When Mark Ibanez Sr.’s family met to decide a location for their late father’s celebration of life, one place seemed particularly fitting.
The Waianae Boxing Gym.
So, Saturday between 1 and 10 p.m., family, friends and fans will gather to remember the former pro and amateur boxing champion at a place where he dedicated nearly 20 years to the sport.
“We thought that was an appropriate place,” his son, Mark Jr., said. “They used to say that once he went to the gym, he just fell in love with it.”
Ibanez Sr., 61, died April 29 in Las Vegas, where he had been living after his retirement as a city bus driver, the family said.
“My father loved boxing,” Mark Jr. said. “His kids were everything to him. He was a very loving father. He was always telling jokes and had a great sense of humor. I never saw him mad. He will be truly missed.”
Ibanez was one of the stars of Fred Perreira’s perennially powerful Waianae Boxing Club, winning several state titles in the 1970s, including the highly competitive 139-pound division in 1975.
Ibanez, who gained a reputation for punishing body punches, turned pro in 1978 and fought several main and semi-main events at Blaisdell Center and also appeared in Las Vegas.
At one point, Ibanez won 12 consecutive matches on the way to compiling a 19-4 record with 16 knockouts, topped off by holding the Hawaii Super Lightweight championship. He stopped Manuel Mendoza with a fourth-round technical knockout in 1983 to win the title.
One of his most memorable fights was a 10-round loss to Bruce Curry by decision in 1981. Curry went on to win the World Boxing Council Super Lightweight title 18 months later.
