01.03.05 – by Kent Appel: Where else on the west coast of the United States can you be at a fight card and just happen to run into the likes of baseball all time great Pete Rose, boxing stars Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, James “Lights Out” Toney, or current IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd and on any given night, a host of others? Well, none other than the Pechanga Resort and Casino located in beautiful wine country in Temecula, California..
The Pechanga Resort and Casino sits on a federal Indian reservation and is owned and operated by The Temecula Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, also known as Pechanga, who since 1996 have been one of the most successful gaming tribes residing within the borders of the state of California.
The Pechanga reservation sits on 5,500 acres of scenic rustic land within the borders of the southern part of the county of Riverside, California and it is the home to a Native American tribe of about 1,500 members, who’s people have not only lived on the reservation since it was created in 1882, but who have lived in the lovely Temecula Valley, or place in the sun in the indigenous language, for at least 10,000 years.
The trip to the boxing event starts out even before the patrons arrive at the elegant grand ballroom for the fights. It starts as they enter the hotel and casino, a four star resort with over 500 guest rooms. 2000 slot machines as well as table games such as Poker and Black Jack are there for before or after boxing action. The resort also has several excellent restaurants and bars to satisfy any palette, as well as world class entertainment featuring acts from the music and comic fields.
Once seated in the ballroom, where any of the fifteen hundred seats is an excellent seat to enjoy the boxing action, the fight fan will be among the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic fight fans around. The reason being the fights themselves as Pechanga provides nothing but the best in boxing entertainment.
The fight cards, regularly broadcast on national television on network programs such as ESPN 2 Friday night fights, Fox Sports Network’s Sunday Night Fights or on the Best Damn Sports Show Ever, or also on NBC television as well as selected HBO or Showtime events, have featured world champions and former world champions such as James Toney, Vassiliy Jirov, Michael Moorer, Ricardo Mayorga, Vernon Forrest, Wayne McCullough, and Steve Forbes, among others.
This week’s event to be held on Friday March 4, which will be broadcast on ESPN 2 Friday night fights, features an excellent card that is headlined by a featherweight bout between Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez of Houston, Texas verses Juan Carlos Ramiez of Juarez, Mexico as well as a CO feature IBF title elimination bantamweight fight between Jorge Lacierva of Santa Anita, Mexico against Genero Garcia of Pueblo, Mexico. Also on the card is light welterweight contender Francisco Bojado of Los Angeles, California against an opponent to be named.
I asked Ciara Coyle, Public Relations Manager at the Pechanga resort, a few brief questions about boxing at Pechanga and her responses are repeated below.
How long has boxing been at Pechanga?
Pechanga began boxing events in 1998 when its casino was still operated out of sprung structures and modular trailers. The event spawned from a pay-per-view event that the casino held several months earlier. Pechanga management saw how many people were drawn to the casino to watch that particular pay-per-view event on giant screen televisions and thought to themselves, “We could have a real boxing match here.
Why have boxing at Pechanga?
Boxing at Pechanga Resort & Casino is another element to the resort’s strong entertainment lineup. From the first boxing match held here in 1998, it was apparent that there was a solid boxing fan base in our area and that if we continued to present great matchups, the fans would follow. Boxing also falls in line with the overall experience that our guests receive at Pechanga Resort & Casino. They come here to have a good time and for many people, taking in an exciting evening of boxing is a great form of entertainment.
Why has boxing been a success at Pechanga?
Boxing at Pechanga Resort & Casino has been a success because each successive event gets better. Visitors are continually wowed by their experience and they tell their friends. They come to the next event and they’re impressed yet again. Pechanga works with some of the best fight promoters in the country so as to match fighters that will deliver the most exciting ring action possible. In addition, fans do not have to travel to Las Vegas to see world-class fighters such as James Toney and Vassiliy Jirov and others. Plus, the resort offers a comfortable, clean and safe environment in which to watch the events.