SCRANTON -- The Mall at Steamtown in Scranton is being turned into a fight club this weekend. It's all for the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves, an amateur boxing organization that's bringing its tournament to the food court at the mall Saturday night.
"I'm really thrilled to see it kicking off. It's really happening in Scranton, live boxing in the Mall at Steamtown!" said PA Golden Gloves franchise owner Doug Long.
Long said soon the second floor of The Mall at Steamtown will look more like Las Vegas than a shopping mall food court in Scranton.
Workers started the process of turning the food court at The Mall at Steamtown into a boxing ring less than 36 hours before the PA Golden Gloves boxing event begins.
"It's the most unique spot I've ever had in my whole life of promoting. It really, really is," Long added.
Long told Newswatch 16 that most of his events in recent years have been held outside of downtown Scranton. He spent months mapping out the mall's food court planning boxing's return to the Electric City.
The food court has space for about 1,000 seats, and based off of ticket sales so far, organizers expect that many people.
Aptly named Rocky Marzan will fight in his first Golden Gloves event this weekend, fulfilling somewhat of a childhood dream for the Scranton native.
"I think it's a smart move because it's right in the middle of downtown and a lot of fighters wanted to fight in their hometown and this is the perfect location, especially with the mall's situation and it's going to bring a lot of people," Marzan said.
During the event Saturday evening, Golden Gloves will announce plans to fight in the food court again.
"The mall could definitely be a place where boxing is brought back, definitely," Marzan added.