Built in 1924 as a sports venue for the '32 LA Olympics, the GOA opened on August 5, 1925, with Jack Dempsey and Rudolph Valentino at the kick-off shindig.
I don't see how the venue was built in 1924 exclusively "for the '32 LA Olympics" unless the Olympic Commission had already commissioned their '32 plans in 1924.
LA Curbed continues,
From the '30s through the '70s, the GOA hosted many boxing, wrestling, and roller derby events
Some scenes of 1976's Rocky were shot at the venue
In 1980, the GOA began hosting musical events and was a part of the early '80s LA punk scene
The GOA closed in the mid-80s, reopening in 1993
Rage Against The Machine, who put out the '99 album The Battle of Los Angeles, played their final show (before reuniting at Coachella 2007) at GOA
The auditorium was purchased by the Glory Church of Jesus Christ three years ago.
It has become somewhat of a landmark for boxing history. Charles Bukowski wrote about the Olympic: "even the Hollywood (Legion Stadium in Hollywood here, here, and here) boys knew the action was at the Olympic. Raft came, and the others, and all the starlets, hugging those front row seats. the gallery boys went ape and the fighters fought like fighters and the place was blue with cigar smoke, and how we screamed, baby baby, and threw money and drank our whiskey, and when it was over, there was the drive in, the old lovebed with our dyed and vicious women."[2]
If I recall correctly, Dad had attended a couple of fights at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown LA. I can't recall the names of the fighters but he may have gone there with Conroy or his buddy, Bob Smith. I'm just checking in, do any of you recall Dad talking about attending the Olympic Auditorium and what event and who he went with and if you have an approximate year, or even a decade, that would help. I know that Joe said that he went to the Olympic Auditorium I think to to play basketball in a gymnasium that was up on the Upper Floor if I recall correctly. So Joe if you can confirm that so was that with your your guys from GM? All right, so if you have any specific memories or details about the auditorium about Dad going or anybody else going if you went you know what did you see what did you do who did you go with, that kind of thing. I do appreciate it. Thank you.
From Chuck. Jul 1, 2023, 4:40 PM
My best recall is that from the late 1960's through the early or mid 1970's Dad took me to the Olympic Auditorium to watch Ray 'Windmill' White, a light heavyweight, Tury Pineda (featherweight or lightweight), Ernie 'Indian Red' Lopez (welterweight), and his brother Danny 'Little Red' Lopez (featherweight).
Danny “Little Red” Lopez hammers Tury “The Fury” Pineda at the Olympic in 1972. It was a hyped bout dubbed “The Battle of The Teeny Boppers,” with Lopez winning the 11th KO in 11 fights. Photo: Theo Ehret #18thandgrand #boxing #lahistory #featherweight #boxeo #1970s pic.twitter.com/ciTJpTWB3d
— OlympicAuditorium (@olympicaud) February 21, 2023
I spent about 3 weeks at the Main Street Gym (before I blew out my knee again, playing football), being introduced to the fight culture, with an invite by one of Dad's sports atty friend. I must have looked a bit LOST, so, Danny Lopez called me over, "Hey, Whitey !! .. come on over and hold my feet, so I can do my situps !" ... Ok, Ok, Danny was much more of a gentleman than my bizarre 'humorous' imagination... but I was given the privilege of holding the feet of Little Red.
Main Street Gym, Los Angeles, 1976 #boxe pic.twitter.com/9gZMjL1jpM
— People1917 (@People1917) May 12, 2022
I remember parking around the corner and walking into the Main Street Gym with Dad and Chuck, listening to the punching sounds while inhaling the smells of cigars, leather, and sweat. I wish I knew the year. In the 1960s for sure.
The gym opened in 1933. Sadly, it was bulldozed in 1984. Today, it's a parking lot. But the gym was used as a filming location for the original Rocky movie with Sylvester Stallone.
Randy De La O does a decent tracking of Main Street Gym's storied bouts.
yes, one of our vendors at GMAC had deep pockets and he would take a group of us to UCLA football games at the Rose bowl...& somehow he booked a couple hours of playing time at the Olympic gym. We'd have full 5 on 5 basketball games for a couple hours after after work.
And yes a few times dad took me to see some big names box at the Olympic...we saw Bobby Chacon & Mando Ramos. Dad would get super excited, especially after a couple cocktails...lol...dad would yell, "come on Mando!! Get on your Hondo!!"
My first boss at GMAC was into martial arts, and he would get tickets to boxing nights at the Olympic. We watched quite a few boxing matches there in like 1987 or '88 or so.
From Dan. Jul 2, 2023, 7:07 AM
I remember Dad mentioning the Olympic Aud, but I never went there with him or with anyone else. I was mildly fascinated by the sport, as long as someone else was getting their nose busted and not me.
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