Boxing Begins Round 7 in Irvine

IRVINE —  About 7:30 tonight, a ring-side bell will sound, and the monthly boxing program at the Irvine Marriott will begin its seventh year.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the back of the ballroom, promoter Don Fraser will sit and exchange greetings and talk boxing with friends and regulars.

When the Irvine program started in 1985, Fraser says he never believed it would last this long.

“I thought it would be a flash in the pan,” he said. “All good things come to an end, and I figured it would last a couple of years and the novelty would wear off. But we keep replacing fans. Some fall out, but others come in.”

The grand ballroom can hold about 1,250 people, and the crowd is usually better than 1,000, despite tickets priced at $32, $27 and $22.

The fights typically have been on Mondays in the spring and summer, then were switched to Thursdays to avoid conflicts with Monday Night Football. This year, they will be held on Thursdays year-round.

Irvine is the antithesis of the dark, smoked-filled boxing venue. The room is brightly lit, and smoking is allowed only in the outside halls.

“It’s the best place I’ve ever promoted,” Fraser said. “The crowd is upscale and they enjoy the boxing.”

Tonight’s main event, one of six scheduled fights, features middleweight John Armijo (10-1-1), the fighting lifeguard from Huntington Beach, against Ernie Valentine (16-4-2) of Stockton.

Armijo, one of the most popular Orange County fighters, is coming off a loss to Vince Durham on Oct. 25. The decision was unanimous but close: 77-75, 76-75, 79-73.

Fraser prefers having county fighters at Irvine but doesn’t see it as an absolute necessity for success.

“It helps to bring in the local fans,” he said, “but it’s been a good mix of fighters here. We haven’t had too many crummy main events and the preliminaries have been spirited, too. That’s what’s helped it continue.”