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If only the Big Bunker had a retractable roof.
The Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center remains the nominal front-runner to host Joe Mesi's next fight, but the competition is heavy for a promotion in late July or early August that could end up on national television.
Promoter Allan Tremblay expects to have looked over four potential sites by the end of this week. The Convention Center's main competitor, Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo, is the only outdoor venue.
"It would add a touch of nostalgia--an outdoor fight in the summertime," said the Brampton, Ont.-based promoter and lifelong boxing buff. "It takes you back to the fights at Yankee Stadium."
The home of the Buffalo Bisons has two more pragmatic advantages.
"It's smack-dab downtown, so it's closer to (Mesi's) overall fan base and they do events every night," said Tremblay, referring to the Bisons' promotional machine, which produced minor league baseball attendance records. "They're slick. And they have the concessions all set and in place."
One of the few drawbacks to the April 27 card at the Convention Center, which Mesi capped by dispatching Jorge Luis Gonzalez in the fourth round--long lines at the concession stands. Even as Mesi made his pre-fight entrance, people waited for food and drink.
Tremblay said the concession problem at the Convention Center could be "easily fixed," and cited the event's large walk-up crowd as a major reason for the back-ups.
Seating capacity isn't a significant issue in the decision, Tremblay said, since either site can be configured to hold his target crowd of 10,000.
The Convention Center's main selling points--its proximity to Casino Niagara and the success of the April promotion, which drew 4,500 despite just three weeks of publicity and 11 days of ticket sales.
"They're terrific people to work with," Tremblay said of director Vern Giscomb and other Convention Center officials. "I feel almost morally obligated to give them first right of refusal." Tremblay, who expects to meet with Convention Center officials this week, also has looked at two smaller venues, the University at Buffalo's Alumni Arena and Memorial Arena in Niagara Falls, Ont. Alumni Arena figures into the mix if Tremblay decides not to take the weather gamble that comes with an outdoor show, but still wants to stage the fight closer to Buffalo. Memorial Arena's candidacy would get a huge boost if Canadian officials insist on staging the fight on their side of the river as a condition of sponsorship by Casino Niagara.
Tremblay is angling to land a deal with ESPN2's Friday Night Fights series for the card, which originally was slated for July but could be pushed into August. Another successful fight card, this one carrying national television exposure, wouldn't save Niagara Falls.
But it would represent the sort of "good news" city officials crave and show that the April event wasn't a fluke, providing further proof that doing something right in Niagara Falls isn't impossible.
Last time around, City Hall and the Convention and Visitors Bureau remained blissfully unaware of the earlier promotion until days before the fight.
"That's a private promotion," said a CVB operative in the week before the fight. "We don't have anything to do with that."
Mayor Irene Elia can't ignore something with this much potential again. The city may not be in financial shape to serve as a sponsor, but it can offer to assist with support services, like security.
Tremblay hopes to solidify the site selection within the next week or two, so time is a major factor. This is a perfect opportunity for Herroner to put aside her bizarre vendetta against the Convention Center's operators, Niagara Falls Redevelopment, and do something--anything--to help.
Even if it's just holding hands.
Mesi's thumb, which he cracked while sparring before the Gonzalez fight, played a role in pushing back a bout with Ruddock. While Mesi was able to chop down the 6-foot-7 Gonzalez while essentially fighting with one hand, he'll need all his weapons to overcome Ruddock. The man best known for his two losses to Mike Tyson has slipped from his days as a legitimate title contender, but remains a dangerous puncher with a cement chin.
Tremblay also is working to build the market for an eventual Mesi-Ruddock match by including both fighters on the next card.
Tremblay has been negotiating with five possible opponents for Mesi, but wouldn't identify them beyond saying they're "Top 25-type guys."
Looking at the World Boxing Council's Top 30, you can wipe out most of the first dozen or so, since they're within range of a title shot and would have little to gain by fighting the lower-ranked Mesi. Mesi was ranked No. 30 in the WBC's March rankings, but fell out of the April list, compiled before his win over Gonzalez.
The same goes for guys like No. 15 Michael Grant, who was undefeated before being destroyed by former champion Lennox Lewis. And if Mesi's not ready for Ruddock, it wouldn't make much sense to put him in with someone at least equally dangerous.
A couple of somewhat intriguing former titleholders are in the rankings--No. 14 Oliver McCall and No. 26 Tim Witherspoon.
Though McCall may have the best nickname in boxing, the Atomic Bull is best remembered for his emotional breakdown against Lewis in their second fight. But in a little over four years since becoming the first fighter to lose a heavyweight title bout for crying in the ring, McCall has run off a string of wins over non-entities and reached the brink of the Top 10.
Under different circumstances, he would seem a logical step between Gonzalez and Ruddock. His erratic reputation hardly makes him a marketing bonanza, though, and the downside of losing to McCall would outweigh the potential benefit of beating him for Mesi.
At 43, Witherspoon's power, never overwhelming, has long since faded, but he offers solid skills and 22 years of experience. After a streak of five losses and a draw from 1997-99, though, Witherspoon has returned to the rankings with three straight wins. But while Witherspoon could provide Mesi with some seasoning, it wouldn't do a whole lot for the Tonawanda heavyweight's credibility outside Western New York.
The only other fighters in the Top 30 with much name value are No. 20 Frans Botha, who gave Mike Tyson trouble before getting knocked out, and No. 27 Shannon Briggs, who is 3-2-1 since beating George Foreman in 1998.
Lawrence Clay-Bey, who beat Mesi in two of three Olympic qualifier fights to earn the super-heavyweight berth on the United States team in 1996, replaced him at No. 30. But Clay-Bey finally has shaken the series of injuries that plagued his pro career and a bout with Mesi makes more sense down the road.
A 10-fight card is scheduled for Hyde Park at 4 p.m. on June 2, featuring two fighters from the Niagara PAL boxing program that produced middleweight Tommy Huff. Huff made his pro debut on the Mesi-Gonzalez undercard.
Super-heavyweight Lorenzo Davis returns to the ring for his first bout in a year, while light-heavyweight Mike Parker is set for his first amateur fight. Boxers from Rochester, Buffalo, Canada and Niagara County round out the card arranged by Lew Ciavaglia, head of the PAL boxing program and the trainer for Huff, Davis and Parker.
Tremblay met with Huff and Ciavaglia last week to discuss appearing on the next Mesi undercard. Huff rallied from a first-round knockdown in April, but lost a unanimous decision to Ian Gardner.
A week later, the Western Region qualifiers for the Empire State Games are scheduled for the Adelphia Golf Dome. This card includes several fighters from Casal's School of Fighting Arts, including promising middleweight Nick Casal.