The Great Boxing History of Stockton, California
For over a century, Stockton has been a venue for the country's historic top fighters.
Johnson. Braddock. Louis. Marciano. Ali. Ward. Tyson. Mayweather. Just a few of the legendary names that made the "sweet science" arguably the most important sport in the nation.
Boxing—as well as mixed martial arts and full contact, body-to-body sports—continue to grow in popularity today. They sell out arenas, break pay-per-view records, and carry a buzz like nothing else. Whether its the olympics, Las Vegas, or a local auditorium, you're bound to find a fighting venue with a loyal fanbase. Major cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia have their great, well-earned "fighting town" tales, but they aren't the only ones known for breeding and housing great champions. Here's a look back at Stockton's own boxing city tales.
"Pop, Pop, BANG!"
Stockton has had a rich boxing history, dating back to the opening of its first open-air boxing arena over at Oak Park in August of 1922. That park's arena would later host boxing legend Max Baer’s 1st professional fight on May 16th, 1929. Today, Oak Park is home to an ice rink, a tennis court, and Billy Hebert field—the former home of the Stockton Ports.
Trivia fact: Billy Hebert was the first baseball player to die while serving in World War II. The field was named in his honor.
Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium would house its first fight card on June 30, 1930, drawing nearly 2,000 people in attendance. In 1932, a Jack Dempsey/Bad News Johnson showdown would bring in over 3,500 people—while Filipino star boxer Bayani Garcia’s US debut would draw over 4,000 inside the venue. Today, the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium houses many events including festivals and live music, while also continuing to be a venue for "fight night" with 209 Beatdown.
Stockton-born fighters would also make an impact in these early years. Fred Feary won the bronze medal at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, while Jesse Flores became the first Stockton boxer to fight inside Madison Square Garden in NYC, fighting to a draw with Johnny Williams in 1948. Flores would go on to win the rematch in June of that year.
On April 30th, 1959, Stockton's own Amos Johnson scored a victory against a young Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay. The win gave the local fighter the light heavyweight title in the U.S. Pan American trials. Johnson would go on to win the Pan Am gold in Chicago that September.
Trivia fact: "Fat City" by Leonard Gardner was published in 1969. The novel became an instant boxing classic focusing on Stockton's fighting scene. In 1972, the film adaption—shot right here in Stockton—hit theaters, directed by John Huston and starring Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, and Susan Tyrrell.
We can’t talk about the great fighting spirit that is rooted in this city without including the great Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez. Lopez's career is filled with epic, thrilling bouts that went down in history—including his July 13th, 1980 showdown with Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC light heavyweight title in New Jersey. That fight was named the "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine. With Stockton as his adopted home, Lopez went on to form the Fat City Boxing Club, located over on East Miner Ave. Lopez's spot provides a space for underprivileged youth to positively channel their energy into sport and competition, steering them away from negative influences.
And of course, everyone knows Nick & Nate Diaz—the MMA icons who proudly call Stockton & the 209 their home. While the Diaz brothers are known for their elite MMA skills, Nate recently stepped into the boxing ring, where he beat UFC rival Jorge Masvidal by majority decision on July 6th, 2024 at the sold-out Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
In 2023, our city continued its legacy as a fighting town as “Stockton’s King” Gabriel Flores, Jr. came home to the Adventist Health Arena for his May 13th bout against Derrick Murray, where he won via knockout in 27 seconds. The following year, Flores, Jr. returned home on March 16 to beat Julian Rodarte and win the WBA Continental Title.
Gabriel Flores, Jr. returns to defend his WBA Continental Title against Lorenzo “The Golden One” Powell at the highly anticipated “Slugfest in Mudville” on Saturday, July 20 at the Stockton Ballpark—the first fight card to ever be held in the home of the Stockton Ports.
For a complete timeline of Stockton's boxing history, check out The Record's article here.
For more information on Stockton sports, including golf course listings, visit our "Stocked Full of Sports" page here. If you are involved in youth sports and are considering a location to host tournaments and championship games, consider Stockton.
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