The Real Fight Factory:Philadelphia Spectrum

The Philadelphia Spectrum

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The Spectrum was opened in 1967 in the southside of the city. A arena that was built for the city's major sports teams Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Although it was built for those two sides it was actually boxing that was to be the first event at arena. It would home Joe Frazier vs Tony Doyle in a 10 round contest that Frazier won via technical knockout in second round. It was to be a success and from there on the Spectrum was to hold another 15 shows from 68-72. The shows would be headlined with a 10 round bout and a few undercard bouts but it was in 1973 when Promoter J Russell Peltz took the role of director of boxing at the Spectrum that the venue would home not only some of greatest fights in sport but develop some of the greatest fighters.

Over the years the Spectrum would bring through Matthew Saad Muhammad, Jeff Chandler, Benny Briscoe, Tyrone Everett, Billy Douglas and the 'Marvelous One' Marvin Hagler. It was to become a breeding ground of talent in a hard working class area. Fighters would enter as boys and leave as men.

Hagler would enter the Spectrum in 1976 and lose his first two fights at the venue (Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts & Willie "The Worm" Monroe) and was believed to be told he's got to win or face going back to the smaller halls and work way back up. He'd beat Eugene Hart and avenge his loss to Willie Monroe and then beat Bennie Briscoe and leave with a 3-2 record at the Spectrum.

Hagler vs Hart
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft5S7hopZp0[/ame]

It was the place that would make or break a fighter and for Hagler it was the place that made him the fighter he would go on to be. The venue would host many epic battles with Bennie Briscoe and Eugene Cyclone Hart battling to a thrilling draw and missed out for Ring Fight of Year to 'Thrilla in Manilla'.

Briscoe vs Hart I
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozogMMvMdg0[/ame]

It would also host a controversial decision win for Alfredo Escalera over South Philly's Tyrone Everett which allowed him to retain his WBC Super Featherweight title. Till this day it still holds the record indoor attendance in Philadelphia(16,019).

Alfredo Escalera vs Tyrone Everett
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv_q3Oaomwo[/ame]

Over years the venue would hold tournaments for local middleweights and would open doors to the great Roberto Duran who would face Edwin Viruet in a televised contest. Though the likes of Hagler and Duran passed through the Spectrum the venue would always be synonymous with Matthew Saad Muhammad who would have two exceptional battles at the venue against Marvin Johnson and Richie Kates.

Matthew Franklin (Saad Muhammad vs Marvin Johnson
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8_3tAsHrGA[/ame]

Matthew Saad Muhammad vs. Richie Kates
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKReIgeReFo[/ame]

Sadly with all the money and casino venue's coming into the sport the fights at the Spectrum would be taken to the more glitzy and glamorous venue's in Vegas. There still would be shows over the years but it would start to dwindle although the likes of Tyson and Tua had fights there and hometown son Bernard Hopkins would feature on undercard of the Tua bill.

The last bill at the Spectrum would be Jameel Wilson and Richard Stewart who fought to a 8 round draw. It would sadly close it's doors to sports and boxing in particular and would be demolished in 2010 despite the talk of a 'farewell boxing' show.

It may be gone but the memory still lives on, The Real Fight Factory.

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Hope you enjoy, Please add to it. Bit rushed, have no doubts there's error's and false tales. Just took what i read and saw been meaning to do a thread on it for a while.

 

:good Cheers Gaz.

 

I'll look into Flea :good, I'm hoping this will spark more threads on venue's as Gaz said the Blue Horizon as well.

Then they can go into Encyclopedia thread.

 

Have to have a think, Watching a Hagler Doc a few months back triggered my interest in the Spectrum.

So many great fights there, that Briscoe-Hart fight is savage..

 

Yeah **** poor really, You'd think they'd have one for Apollo.

 

Interesting, Never knew that.

 

Taken from 'bestboxingblog'

'It was clear Hagler had the edge in terms of aggressiveness, strength and power, but Bobby Watts was from Philadelphia and so were the ringside officials. While Marvin clearly deserved the win, after ten rounds the judges gave the decision to Boogaloo. The verdict was bad enough to prompt J. Russell Peltz, the Spectrum’s boxing promoter, to actually go over and apologize to Hagler’s people.

“It might not have been the worst decision of all time,” Peltz would say later, “but it was pretty bad.”