This past weekend, Championing Mental Health and Bash Boxing hosted an event at the Ace* Mission Studios in Los Angeles, CA, headlined by the WBC cruiserweight title fight rematch between Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelian. Although there weren’t many expectations leading up to the event regarding presentation, I left the venue on Saturday impressed with the event from the moment the doors opened through the fight card playing out.
Pulling up to the event, the venue was a studio located in an industrial area, so there weren’t many people around besides those attending. When I walked to the door, the first thing that caught my attention was the gold-colored Rolls Royce Phantom parked by the entrance. It was a marketing vehicle for a lawyer’s office, and it did its job by grabbing my attention.
Once inside, to the left, there were a few bars set up with TV screens so you wouldn’t miss the action while getting a beverage or snacks, which was pretty convenient. Then, as I found my seat on media row, I noticed the big screen near the fighter’s entrance into the venue. In front of that was a whole section marked as the VIP area. This VIP area was truly that—since instead of chairs, there were white couches, giving the area an elevated status.
The sound and lighting were good, and I was curious about the patio area of the venue. I noticed a red-carpet setup for VIPs in attendance. Opposite that were a Mexican Food Truck and four tents selling Mexican dishes. Those were a hit, as throughout the night, the lines did not seem to go down.
Aside from those points, the event’s pacing was excellent. It was one fight after another, and when some time needed to be filled, instead of the hosts talking, they had a swing bout fill in the time. Also, it was a big fight card, so five or six of the fights took place after the main event, so those watching at home weren’t waiting until 2 am to see Mikaelian beat Jack by unanimous decision.
For a company like Championing Mental Health to host a smooth event like Saturday’s, their second one, is impressive. It’s always encouraging when the venue is about 80% full by the sound of the first bell. It indicates that the attendees are invested in all of the fighters. So, let’s see what Championing Mental Health has planned for 2026. If they keep up the momentum from Saturday’s event, the future looks bright for them.
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