Join us as we celebrate L.A.’s biggest boxing stars with two outstanding panels and an expo featuring boxing legends and other vendors. In conjunction with LA Plaza’s exhibition “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium.”
From the 1920s through the early 2000s, the Olympic Auditorium was a hub of sports entertainment on the West Coast. The “Sweet Science” of boxing was one of the pillars which made the venue popular with fans around the world.
Light refreshments will be served.
Plática: The Olympic Auditorium and the Legacy of Aileen Eaton: Women in Charge | 1pm
Olympic promoter Aileen Eaton became business manager of the Olympic Auditorium in 1942, rebuilding the business of what was then a money-losing arena. The only woman in her sport, Eaton was a master promoter who developed championship talent and managed to fill an outdated, 10,000-seat venue for nearly forty years, a pioneer in sports entertainment.
LA Plaza CEO Leticia Buckley moderates a conversation with women in the sports and entertainment worlds who have also found success in male dominated fields, including Lisa Fancher, founder and owner of Frontier Records; Rita D’Albert, Producer of Lucha VaVoom; and Graciela Casillas, World Champion boxer and kickboxer.
Plática: The Golden Era of Los Angeles Boxing: The Olympic vs. The Forum | 3pm
In the 1960s and 70s, with two major boxing arenas competing head-to-head, Los Angeles sports fans could see the greatest fighters in the world on a weekly basis. Specializing in talent born the neighborhoods of Southern California and Mexico, boxing thrived in L.A., launching stars like Olympic favorite Mando Ramos and Forum superstar Ruben Olivares, Danny “Little Red” Lopez and Bobby Chacon. Join 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium co-curators Steve DeBro and Gene Aguilera, along with Carlos Palomino: Former World Welterweight Champion, and Alberto Davila: Former World Bantamweight Champion in a conversation about a golden era in L.A boxing history.
12 to 5pm - Vendor Fair
Alan Santana | Author, Boxer, Actor
Alberto Davila | Boxing World Champion
Brenda Zaragoza | ESO Boxing, Oxnard
Bill & Linda Young | National Boxing Hall of Fame
Danny “Little Red” Lopez | Boxing World Champion
Gene Aguilera | Latino Boxing Historian & Author
Graciela Casillas | Boxing & Kickboxing World Champion
Greg Puente | California Boxing Champion
Herman Montes | Top Lightweight Contender
Jesse Marez | The Libros, Lincoln Heights
Joseph Robledo | Author, Blood On The Canvas
Steve DeBro | Filmmaker 18th & Grand The Olympic Auditorium Story