Live boxing returned to the Electric City after many years on Saturday, March 19 in a very unconventional venue, breathing new life into a Scranton mall that many assumed had tapped out.
The Pennsylvania Golden Gloves held its Central District quarterfinals in the food court of The Mall at Steamtown, drawing close to 1,000 excited people around the Las Vegas-style ring. The PA Golden Gloves hadn’t held an event in Scranton since the state championship at Montage Mountain in 2002.
Starting with an undercard of young, up-and-coming boxers, a major highlight of the night was when Scranton’s own Rocky Marzan took on a more experienced opponent, Luis Morales, and won, the building echoing with jabs, blows, and cheers throughout the evening. Allentown native Jimmy Kelleher, who recently moved to Scranton to train at the Irish Boxing Club in Weston Field, beat Rasheed Johnson by technical knockout during the main event. The winners will advance to the semifinals in Hanover next month.
Following the success of this event, boxing is expected to return to the mall this summer.
