Boston, MA
Brothers bring boxing back to Fenway after 70 years and hope to revitalize the sport in Boston – The Boston Globe
“Most people’s experience there is solely related to baseball,” said Richard Johnson, Fenway expert and curator at The Sports Museum in Boston. “But the fact is that this year, you can see an event that’ll be very similar to what your grandparents saw.”
Promoters Mark and Matt Nolan want “Fight Night at Fenway,” scheduled for Saturday, to be both a time capsule and time machine, taking spectators back to boxing’s glory days and what the sport can be for the city in the future.
The Nolans got their license to organize fights last year with the goal of bringing boxing back to Boston. After Fenway, “That’s mission accomplished,” Matt Nolan said.
“It’s not just like our dream, it’s everybody’s dream — every boxer on planet Earth,” he said. “Just the idea that some kid can fight his way to Fenway Park. It’s like hitting the lottery. You can’t you can’t beat it. There’s nothing comparable.”
Boston has played a long and impressive role in American boxing history and the development of the sport itself, said Johnson, author of “Field of Our Fathers, An Illustrated History of Fenway Park.”
The city was home to “Boston’s Strong Boy,” John L. Sullivan, born in 1858 to Irish immigrant parents and widely considered America’s first sports superstar. The first heavyweight champion of the world, he was as famous as Muhammad Ali was in his time.
Sam Langford, a Black Canadian-born boxer, moved to Boston as a teenager but was blocked from competing in the world championships by racist policies and is considered one of the greatest non-champions in boxing.
Other boxing stars with Boston connections include Marvin Hagler and Rocky Marciano of nearby Brockton. ”The Boston Bomber” Tony DeMarco, whose statue raises his fists at passersby in Boston’s North End, was the last fighter to win in the ring at Fenway in 1956.
For a time after it was built, Fenway Park was the only outdoor venue with a significant seating capacity in Boston, making it a destination for all kinds of events, including boxing starting in 1920.
After new owners took over in 2002, the park became a venue for a variety of activities, including concerts and sporting events such as hockey, snowboarding, Irish football and curling.
“Back in the day, it was sort of the Swiss Army knife of sports facilities in Boston. And it’s returned to that — a little bit of everything. So, returning boxing to the park is just a nod to the past,” Johnson said.
Other venues can feel “more corporate and sterile,” but Fenway is living history, said Johnson, who calls it the “largest open-air museum in New England.”
Mark Nolan said it’s not for lack of trying that no one has hosted a boxing fight at Fenway in almost 70 years. But many promoters couldn’t make a pitch that landed with ballpark management.
The Nolans, who teach full time and own a boxing gym in Waltham where people can train regardless of their ability to pay, were different. After success hosting events at other venues, Mark Nolan said Fenway Sports Group connected to their “everyman” appeal and decided to give them a shot.
The brothers fell in love with boxing while accompanying their father, a boat captain, to the gym as kids.
When they expanded from coaching amateur boxers to professionals five years ago, they were dismayed by what they found: shows full of uneven fights set up to make the promoters as much money as possible, with established amateurs fighting people who “have no right putting gloves on in any capacity whatsoever” in venues like high school gymnasiums. Fighters weren’t being paid fairly and contracts weren’t transparent.
They came up with a simple business plan: pick good venues, pay fighters well and only host matches in Boston proper. They said a lot of promoters sell fighters, but they’re focused on selling fights fans want to see.
“They’re making sure that every fight is well-matched,” said Thomas “The Kid” O’Toole, a fighter from rural Galway, Ireland, who has lived in Boston for the past two years, “Nobody wants to see someone go in and just knock their opponent out right away and beat them up for four, six, eight rounds. They want to see a competitive fight.”
O’Toole went professional in 2021 and is undefeated with 13 fights. He said his fight against St. Louis-born Vaughn “Da Animal” Alexander at Fenway will be “the biggest test of his career.”
Massachusetts-born Lexi “Lil Savage” Bolduc will compete in her fourth professional fight. She faces Sarah Couillard in a rematch after coming out on the losing end of a majority draw at the Royale.
“Fighting at Fenway, I think adds a little bit of pressure because I’m local, I grew up in Mass and idolized a lot of players as I was growing up. … But at the same time, I’m trying to use it just as a huge opportunity and really soak in the moment,” she said. ”Pressure makes diamonds.
“To be able to kind of stand on that same ground of some of the most accomplished athletes, it’s really remarkable,” she said.
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins said Thursday they are retiring Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 as part of a ceremony next season.
The date will be shared later, following the NHL schedule release that is expected next month.
Bergeron is set to join fellow 2011 Stanley Cup champion Zdeno Chara with his number in the rafters. Bergeron, when it happens, will be the 14th player to have his number retired by the storied franchise.
He spent his entire 19-year career in the league with the Bruins, playing 1,464 games counting the regular season and playoffs. That included the title run in 2011 and more trips to the final in ’13 and ’19.
“Patrice was the kind of rare, generational talent that every team wanted,” owner Jeremy Jacobs said in a statement. “He was a deftly skilled playmaker and the undeniable greatest defensive forward in the NHL’s history. But it was the leadership he provided on the ice and in the locker room that made him truly stand apart and an all-time legend of the Boston Bruins.”
Bergeron succeeded Chara as captain in 2020 and served three seasons in that role before retiring. He called this an honor that is difficult to put into words.
“When I arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, I could never have imagined receiving this recognition one day,” Bergeron said. “I have always believed that any success I had was only possible because of the people around me. I was fortunate to play alongside incredible teammates, learn from outstanding coaches and staff and be supported by an organization that believed in me from the very beginning.”
Craig Ferguson set out on foot from Los Angeles with a remarkable goal: to walk 3,500 miles across America. It took him 109 days.
Last week, I had the privilege of joining him for his final steps into Boston. In those first moments after completing his journey, I asked him what the experience had been like. Without hesitation, he called it the hardest thing he had ever done.
What began as a mission to raise money for SAMH, a Scottish charity that provides mental health and social care support, became something far greater. Along the way, Craig inspired thousands of people and helped raise more than $1 million. His arrival in Boston also came amid the excitement surrounding Scotland’s appearance in the World Cup, giving his home country even more reason to celebrate.
Craig’s commitment to mental health advocacy is perhaps best expressed in his own words: “Mental health doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. It can meet you along the road, sometimes when you least expect it.”
Those words resonate deeply with me. I was raised by a mother who faced significant mental health challenges, and I know firsthand how important support systems can be for individuals and families. Organizations like SAMH provide hope when people need it most. Equally important is continuing to normalize conversations about mental health and recognizing that it is a health issue that touches every community and every walk of life.
There are countless routes Craig could have taken and many cities where he could have chosen to conclude this extraordinary journey. The fact that he finished in Boston is something we should be proud of.
Boston has always been a city defined by resilience, compassion, and perseverance. Those qualities are why “Boston Strong” means so much to so many people. Craig Ferguson may be Scottish by birth, but through his determination, his generosity, and his commitment to helping others, he has embodied that spirit.
As we welcome him to our beautiful and sports-loving city, we thank him for reminding us that even the longest journeys begin with a single step, and that no one should have to walk through life’s struggles alone.
Craig Ferguson is Boston Strong.
Anne Brensley is the Republican-endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
“Leave your car at home, and take the T,” said Deirdre Habershaw, MBTA’s deputy chief operating officer, at a press conference held at Seaport.
Six more tall ships are expected than the number that came during the last Tall Sail Boston event in June 2017. Boston is the tour’s last port after it stops at New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, and New York City.
Organizers expect the visitors to gather along the waterfront throughout the week, but anticipate the highest number on July 11 for the Parade of Sail, the event’s centerpiece.
During it, dozens of vessels enter Boston Harbor in a coordinated procession. The USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and the U.S Coast Guard’s Eagle, the training vessel used to train future Coast Guard officers, will lead the fleet. They’ll be followed by ships representing countries like Argentina, Colombia, India, Italy, Portugal, and Uruguay, celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary by making it a global gathering.
Along with increased subway service that day, there will also be shuttle connections linking major lines to waterfront access points, transit officials said. Dedicated shuttle services will be provided from the Red Line’s JFK/UMass station to the Castle Island parking lot and from the Orange Line’s Sullivan station to the Charlestown Navy Yard.
“On July 11, all ferries will be suspended to accommodate the security infrastructure within the harbor,” Habershaw said. “All ferry routes will operate on normal schedules from July 12 through the 16th.”
A key infrastructure addition this year is the deployment of temporary dock extensions at multiple waterfront points, including near the courthouse dock area and behind Leader Bank Pavilion.
“We’re putting a large system to extend it to accommodate more tall ships in the harbor,” said David Choate, director of operations of Sail Boston, adding that the construction of said docks starts next week.
Boston Police Superintendent Lanita Cullinane said that all laws will be enforced throughout the event, including bans on open containers, public alcohol consumption, marijuana use, drones, and oversized bags in viewing areas.
Sail Boston will be on both land and at sea, so security personnel will include city and state officers, as well as the Boston Police Department’s harbor unit.
“There’s going to be some things that we have to do to cater it to the different areas where the events are taking place,” Cullinane said during an interview after the conference.
Nick Gove, chief of streets for the City of Boston, said during the event that there will be temporary road closures along the waterfront in the North End, South Boston, East Boston, and the Navy Yard in Charlestown. He recommended that residents who live near the waterfront review the closures on event days.
“Public works and transportation team will provide supplemental sanitation services, parking enforcement, and traffic management to help keep our streets clean, safe, and efficient,” Gove said.
This year, a major digital component will support crowd control: a dedicated mobile application that will provide real-time updates on ship locations, boarding schedules, transit conditions, and crowd density indicators. The app went live on Wednesday.
“If we know, for example, Commonwealth Pier is very crowded, but Charlestown Navy Yard is not, we would put that sort of public-facing information up to direct people where they don’t have to wait,” Choate said during an interview.
Visitors will have the opportunity to tour many of the vessels for free during the week, although boarding procedures and availability will vary by ship. Many of the larger vessels will dock in and around the Seaport, including near Fan Pier and the Boston Fish Pier, making the neighborhood the center of activity during the celebration.
“We are prepared for all of the events that are taking place over the summer,” Cullinane said. “And we’ll continue to operate as we have been.”
Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com.
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