Catching up with: Roy Englebrecht

Tony Altobelli

Contrary to popular belief, a majority of boxing fans are not in

favor of second-round knockouts, ear-biting, chair-throwing or the rest

of the childish foolishness that has been commonplace in their sport as

of late.

They like evenly-matched competitors duking it out, toe to toe until

one reigns supreme, like the sport was intended to be.

That’s where the expertise of boxing promoter Roy Englebrecht comes

into play. In a sport as unpredictable as Don King’s hairstyle during a

Santa Ana wind storm, Englebrecht’s knowledge of sports management and

quality business sense has allowed boxing to grow in popularity

throughout Southern California.

It started in 1985 when Englebrecht was the Director of Operations for

promoter Don Fraser. “We competed at the Irvine Marriott and called it,

‘The Battle in the Ballroom,’ ” Englebrecht said. “Fraser retired in

1990, I bought his portion of the company and we’ve been keeping it going

ever since.”

Now nearing its second decade, the Newport Beach-based Roy Englebrecht

Promotions has branched out from the ballroom to the Arrowhead Pond of

Anaheim and beyond.

“Any business to last for 17 years is a success story,” Englebrecht

said. “To last 17 years in the boxing business is phenomenal. Not

everyone is a boxing fan like baseball, basketball or football, so the

fans we do have, we have to take care of them.”

It’s that “fans first” mentality which has kept Englebrecht’s monthly

boxing showcase a smashing success.

“I haven’t raised my ticket prices in six years at the Irvine

Marriott,” Englebrecht proudly said. “There isn’t a lot of integrity in

boxing these days, so if you can show the fans that you truly care, it

really makes a difference.”

At the Pond, Englebrecht took over for Forum Boxing and has seen

immediate results.

“We moved the venue from Monday nights to Thursday nights and the

attendance has doubled,” Englebrecht said. “There are ways of making

money and not sticking it to the fans, especially in boxing.”

Englebrecht moved to Corona del Mar from New Jersey in 1972 and

watched his two kids, Allison and Drew, graduate from Corona del Mar

High. “I was a football public address announcer and a volleyball

announcer for four years,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

Boxing was not the only sporting endeavor Englebrecht has been

involved with. He was the Executive Vice President of the Rancho

Cucamonga Quakes (Formerly the San Bernardino Spirit) as well as the

Senior Vice President of the Arena Football’s Anaheim Piranhas.

“My only regret of buying one minor league baseball team is that I

didn’t buy five or six,” Englebrecht said. “Back in the late 1980s, the

cost of a baseball team is a heck of a lot cheaper than it is today,

that’s for sure.”

In addition to boxing, Englebrecht also throws his hat into the sports

broadcasting arena. He is the founder of Sportscasters Camp of America,

which kicks off its 17th annual get-together July 11-15 in Long Beach.

“These past 17 years have been just phenomenal,” Englebrecht said.

“We’ve had the who’s who of sportscasters come to our camp as guest

speakers. People like Bob Miller, Roy Firestone, Chick Hearn, Bob Costas,

even former President Ronald Reagan. There have been a ton of success

stories from campers turned professional sportscasters, which is very

exciting.”

However, both endeavors are tough to juggle at the same time so

Englebrecht has entertained thoughts of handing the SCA reins off to a

couple of former alumni to take over the day-to-day operations..

“I haven’t been giving the SCA it’s deserved attention,” Englebrecht

said. “I’ve thought about selling. It’s a possibility.”

Not only devoted to his businesses, Englebrecht teaches sports

management classes at the University of San Francisco as well as Long

Beach State, in addition to various church activities he shares with his

wife, Nancy.

“I’ve been blessed to be able to work for so many years in the world

of sports,” Englebrecht said. “Teaching allows me an opportunity to give

something back. God has truly blessed me and my family.”