The Rolling Stones Were Here: Final Roseland Ballroom DiBella Boxing Card Close To Sold Out
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
DiBella Entertainment hosts its final boxing shoe ever at Roseland Ballroom on Wednesday Evening, February 12, 2014, before Roseland is demolished in March 2014 to make room for a skyscraper. Formerly Roseland Dance City, Roseland is a multipurpose hall in a converted ice rink on West 52nd Street in New York City. Roseland can accommodate 3200 people standing, with an additional 300 people upstairs. According to a DiBella Entertainment spokesperson, the event’s standing room is nearly sold out for the last show.
I remembered seeing Kevin Rooney Jr. knock out of Elmer Vera at Roseland. Rooney, currently the Director of Marketing and Promotions at DiBella Entertainment, had a professional record of 4-2 fighting as a light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight in 2011 and 2012. His dad, ex-Mike Tyson trainer Kevin Rooney, was also seen at Roseland from time to time.
One of the most controversial bout outcomes this reporter saw was Pawel Wolak’s ten round draw with Delvin Rodriguez in July 2011, seen from the upper balcony with a mob of cheering Polish boxing fans for Wolak waving the national flag of Poland. More interesting was watching former WBA World Light Middleweight champion Yuri Foreman’s comeback bouts with Gundrick King and Jamaal Davis at Roseland in 2013.
Often the bout cards at Roseland were broadcast on tape delay. Amazingly, reporters on the side stage had relatively good views of the ring. At times, Roseland was still a tightly secured setup, making photography difficult as the ring had restricted access and the lighting was not bright for photographers at this venue. Considering the number of live concerts held at Roseland, the venue has always been run well.
Roseland was a great social spot for fighters and boxing fans alike, particularly on the stage side of the ring, where a who’s who of boxing past, present and future liked to congregate. The boxing shows at Roseland were always too exciting to waste time at the bar or going to the downstairs bathrooms.
Roseland Ballroom’s current version opened on West 52nd Street in 1922, and survived roller skating, the disco era and a lot more. Performers from Lady Gaga to Madonna to Kurt Kobain to Beyonce to Guns N’ Roses have performed there. The Rolling Stones performed at Roseland in 2002 during their Licks Tour.
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