BOXING AT THE BREN CENTER : Bartlett Presents First Card Tonight

Nick Bartlett, who had considered promoting boxing at the Bren Center for nearly two years, decided to move ahead with his plan when he saw a fight scene being filmed there about eight months ago.

“They had a smoke machine going and it just looked so authentic,” he said. “I fell in love with the facility. It’s the place to do boxing. I think it’s a great place because people can come and feel comfortable.”

Bartlett will get his wish tonight at 7, when the first of six scheduled fights of a planned monthly card takes place on the UC Irvine campus. Gilbert Baptist (19-11) of San Diego takes on Willie Montana (21-6) of Reno, Nev., in the 10-round main event.

Bartlett, who runs LBNT Pro Sports and is the girls’ basketball coach at Huntington Beach High School, has promoted kick boxing cards at the Bren Center for the past 1 1/2 years.

“We finally built it (kick boxing) to where it was breaking even,” Bartlett said. “But trying to introduce Americans to a new sport was too hard.”

Boxing already has a following in the Irvine area thanks to Don Fraser, whose monthly card at the Irvine Marriott is in its seventh year.

“I don’t feel we will be in competition with each other,” Bartlett said. “Orange County is a big place, and there’s only one other show, so there should be enough fans to go around. Hopefully we will be able to trade the same crowds.”

Fraser’s bouts normally draw about 1,000 at ticket prices of $32, $27 and $22. But Fraser doesn’t agree that there are enough fight fans to support two shows.

“People see what I do and think its easy to put on fights,” Fraser said. “But it’s not. We are in the middle of a recession and people don’t want to spend money.”

Bartlett’s prices will be only slightly less at $30, $20, and $15. There will also be a drawing for a vacation and gifts to the first 100 in the door tonight. Those with military identification will be admitted free.

Boxing Notes

Two former kick boxers--Shane Kaplan (2-1) of Irvine and Cash McCallum from the Westminster gym--highlight the undercard tonight. Kaplan takes on Manuel Marmuria (5-3) of Las Vegas at 154 pounds. McCallum fights Tyrone Armstrong (3-5) of Las Vegas in a heavyweight fight. Both are scheduled for four rounds. . . . The main drawback to tonight’s card will be the televised Lakers-Bulls game that could decide the NBA title. “I had no way of knowing that the game would fall on the same night,” promoter Nick Bartlett said. “Of all the days to start and we pick that one. It’s a terrible date, but that’s the way it goes.” The next planned date for a card at the Bren Center is July 15.