Expand<\/a><\/p>\nRelying on not only the program\u2019s needs, but the community, is an important asset for the program, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mental challenges that people are going through, coming off of COVID to having these [Los Angeles] fires, people need an outlet,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re here to provide that for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event provides boxers the space to take their training from the gym to city hall.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy vision was to bring my program outdoors, to bring it to the heart of Pasadena,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With Centennial Square as the boxing ring\u2019s backdrop, the event also hosts food vendors, live music and lights for attendees to enjoy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons why I decided to take my boxing event to City Hall, because I wanted not only our community, but our city officials, to see our program in action,\u201d De La Torre said.<\/p>\n
The event should display the nonviolent, sportsmanship side of boxing, something the Villa Parke program takes seriously, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just amazing to watch people\u2019s transformation when they come in [the gym] with a frown,\u201d said De La Torre. \u201cAfter their two-hour workout, they\u2019re a different person, they\u2019re smiling, they\u2019re joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
While boxing is a combative sport, De La Torre said the discipline and respect boxers have for each other is \u201cmagical.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the boxing gym to the competition \u2013 attendees can witness amateur boxing\u2019s unique charm.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This event] is beyond my vision,\u201d said De La Torre. \u201cThey\u2019re dancing with each other, and the magic part of it is the sportsmanship.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PAS-L-BOXING-CENTENNIAL-0823-7.jpg\")
The annual Centennial Square Boxing Show brought together a range of boxers, from young to older for a summer event exhibition full of jabs and sparking, but with a goal of sportsmanship and hopes of promoting physical and mental discipline, strength and well-being, Aug. 24, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Carter)<\/p>\n
Featuring Olympic-style bouts, the event maintains a professional but welcoming atmosphere, even awarding the runner-ups with medals.<\/p>\n
Fighters are introduced over a loud speaker, complete with music, applause and supporters eager to capture a photo or video.<\/p>\n
De La Torre emphasized that safety is a priority while preparing for the event. For participants, there is a six-month, no-contact policy during early training.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur motto is to give everyone an opportunity to try the program, because it\u2019s beneficial to everyone in different ways,\u201d said De La Torre.<\/p>\n
David Reyes, who started boxing during the pandemic, competed in the event last year.<\/p>\n
Reyes, 52, is the general manager for Pasadena Water & Power and previously worked as the city\u2019s community development director.<\/p>\n
After pursuing boxing for personal reasons, Reyes made his way to the Villa Parke boxing program, where he trains every day on his lunch break.<\/p>\n
\u201c[There is] a sense of belonging,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone says hello and no matter who you are\u2026it\u2019s a special place that\u2019s all-inclusive and it\u2019s welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before competing in the Centennial Square match, Reyes shared that he felt excited and physically prepared. As the fight neared, however, he started to wonder if he could do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I ready for this? Why am I doing this?,\u201d said Reyes, as he described the scene. \u201cAnd then when I got in the ring and I got hit the first time, everything went out the window and I just let the training take over.\u201d<\/p>\n
The result was Reyes\u2019 victory, a moment he remembers as uniquely special to Pasadena.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t even describe what it\u2019s like to be able to compete and have City Hall in the backdrop, at night with lights shining down, it\u2019s amazing,\u201d said Reyes. \u201cIt highlights what a special place Pasadena is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo counts himself as a longtime supporter of the event. He attended the very first show in 2015.<\/p>\n
This event, according to Gordo, established itself as a premier competition because of the efforts of the Villa Parke boxing program.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This] celebration, in front of one of our most iconic places in Pasadena, is a recognition of not only the program, the people who staff the program, but the great athletes and the traditions and history of success that has come through the boxing program at Villa Park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The program is \u201chistoric\u201d and serves as one of the original community boxing rings in Southern California, according to Gordo.<\/p>\n
The Villa Parke Boxing program was established in the 1980s, according to De La Torre.<\/p>\n
Gordo referenced the traditions behind the program and what the celebration means to Pasadena.<\/p>\n
\u201cPasadena is diverse in every way, including the activity and opportunity that we provide, and in this moment in time when there\u2019s so much going on around us\u2026it\u2019s important to celebrate as a community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou build bonds here that you won\u2019t build outside. Because nowhere else are you going to be able to beat someone up and then chit-chat, have a laugh with each other afterwards.\u201d \u2014 Marvin Gomez<\/p>\n
In Pasadena spirit, Gordo encouraged folks to come out and support the boxing community at the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to keep our community traditions, not just in place, but growing and vibrant by showcasing them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd giving our competitive athletes an opportunity to compete with the best right here in their own city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pasadena native and boxer, Marvin Gomez, joined the Villa Parke boxing program as a summer camper in 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxing has changed my life, shaped me to the person I am today,\u201d said Gomez, 17. \u201cI have all my coaches to thank for that\u2026 they\u2019re like father figures to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
This August marks Gomez\u2019s third year competing in the ring.<\/p>\n
Over time, boxing transitioned from something he used for self-defense to a passion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s awesome, because once we\u2019re out there, everyone from my community is there cheering me on,\u201d said Gomez. \u201cI hear my name being chanted, and it\u2019s a cool feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like Reyes, Gomez was victorious in matches the past two years, something the boxing program guided and supported.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou build bonds [here] that you won\u2019t build outside,\u201d said Gomez. \u201cBecause nowhere else are you going to be able to beat someone up and then chit-chat, have a laugh with each other afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Echoing Gomez, De La Torre added that the endurance boxers have \u2013 and their sportsmanship, is something everyone should witness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis sport is life-changing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt saved my life and I continue to see it here on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Centennial Square Boxing Show will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Avenue.<\/p>\n
For more information, visit this website<\/a>.<\/p>\nIsabel Umekubo is a freelance writer in Southern California.<\/p>\n
Originally Published: August 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the last decade, boxers of different life paths, age groups and skill levels have gathered at Pasadena…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72557,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[703,49,3335,48,38338,44960,44,82,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-72556","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-canada","12":"tag-local-government","13":"tag-los-angeles-county","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-top-stories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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