HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

166

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HAWAII BOXING COMMISSION AND OTHER RELATED PARTIES, TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE BRINGING WORLD-CLASS BOXING EVENTS TO HAWAII.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, it is essential to Hawaii's economy that our visitor industry is reinvigorated, primarily by identifying and developing innovative tourism markets that permit Hawaii's visitor industry to develop and maintain a stronger competitive advantage; and

 

     WHEREAS, sports tourism includes both spectator and participant activities and attractions and is a rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry; and

 

     WHEREAS, the publicity and media exposure, including national and regional television broadcasts, that surround these major sports events is of enormous value to tourism promotion in general; and

 

     WHEREAS, these sporting events also provide business opportunities for local businesses and charitable contributions to our communities, including cash donations and personal visits by sports celebrities to hospitalized children; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii is an established sports destination, hosting, for instance, the Honolulu Marathon, the Ironman Triathlon, the National Football League Pro Bowl, and various Professional Golf Association events, bringing leisure and business visitors to Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, boxing is a popular sport in Hawaii, particularly when the participating boxers have local ties, such as Brian Viloria; and
     WHEREAS, Viloria's title defense held at the Blaisdell Center in 2009 generated a great deal of excitement and benefited other Hawaii boxers; and

 

     WHEREAS, Viloria has stated that he would like to fight in a double-card event alongside Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino professional boxer who also enjoys a strong following in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, Pacquiao's November 2009 boxing match, in which he won the World Boxing Organization world welterweight champion title, was held in Las Vegas and was widely viewed in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the possibility of holding similar boxing matches in Hawaii should be further pursued; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), in collaboration with the Hawaii Boxing Commission and other related parties, is requested to continue to pursue bringing world-class boxing events to Hawaii, and specifically, the possibility of holding a Manny Pacquiao boxing match in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that HTA, the Hawaii Boxing Commission, and other related parties are requested to:

 

     (1)  Explore the best possible venues for boxing events;

 

     (2)  Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of bringing such events to Hawaii, with a particular emphasis on marketing; and

 

     (3)  Assess the infrastructure required to hold boxing events in Hawaii;

 

and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that HTA is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaii Tourism Authority and Chairperson of the Hawaii Boxing Commission, Chief Executive Officer of Top Rank, and President of Golden Boy Promotions.

Report Title:

HTA; Boxing Commission; Boxing Events in Hawaii