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Home Neighborhoods East Village

The Coliseum: a local boxing landmark

December 4, 2015
in East Village, Featured, Features, Neighborhoods
15
The Coliseum: a local boxing landmark
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By Joan Wojcik

East Village is steeped in San Diego history. Each of the many old buildings in East Village has a unique story to tell.

One such building is the Coliseum Athletic Club.

Many drive by the Coliseum without giving it a second glance or realizing its importance to the history of San Diego’s bygone days of boxing. The Coliseum appears indistinct from the many old buildings located in East Village but this building has a very illustrious past.

The Coliseum is located on the southwest corner of E and 15th streets. The only difference between the other worn out warehouses in the neighborhood is its domed roof. In the height of the Coliseum’s glory, from the 1920s until the 1930s, the domed roof would be filled with shouts from the many sports fans that enjoyed watching the boxing.

Coliseum - 2015web
The original Coliseum eventually became a furniture warehouse for Jerome’s but has sat empty for years. (Photo by Joan Wojcik)

The domed, square-shaped building was often smoked-filled with an audience of over 3,500 boxing fans who sat on cheap fold-down seats in a stadium-style setting with the boxing ring in the middle of the floor.

Hollywood celebrities would often be in attendance for the boxing events and the Coliseum even had a visit from the infamous Al Capone.

The Coliseum was noted for giving many well-known boxers their initial debut into their boxing careers. One such notable boxer was James J. Braddock, whose life story was portrayed in the recent movie, “The Cinderella Man.”

Braddock boxed Dynamite Jackson at the Coliseum on Sept. 30, 1932, and won. He went on to become the World Heavyweight Champion when he won the match against Max Baer.

Other greats, such as Jimmy McLarnin, Tommy Loughran, Henry Armstrong, Ceferino Garcia, Archie Moore, and Ken Norton were headliners at the Coliseum.  Both Moore and Norton would eventually call San Diego their home.

Moore, also known as Old Mongoose, had a lot of history tied to San Diego and the Coliseum. He started his professional boxing career in 1935 and boxed all but one bout that year at the San Diego Coliseum. His boxing career spanned the eras of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciana and Muhammad Ali, having fought all three legends.

Moore lived in San Diego from the 1960s until his death in 1998 but is remembered as starting his boxing profession at the San Diego Coliseum.

During the 1950s and ’60s, the Coliseum started losing its luster. Crowds began to dwindle and the Coliseum Athletic Club officially closed its doors Aug. 1, 1974. The property was eventually taken over by Jerome’s Furniture but has now sat empty for years.

Today, all that is left of the rich history of the Coliseum Athletic Club are four walls. The cheap seats, the boxer’s dressing rooms, the boxing ring, and the shouting are only memories of the once well-known boxing story of East Village.

cover-panginci-boxing_t670
Boxing matches were a huge draw in the Coliseum’s hey day (Courtesy SDCNG)

According to Sam Patella, a lifelong friend of Jerry Navarra of Jerome’s Furniture, the only items salvaged from the inside the Coliseum were the luxury front row seats that were once occupied by the VIPs in the audience. Jerry Navarra is currently storing these chairs and hopes the chairs will be spotlighted in any future plans for the Coliseum.

What does the future hold for such a historical building?

The Coliseum will be included in the five-block community plan called Makers Quarter (see makersquarter.com).

As this five-block community plan evolves into a dense, urban mixed-use neighborhood, the Coliseum will become the focal point of a community gathering space.

“We are looking forward to the Coliseum once again being an exciting amenity and gathering space for the neighborhood,” stated urban planner, Stacey Pennington.

Patella believes the rebirth of the Coliseum will be soon. What venue will occupy this landmark site is yet to be determined but it will be exciting to look forward to the rebirth of the Coliseum in East Village.

— Joan Wojcik is the president of the East Village Residents Group. Learn more about the EVRG at or contact joan eastvillageresidentsgroup@yahoo.com or visit evrgsd.org.

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Comments 15

  1. Rudy Cervantes says:
    4 years ago

    The boxing ring was donated to the Barrio Station in Barrio Logan where it is still used to train youth in the skills of boxing.

    Reply
  2. Steve Krasner says:
    3 years ago

    Great article Joan, it brought back some great memories. The Coliseum was also the place to watch great wrestling matches that included the greats of the 50s and 60s. Names like Gorgeous George, Bo Bo Brazil, Freddie Blassie, Mr. Moto, Mil Mascaras, The Destroyer,
    Ex San Diego Charger Ernie Ladd, and the tag team with a
    combined weight of 750 pounds the Haystack Calhoun Brothers. I even had a birthday party with my friends and family for the packed wrestling matches. I remember when the Coliseum closed it brought more then a few tears to my eyes. I have walked and driven past the building many times since and the ticket windows cut outs are still visible near the entrance.

    Reply
  3. pete nowell says:
    3 years ago

    Not sure on the”closing” date. I went to a wrestling card there in the summer of 1979. Maybe the last boxing match was in ’74?

    Reply
    • Chris Chula says:
      2 years ago

      December 1979

      Reply
  4. Dan Trigoboff says:
    3 years ago

    I’m sure there was boxing there in 1979. I may have been at the last show, heavyweights Fili Moala vs. Ron Lyle. Lyle was a big story, in prison for murder, became an amateur champ and a contender after his release. Lost a title shot to Ali and later to Foreman, after an amazing fight. Later acquitted of another killing. Died five years ago. Moala was never a big time contender, but is the father of an NFL player.

    Reply
  5. Johnny Netwton says:
    3 years ago

    I can’t find where Archie Moore ever fought Joe Louis. When was that?

    Reply
    • Richard Weiler says:
      2 years ago

      He didn’t fight Joe Louis.
      The article’s author wrote an informative story but I could tell by her phrasing that she wasn’t a boxing fan.

      Reply
  6. Rock Rims says:
    3 years ago

    The closing date is definitely wrong. Both boxing and wrestling were staged there for a few more years after that date.

    Reply
    • Mark Kausch says:
      2 years ago

      No, the Coliseum closed in Aug ’74. It was sold to the Navarra family Apr ’75 and reopened. The last boxing event was Dec 19, ’79.

      -info from Steve Bryant, SoCal Uncensored, Mar 6, 18.

      Reply
  7. Damon Mortimer says:
    2 years ago

    This building was also used as a classic car restoration/ consignment facility. This building housed hundreds of high dollar classic cars up until last year. When you walked down E street and looked into this dingy old decrepit building you would see some amazing vehicles.

    Reply
  8. Rob Kinder says:
    2 years ago

    My Great Uncle Charlie Popejoy fought in the building a Bunch of times he went on to run the Carpenters Union in San Diego. http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/153190

    Reply
  9. Frank stamos says:
    2 years ago

    My DaD fought a lot there to fill the card last min. Archie Moore turned to be my dads trainer He was George Stamos. From logan heights

    Reply
  10. joe casella says:
    1 year ago

    Anyone remember the DePhilipi Family’s involvement in boxing in Sad Diego

    Reply
    • Doug says:
      11 months ago

      Bobby has promoted boxing in San Diego for years. Because of issues with the Califronia Athletic Commission, he has been co-promoting in Tijuana, where many US fighters have been going to mostly pad their records.

      Reply
  11. Mark Orwoll says:
    10 months ago

    It was a great thrill to go back to the dressing rooms to see the likes of Irish “Spud” Murphy after yet another loss toward the end of the Coliseum in ’79. God, that place wreaked of cigar smoke, sweat, and beer. The fold-down seats creaked and hurt your ass after three rounds. The clientele did not come from your better stratum of society, but they were, er, colorful. “Ladieeees and gennelmun, welcome to boxing at the Coliseum!” Boy, those were the days.

    Reply

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