The climax of the first Rocky movie was set in Philadelphia's Spectrum Arena, but it wasn't filmed there. Instead, Sylvester Stallone and company filmed the historic bout between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed at one of America's forgotten jewels of the sport: Los Angeles's Grand Olympic Auditorium.
Initially, the plan was for the new auditorium to be built in 90 days, but after breaking ground on 1801 South Grand Avenue in January 1925, construction slowed until it was completed on August 5, 1925. The arena still smelled new as it promptly hosted its first boxing match that very night. With a listed capacity just north of 10,400, more than 15,000 crammed into the new arena. Reporters swooned over its spaciousness, stating that it was like Pittsburgh's Exposition Park, only with a roof. In fact, it was the largest indoor venue in America.
From the start, Hollywood stars of the era flocked to the arena, with the likes of Mae West, Lupe Velez, Charlie Murray and Dave Butler regularly gracing its premises. With so many famous people adoring it, it only made sense that the Grand Olympic Auditorium hosted training and competitions for the 1932 Olympics.
Soon, the world came to know its grandeur as athletes from around the globe competed in boxing, wrestling and weight lifting matches. In 1936, the Grand Olympic Auditorium had welcomed more guests than Chicago Stadium and Madison Square Garden combined. What's more, it had welcomed twice as many as the Hollywood Legion Stadium, its main rival in that era.
The arena gained historic status when it hosted a fight between the boxer Pio Pico and the wrestler Nick Lutze on May 16, 1937. It was an idea that's never really died and was immortalized in Rocky III.
The venue dubbed "the Mecca of Boxing" enjoyed its heyday during the 1960's and '70's, routinely drawing large crowds to major boxing and wrestling events. Local favorite "Irish" Jerry Quarry practically made his home there, fighting the likes of George Johnson (thrice), John Henry Jackson, Lance Holmberg, Dave Centi, Willie Davis, Ray Junior Ellis (twice), Al Carter, Tony Doyle, Roy Crear, Prentice Snipes, Eddie Machen, Bill Nielsen, Joey Orbillo, Brian London, Alex Miteff and Floyd Paterson from 1966 through 1970.
With a low budget in hand and a tight window to shoot, Sylvester Stallone and his crew flew to California to film the first fight between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed. While teh venue was shown as the Spectrum to viewers, the historic "bout" was held in the premier boxing venue of the era. In many ways, it was its last hurrah.
But not quite. By the mid-1980's, it was clear that not even the Roller Games' Los Angeles Thunderbirds could save the arena and it closed due to dwindling attendance while pro wrestling and boxing looked to other markets to expand their brands. Still, it was good enough to shoot movies and music videos. Raging Bull filmed there in 1980. Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Living on a Prayer were filmed there in 1986 as was Kiss's "Crazy Nights" (1987) and Janet Jackson's "Control" (1987).
The arena reopened in 1993 with a capacity shrunk to just 7,300.for Oscar De La Hoya to fight Timmy Bredahl within its confines in 1994. From then on a new era had emerged. Rage Against the Machine's final concert was held there in September 2000.
By 2005, the building was again vacant when a Korean-American Christian church bought the building. Today, the Glory Church of Jesus worships there, in the Mecca of Boxing
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