Deal Allows Fights to Return to Pond

Unable to reach an agreement with Forum Boxing, the Arrowhead Pond has turned to longtime Irvine Marriott promoter Roy Englebrecht to resuscitate its boxing series. The Pond and Englebrecht announced Monday that they have a signed a deal to promote four Thursday night shows this year, beginning with an April 13 card. Next year, there are plans for six Thursday night shows.

The contract calls for each card to have at least one heavyweight fight, one female bout and a main event that includes either a ranked fighter, an undefeated fighter or a title belt at stake. Ticket prices will start at $15 and go up to $115.

“This arrangement gives us more creative control than we had with Forum Boxing and it ensures we get a quality main event every time,” said Mike O’Donnell, the Pond’s assistant general manager.

The arrangement does not include a television contract, which was thought to be necessary to offset the high overhead costs of staging boxing events at the Pond. All four years of Forum Boxing’s Monday night shows were televised by Fox Sports Net.

“We’re looking at TV for next year,” O’Donnell said. “The idea was to build a good program and then, as TV opportunities came, we’d look at them. We just wanted to keep the momentum going from last year.”

The Pond had hoped to continue that momentum with Forum Boxing. But when Jerry Buss pulled his money out of Forum Boxing, the organization began falling apart.

“We felt like we needed to give it a really good effort with Forum Boxing,” Pond General Manager Tim Ryan said. “But at the end of the day, we just couldn’t get there. It was nobody’s fault.”

Whose fault will it be if Thursday night boxing doesn’t make it at the Pond? Both Englebrecht and the Pond are taking gambles.

Englebrecht will supply the boxers, referees and the matchmaker--Jerry Bilderrain, who has put together the Marriott cards. The Pond will be in charge of the support staff, the marketing and sponsorship. Englebrecht and the Pond will share in the gate, the Pond will get all the revenue from concessions and parking.

Englebrecht’s track record in staging arena boxing shows is short, but so far it’s good. He drew 3,654 fans and had a gross gate of more than $53,000 for a Feb. 10 promotion at Bakersfield Centennial Garden Arena, which, like the Pond, is managed by Ogden Entertainment. The Pond had been averaging a gross gate of about $20,000, which Englebrecht hopes to double.

“With Roy being involved with Irvine, Bakersfield and the Pond, it allows us to cross-market,” Ryan said. “It gives us a certain synergy.”

It also gives Englebrecht quite a bit of work. In addition to six shows in Irvine and four each in Anaheim and Bakersfield, he will also promote events at Los Alamitos and Del Mar race tracks and at Pechanga and Soboba Indian Casinos. Suddenly, Englebrecht’s boxing business is booming.

“People are calling us now that we never heard from before,” he said. “Now, our dance card is pretty full. We’re probably the biggest boxing promotions entity on the West Coast.”

Dean Lohuis, chief inspector for the state athletic commission, said boxing is on the upswing again.

“I think people thought with the demise of Forum Boxing, we were in trouble in Southern California,” Lohuis said. “But I think we’re in for a really big year around here, partly because of what Roy is doing. You need to show quality fighters and quality fights, but I think Roy can make it work at the Pond. Roy’s a good promoter. So far, everything he’s done, he’s done right.”

Englebrecht said he will hire an assistant matchmaker to help Bilderrain, whose budget to pay fighters will be nearly doubled at the Pond. Englebrecht said he will also try to sign young, local fighters to promotional deals.

“We have enough venues to keep them busy now,” Englebrecht said. “We can start them out at the Marriott and then they can work their way up to the Pond and Bakersfield.”