Golden Gloves Regional Boxing Tournament Returns Thursday, Three Local Fighters in the Ring

Three boxers from Pasadena’s Villa Parke Boxing Program will compete against top amateur fighters from across Southern California when the 2026 Golden Gloves Regional Boxing Tournament opens Thursday at Victory Park Recreation Center.

The four-day tournament, hosted by the City of Pasadena’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department in partnership with California Golden Gloves, marks at least the second consecutive year Pasadena has served as the site for the Southern California regional competition, according to a city press release issued March 9. Marvin Gomez, Fatima Martinez, and Adriana Nuñez will represent the Villa Parke program — a community boxing institution with roots dating to the 1940s that now counts more than 300 active members, according to a 2025 report by the Pasadena Star-News. Winners of the regional tournament advance to the California Golden Gloves State Championships, also scheduled for Victory Park on April 11 and 12.

The Golden Gloves is one of amateur boxing’s most recognized competition pathways, tracing its origins to a 1923 Chicago Tribune-sponsored tournament. The organization’s alumni include Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Oscar De La Hoya.

The Villa Parke Boxing Program, based at the Villa Parke Community Center at 363 E. Villa St., operates under the direction of coach Fausto De La Torre, who has led the program for nearly three decades. The program has produced two Olympic try-out representatives and currently fields 12 elite boxers who compete at regional, state, and national levels, according to coverage by Pasadena Now.

“We’ve noticed quite the increase in demand for the boxing program and the success of most recently held the Golden Gloves tournament where we doubled the number of participants in that tournament,” Koko Panossian, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, said in August 2025, according to Pasadena Now.

The tournament features male and female athletes ages 18 and older competing in Olympic-style bouts sanctioned by USA Boxing. Competition begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, and again at 6 p.m. Friday, March 13. Bouts resume at noon Saturday, March 14, with final bouts at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15.

General admission tickets are available at the door on tournament days only. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 10 and under. Victory Park Recreation Center is located at 2575 Paloma St. For more information, contact the City Service Center at (626) 744-7311 or visit CityOfPasadena.net.

The state championships in April will bring regional winners from across California back to Victory Park, with state champions advancing to the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.