The War in the Empire boxing event drew a sold-out crowd to the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center, Jan. 17 for the first of many in the annual fight event series streamed nationally on BASH TV. House of Pain So Cal Boxing Promotions and Robert Garcia Boxing Academy of Moreno Valley attracted a standing room only audience of enthusiastic sports fans.
HOPSC’s Chief Executive Officer is Dave Trujillo, bringing 35 years of entrepreneurial experience in the boxing world. As a Native American regional boxing promoter, he said this is his seventh sold-out event at SCR.
“Soboba’s trust in us is well received and we always try to bring quality fights to this venue,” he said. “Partnering with Garcia has allowed us to work side-by-side with a living legend.”
And while boxing was the primary focus of the evening, it was important in other ways as well. Soboba Tribal Member and Deputy Executive Director of HOPSC, Wade Abbas, has found a way to harness House of Pain’s already Indigenous passion for boxing that Trujillo brings being a Chiricahua Apache native, and incorporate Native American culture into this event. This was the first step. All round cards included the Luiseño language translation for the numbers, a presentation was made to Soboba Tribal Council Members Chairman Isaiah Vivanco and Vice Chairwoman Geneva Mojado, and bout six saw the return to the ring of Soboba’s own Jimmie Nunez.
“We want to create more opportunities to have the fights tied to the community here and we want to send the message that the house you are in is courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians,” Abbas said. “Seeking sponsorships from local businesses by showing how these fighters bring in fans, families and friends who will most likely utilize services and merchants while they are in the area is paramount.”
With the help of data he collects, it will be easy to show the impact these events have and thus recruit more Cultural Partners. He is currently allocating a portion of all sponsorship proceeds from this year’s fight series to support the $ovóova Po'$wáamay (Daughter of Soboba) Committee. Su’la Arviso was crowned in October and has been representing her Tribe at various cultural events since then. Funds raised will offset her travel expenses to make the most of these opportunities. Su’la was introduced at the War in the Empire event to rousing applause. Abbas plans to add more cultural aspects to future events that will assist the committee. To learn more about becoming a Cultural Partner, please contact Abbas at wadeabbas@gmail.com or info@thenamelessones.org.
Another important aspect of the evening was the inclusion of youth from Truillo’s youth mentorship program that was launched in 2020 and is being met with much success. The youth signed a pair of boxing gloves which were given to Tribal Council.
Trujillo prefaced the presentation by saying that House of Pain was honored to be at the venue. “We are grateful for your continued support for young people from Soboba and the surrounding Riverside County communities, providing opportunities to train, grow and finally compete in places like the amazing Soboba Casino Resort. Thank you for standing with us,” he said.
Chairman Vivanco addressed the crowd, “On behalf of the Soboba Band, welcome you to our homeland. We really appreciate House of Pain putting on such a great event. Please enjoy yourselves.”
The mentorship program youth were assigned different duties throughout the evening, from greeting and checking in guests to escorting them to their seats, and many behind-the-scenes duties. They are receiving great experience and learning much about the professional world of boxing and the many pathways they can take to work in this industry.
Kenny Finister is Nunez’s head coach and is accompanied by assistant coach Justin Tate. Finister has been involved with the sport since 2006 and had his last fight as a middleweight in 2020. He said Nunez is very responsible and knows what he wants. He added that HOPSC is “everybody’s gym” as it takes many participants from all walks of life, such as Native Americans within regional reservations and participants from surrounding communities who are seeking a better quality of life through the disciplined sport of boxing. Consisting of participants as young as five learning balance and how to follow instructions and a gentleman in his late 60s who wants to keep his motor skills strong, membership is diverse.
Nunez was forced to take a break from boxing after tearing a hamstring last April. Although most of his fitness regime has become a lifestyle for him that he has continued to foster every day, he returned to full-time training in August. He also supports the mentorship program which includes San Jacinto’s Malikah Salazar, an up-and-coming boxer who is scheduled to make his pro debut this year.
Returning to the ring was an effort for Nunez to show everyone how far discipline will take you and show what is possible. Being in his first eight-round fight, Nunez said he had to learn how to pace himself. Training six days a week that includes running three times a day, he puts in a lot of hard work.
“At age 26, I got a late start to this sport but any way I can compete is my work ethic,” said the super lightweight class fighter.
While his bout against Pedro Cruz did not end in his favor, Nunez’s humility and perseverance will allow him to take the loss and convert it into wins for himself and others.
Future fight nights are confirmed for July 11 and August 22, with talks of possible March and November dates being included. Stay tuned for who will be included at www.soboba.com. For more information, www.hopscboxingclub.com, www.rgbapro.com, @purogolpe, www.watchbashtv.com.
Photos courtesy of Jesse Platas/Puro Golpe (unless otherwise noted)
