway, Queens, NY, Trent Rawlins, 3-1-1, San Diego, CA, Darlington Agha, 10-0-1, Sugar Land, TX, Marquis Moore, 4-0, Colorado Springs, COLO, Ardreal Holmes, 3-0, Flint, MI, Leandre “Blue” White, 7-0, and Janelson Bocachica, 3-0, both out of Detroit, and Teofimo Lopez, 1-0, Davie, FL.
“I met Dave recently at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia where his boxer Hurshidek Normatov won his third straight bout since turning professional. He’s a very good stand-up southpaw boxer who looks like he’s had more than his share of amateur fights. Dave was right inside the fence next to the ring. We met before the show greeting each other though we never met. Of course my picture is not in Box Rec so I had an advantage,” said Ken Hissner.
From out of the country Boubacar Sylla 5-0, of Senegal and now Cinn., OH, from Uzbekastan are Hurshidbek Normatov 3-0, Brooklyn, Botirali Mamajonov, 5-0, W. Palm Beach, FL, and Botirsher Obidov, 6-0-1, out of Kissimmee, FL, Ukraine’s Iegor Plevko, 1-0, out of Brooklyn, Clive Atwell, 13-3-1, of Guyana and Dominica. David just added two boxers from the 2016 Olympic team in Charles Conwell of Cleveland Heights who was at #165 and Antonio Vargas a flyweight from Kissemmee, FL. Also added 2016 Super heavyweight Golden Glove champion Marcus Carter, 1-0 (1) out of Detroit. Darnell Boone, 23-23-4 (12), is the “Upset Kid” defeating current champion Adonis Stevenson and losing a split decision to Sergey Kovalev. He also beat Willie Monroe, Jr., then unbeaten. Boone has joined the Split-T team.
This writer was amazed in seeing all these boxers that McWater either managed or was an agent for. McWater can be reached at 646-498-6974 or Dmcwater@aol.com in case he needs “more boxers!”