Fight on
Local promoter hopes Glendale permanently lifts 62-year ban on boxing
By Carl Kozlowski 06/18/2009
More than 800 fans filled the Glendale Civic Auditorium Friday night for a six-bout card of professional boxing matches dubbed “Glendale Glory,” an event that marked a historic leap for the city, which has outlawed boxing for 62 years.
The event’s promoter, former pugilist Kahren Harutyunyan, looked back with a sense of accomplishment on his yearlong efforts to convince Glendale officials to bring boxing back and the success of Friday’s string of competitive contests. Despite the concern, Harutyunyan believes the event was broadly welcomed by the community and proved a commercial success, one that he hopes to continue.
“It went very well,” said the 27-year-old Harutyunyan, who operates Art of Boxing Promotions in Glendale. “For our first time, it was well attended. There were good fights, no complications, the city was happy and there was great participation from our local papers and the community. It looks like a good fit for our city, like I’ve been telling everybody.”
That sentiment was shared by City Councilman John Drayman, who Harutyunyan credited with helping him get through the city’s approval process, as did boxing supporter Mayor Frank Quintero, in the months leading up to Friday’s matches.
Drayman did not attend the fights, which were sanctioned by the California Athletics Commission, but Quintero did, as did newly elected Councilwoman Laura Friedman, who told the Glendale News-Press that the athletes were very professional.
“This is not amateur boxing,” Friedman told the paper. “These guys are professional. They have doctors. They are trained.”
Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz told the local paper that security for Friday’s event was tight, but everything went smoothly. Ten event staff members and four security officers worked the building and three officers, a sergeant, a police dog and its handler worked on traffic and securing the area surrounding the auditorium. Attendees were forced to go through a metal detector before entering the building.
For his part, Drayman said he is not that much of a boxing fan. “But I recognize lots of people are, and I was impressed when Kahren came to me about it and I promised to bring it forward on the agenda,” said Drayman, who was mayor when the issue first reached the council in March.
Glendale formally banned boxing in 1947, largely because the sport’s violent image left a bad or “unwholesome” impression of the community. A 12-year Glendale resident, Harutyunyan succeeded in having the ban temporarily lifted, with future fights dependent on the success of Friday’s event.
Before moving to the promotion field, Harutyunyan fought professionally, racking up a 14-3-3 record and earning a super flyweight title in 2005. He retired from the ring after losing his next fight and opted to enter the ranks of promoting; Friday’s card marked his fifth event, one of those held at the Playboy Mansion.
“It was an opportunity for our fighters to present in their own hometown like they’ve been fighting all over Southern California for 10 to 15 years,” said Harutyunyan. “It also gives the opportunity for local sports fans to come see live action. It’s great for our city because it will generate revenue for the city and the Civic Auditorium. A lot of people are going to come from nearby cities and spend money here as well. All the logistical elements needed to be worked out between Parks and Recreation, and the Fire and Police departments — everything else to make this happen.”
Harutyunyan found his fighters in Glendale, Hollywood “and nearby cities,” explaining that the goal is to build a following for those athletes as local attractions in future fights.
Fight fans paid $45, $65 and $85 for tickets, partly due to the fact that Harutyunyan’s costs to produce the event were higher than at other venues. To hold the event at the auditorium, he paid more than $10,000 for one night, while other venues might have charged less or given him the space for free in exchange for concession sales income.
While the prizes varied from fighter to fighter, four-round match fighters earned $1,000 to $1,500, six-rounders earned $1,500 to $2,000 and eight-rounders earned $2,000 to $2,500. Prizes were set according to the experience and marketability of the fighters.
“Part of the costs here was the personnel the city felt necessary to make the event secure,” said Harutyunyan. “Its security could make you feel like you’re going through the airport. It was part of the hoops we had to go through. The Civic Auditorium rents by which area of the building you use, for extra bathrooms, things like that. But it was still a great venue for boxing because of its history and high ceilings, and it definitely looked better than a lot of other venues used for boxing.”
Ultimately, the night provided a successful test-run for the city and its ability to make a permanent decision on whether or not to repeal the ban.
“Certainly we could use some revenue, and it was a good way to make sure the Glendale Civic Auditorium was used,” said Drayman.
“They were happy with the outcome. I’ve not received a single complaint and we’re looking forward to a full report from police and parks and recreation staff, and barring any negative comments, we look forward to supporting a limited program of fights ongoing. But nothing has been determined yet.”
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