Fenway Park will host a boxing event for the first time since June of 1956.
Nolan Brothers Boxing take the ambitious leap as the regional Boston-based promotion looks to host an ambitious card on Saturday at the historic ballpark.
Behind the project is Matt Nolan, a schoolteacher who began teaching at the age of 21 and runs Nolan Brothers Boxing with his brother, Mark, who is also a teacher. The two boxed as amateurs and transitioned into running a gym. They built fighters up in the amateurs and then, when some turned professional, they started a promotion to get fighters established. That journey started a year ago and now they have six professional cards in one calendar year.
“We started at Royale Night Club, and throughout the '80s it was the Roxy, and that's where the Cappiello Brothers would always host shows. As a kid, that's where I would go,” Matt told BoxingScene. “So, we had a bit of a renaissance there, where we put on these shows that felt a lot more like you would see at a smaller venue.”
The decision to become a promoter was simple. ”As we were transitioning these guys from amateurs to professionals, we just didn't love the dynamic between the manager-boxer side and the promotional side,” Nolan said.
In conversation with friends about future venues for upcoming fights, some regional venues came up, and then so did Fenway Park concourse. Fenway Park is the home of the Boston Red Sox, a Major League Baseball team.
“Fenway hasn't had fights since 1956; they were very risk-averse,” Nolan explained. “They didn't even want to do pro wrestling. But part of it was just the conversation. I know there were a few promoters who tried to do shows at Fenway and were close. I think the biggest part is, after meeting us, it sounds really self-congratulatory, but they liked us.”
Nolan and his brother, who showed up to the meeting with those in charge in tracksuits from the schools, got the clearance to hold a show.
“And I thought, if we're going to take over, this is how we take over,” Nolan said. “So, we put our eggs in one basket and decided to shoot for the moon, and the Fenway group, there are two young people at the helm, and they love it, and they're excited about it.”
