Araneta Coliseum and link to Philippine history

Last week, we wrote about the spectacular victory of China’s Li Na in the Australian Open and how her performance should serve to further popularize tennis not just in China but in Asia as well. We stated that just as Li is now tennis’ hottest property, Manny Pacquiao continues to be boxing’s poster boy despite the presence of Floyd Mayweather Jr and other boxers who have made some impact on the sport.

We also featured the short visit of Shane Mosley to Manila and how it sparked a flurry of activities among boxing enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who want to be part of a boxing promotion in May being put together by American lawyer Sydney Hall, business agent with Filipino roots, Germaine Gilles and British promoter Dennis Hobson. The visit of Mosley was precisely to create some hoopla for an international boxing card that is scheduled to be held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on May 25, a Sunday. The idea is to air the main fights on evening prime time in the US live while the fight is held in the morning in Manila.

Mosley’s itinerary was packed (a fact that left him in somewhat of a daze): a press conference, one-on-one interviews, a walk in a mall, a visit to the 2014 World Slasher Cup 8-Cock Invitational Derby at the SMART Araneta Coliseum (where the huge crowd chanted “Mosley! Mosley!” to the former world champion’s delight and surprise) and a short stop at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. In addition to these activities, Mosley and his entourage met with Araneta Group head Jorge (Nene) Araneta prior to going to the Slasher Cup, to start preliminary discussions on the Big Dome hosting the boxing extravaganza. The whole promotion is organized by the United Boxing Relief Fund to raise funds for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda and other calamities.

In Mosley’s brief visit at Araneta’s office at the Aurora Tower, a stone’s throw from the Big Dome, the history of the coliseum dating from 1958 and the day it opened (March 16, 1960) featuring the world junior lightweight championship between challenger Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and American defending champion Harold Gomes. Elorde decked Gomes seven times to win before a delirious crowd that packed the Big Dome.

The group reminisced about the “Thrilla in Manila” of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier held in Manila on October 1, 1975 (but shown live on American television at 7 p.m. on September 30, 1975). Of course, as pointed out by Araneta, Mosley was “probably just a toddler then.” Fact is, Mosley was just four years old when the “Thrilla” took place having been born on September 7, 1971.

In July 1999, after years of planning, the Big Dome was renovated at a cost of P200 million (the original estimate was about P140 million). The Big Dome’s inaugural show featured Nora Aunor and had then Vice President Gloria Arroyo as special guest of Aunor.

The primary consultant Araneta commissioned to oversee the major refurbishing which included renovation of the lower box and patron areas and changes in the pitch (distance between rows) of the seats and upgrading of comfort rooms was Denzel Skinner, an American who had worked on other major public assembly facilities in the States.

Around the time the renovation was being planned, around August-September 1998,  discussions were underway with Pilipinas Shell for what would have been the first naming rights deal of a public assembly facility in the Philippines. We were in the middle of the negotiations talking to then Shell CEO, Oscar Reyes; Rey Gamboa and Ed Chua (who was then head of marketing of the oil company, and now CEO of Shell). The plan was to name the coliseum “Shell Coliseum at the Araneta Center” with the deal covering a period of 10 years.

The name was to be a compromise designed to give Shell substantial media values while maintaining the family name “Araneta” in deference to the patriarch of the Aranetas, J. Amado Araneta who built up the 35-hectare property a few years after purchasing the land in 1958 and had the coliseum built as the centerpiece of development. At the last minute, the deal was shelved and its place the Shell logo was painted on the Big Dome hard court.

A lot of work had gone into the discussions with Shell which was actually preceded by our sending proposals to some 15 of the country’s largest marketing-oriented companies which included PLDT. Shell examined the proposal seriously and got approval from head office for the novel (as far as Shell was concerned) arrangement.

The rest is history. The Big Dome with its deep connection to Philippine history its 40,000 square meters of land area (covered area of 23,000 square meters) remains the largest indoor facility in this part of the world with a dome diameter of 108 meters and still the preferred venue for major sports events.

Next week, we continue with “Game for Life”.