A New Round of Bouts

Professional boxing, absent from the Valley since June, suddenly has returned, with two arenas in which monthly bouts will be staged.

The Reseda Country Club, once home to budding pros Michael Nunn and Rafael Ruelas, on Nov. 21 will host its first fight in more than three years with a program headlined by heavyweight Lionel Butler of Los Angeles.

Promoter Peter Broudy of Celebrity Boxing this week announced he will move his monthly televised program at the Olympic Auditorium to the recently renovated Country Club, where he promoted fights throughout the 1980s.

On Jan. 9, boxing returns to the Warner Center Marriott under new promoter Roy Englebrecht, who in August signed a one-year contract with the Woodland Hills hotel.

Former promoter Gerrie Coetzee last June abruptly ended the monthly program at Warner Center because of financial reasons. But Englebrecht, who has promoted bouts at the Irvine Marriott for several years, said he anticipates similar success in Woodland Hills.

Broudy and Englebrecht may be standing toe to toe, but neither wishes to take a swing. Predictably, both promoters said they are unconcerned about the other’s operation.

“We’re going to do our business and Peter’s going to do his,” Englebrecht said. “All I can tell you is on the second Thursday of every month there is going to be good professional boxing at the Warner Center Marriott.”

Said Broudy: “It really doesn’t matter to me at all. I do a totally different type of show.”

Warner Center will host boxing on the second Thursday of every month in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Fight night at the Country Club will be on the third Thursday and the program will continue to be televised locally.

Ticket prices at Warner Center will range from $25 to $35 with a season-ticket package available that will include free parking. Tickets at Reseda will range from $20 to $75.