Originally established as a mineral hot springs destination in the early 1900s, the resort—also known as Massacre Canyon Inn (MCI)—was part of what was once referred to as Southern California’s “health belt,” drawing visitors from across the region to experience the reputed healing properties of the springs. In the 1920s, the Gilman family expanded the property into a prominent resort featuring a 27-hole golf course, horse stables, tennis courts and a range of recreational amenities.

By the late 1960s, the resort started a boxing training camp that attracted both rising talent and some of the most recognized names in the sport.

This past week, Golden Era Productions welcomed back former boxer Lester Smith, who trained at the Gilman Resort from 1968 to 1970 during the early years of his middleweight career. Introduced to boxing by his stepfather, Stan Russell, Smith began his journey at the Gilman training camp, which featured extensive facilities including a boxing ring, steam baths, exercise equipment, running trails through the foothills, guest cottages and a full-service dining room complete with a bar and coffee shop.

Smith recalled the demanding daily routine of the fighters: rising at daybreak for a six-mile run, followed by intensive training in the ring throughout the day. He also remembered the presence of notable figures in the sport, including Ken Norton, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and brothers Mike Quarry and Jerry Quarry. Smith noted that he narrowly missed meeting Muhammad Ali, who visited the camp while Smith was away in Las Vegas.

Weekend visitors included renowned sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, who interviewed fighters ahead of major bouts. Smith also recalled that the masseuse for boxing legend Joe Louis was available at the steam baths following rigorous training sessions.

Motivated by a desire to revisit the place where his boxing career began, Smith returned to the property—now extensively renovated and transformed into a modern, international production facility where audiovisual content is created for the Churches of Scientology. His visit highlights the continuity of the site, which has evolved from a destination for health and athletic training into a center for creative production.

During his tour, Smith was shown the location of the original boxing ring, now repurposed as a Foreign Recording Studio in the Audio Building. He immediately recognized the area, recalling its proximity to the foothills. He also revisited the former MCI dining room, expressing admiration for its updated design and décor.

The visit concluded with lunch at the property’s historic Tavern, which retains its original name. Reflecting on the experience, Smith remarked, “How fortunate the staff are to live and work at Golden Era.”

A representative of Golden Era Productions said visits such as Smith’s serve as a meaningful reminder of the property’s legacy. “It is always special to welcome back individuals who were part of this location’s history and to share how the site has been preserved and repurposed for a new era,” the representative said.

Both Smith and his guest expressed appreciation not only for the beauty of the facilities, but also for the warmth and hospitality extended by the staff.

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A great way to start 2020

The Herrera Brothers are at it again. While other kids were eating candy and playing Fortnite during winter vacation. The Herrera Brothers were running miles, hitting mitts, and sparing. All in preparation for the 2020 Silver Gloves regional championship. Winning this tournament would set them up for nationals. Which takes place later this month. However, they had to handle business in Compton CA,. Both boys had to face tough opponents that would challenge their cardio & technical skills. There were a lot of kids at this tournament which would give the Herrera brothers an opportunity to get a lot of rounds in. Both boys had to fight five different kids in their respective division and they did so with ease. 

In true Herrera Brothers fashion, they both stepped on the gas and never let up, proving to be the boxers with more energy and passion in the ring. Not only to the boys pour on an aggressive onslaught of strikes. They also possess very crisp technical abilities. They have excellent footwork, controlling the ring and finding great opportunities to strike. They do a great job forcing their opponents out of their comfort zone and making them fight the style of fight that the boys are comfortable in. They are also becoming really good at counter striking. A style of fighting that has always been a little on the dangerous side. 

It involves not being the aggressor and actually waiting for your opponent to strike. Then finding holes in their game and exposing it. Some of the best counter punches of all time include Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, and Conor Mcgregor (MMA). Often times these fighters don’t throw as many strikes in a round as others, however their punches land at a higher percentage and tend to deal much more damage.

Adding this to there game is going to be key for their next tournament. Where they will take on the other Regional Silver Gloves Winners and compete in the Silver Gloves National Championship. This fight will take place at the end of the month in Kansas and the boys will be representing the San Jacinto valley while they are there. This is just the beginning of their 2020 season and a great way to start. If they can beat the best of the best at Nationals the boys will be setting themselves up for a breakout year in 2020.

Various tournaments are on the horizon for the Herrera Brothers in 2020 including defending their Sugarburt title belts, Junior Olympic qualifiers, and independent tournaments held all around the country. On top of that, another Herrera Brother is coming on the scene. Ayden will be turning eight years old and start competing later this year. Keep at it, boys! Thank you for representing our valley with professionalism, class, and great boxing.

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Search: Your Silver Glove Regional Champs

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They Represent Hemet Across The Nation

They are known as “The Herrera Boys” all around the country. Adrian (5th grade) & Andrew (4th grade) attend Fruitvale elementary school. They both love to play basketball, soccer and ride their skateboards for fun, but that’s not why they are best known in town. They are famous amongst the boxing community. Both of them started boxing just two years ago, which when you put in perspective what they have accomplished as an amazing feat. Adrian is the number one ranked boxer in the country (9-10-year-old 60lb division) he is a four-time National Champion, So-Cal state champ, and a Junior Olympic Gold Medalist. His list of accolades is impressive, and he continues to dominate his competition.

His younger brother Andrew has his impressive resume. He is a Silver Gloves boxer, Jr Olympic Champ, and So-Cal state champ. Andrew is ranked number three in the nation in the 9-10-year-old 55-pound division. Andrew is adamant that he wants to be a professional boxer when he grows up, he already has a “There isn’t another option” mindset. The boys run three miles every day to stay in shape and keep their conditioning up. Other than that they spend two hours each day at Fight To Perfection boxing club in Riverside Ca. 

The furthest they have traveled for a boxing competition in Missouri, but have an event coming up in Louisiana soon. Their parents are proud of what the boys have accomplished, but are very adamant that they have to finish High School and attend College before becoming professional boxers. Their father said this, “no matter what happens in your boxing career, boxing is only for a limited time, but your education will be with you for your whole life.” 

Adrian and Andrew are proud of their Mexican heritage and want their names to go down in the record books along with other Mexican Boxing Legends like Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, and Canelo, However they both dream of representing the United States of America in the Olympics and win gold medals for their country.

Both boys are thankful to their parents for pushing them to be great and supporting everything they do. “Dad pushes us to keep working hard, he never lets us slack or not try hard, and Mom does everything from taking pictures, driving us to practice, and makes sure we are eating healthy so we can make weight,” said Andrew.

The Herrera Brothers represent Hemet & San Jacinto at every boxing tournament they attend. They have space on their trunks for sponsors to help them get to their fights; If you own a business and want to help these two young boys represent their city all around the nation you can sponsor them by reaching out to Herreraboys951@gmail.com

The Hemet and San Jacinto Chronicle applauds the Herrera Boys for all their accomplishments and is looking forward to covering more of their fights as they continue their careers. 

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Search: Herrera Boys Taking Over

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“We are extremely pleased to present this exhibition,” said Team Quest Athletic Center owner Corey Grant, adding, “at these bouts, we always stress speed over power, and we are constantly looking for proper technique and sportsmanship.”

Owner Grant and the rest of the family/staff at TQAC boasts an impressive collective resume. Grant was a big 10 and an NCAA qualifier in wrestling before he turned to coaching. Into 2007 he began his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training before earning his black belt under Ricardo Feliciano in June 2016. He has been competing in MMA since 2007. Trainer Jared Vanderaa is an EFC Champion heavyweight, and Trainer Anthony Paredes is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The day featured many exciting bouts as combatants presented impressive training in sweltering conditions. Winners for each bout are as follows;

BOUTS/WINNER
Matthew Walck
Danya Padura
Vanessa Ochoa
Alex Ayala
Oscar Leal
Christian Love vs. Aaron Martinez-DRAW
Gaby Huerta
Angel Becerra
Tom Telles
Anthony Caraza vs. Angel Becerra-DRAW
Chris Charlie
Michael Hoar
John Tabarez
Christian Latoof vs. Michael Martinez-DRAW
Michael Hoar
Jason Smith

While the capacity crowd was treated to many exciting matches, for owner Grant, the school and the philosophy are about much more than just fighting. “We’ve been here about 11 years. We spoke with the Torres–Martino Desert Cahuilla Indian Group, and they expressed the need for a facility like ours.

They worked with us to make this happen. We work with youth from the reservation and the community at large to instill confidence, professionalism, sportsmanship, and maturity in our young men and women. Probably 80% of our coaching staff are top-notch professional fighters, and we bring that sort of discipline and respect to our facility and we instill it in our members,” said Grant.

Big winners on the day included Michael Hoar (2 trophies), Angel Becerra (2 trophies) and Women’s Division winner Gaby Huerta. “We stress that all women and children of all ages are always welcomed here, and we do our best to make them feel at home. This is a family,” said Grant. The next event is scheduled for some time in November.

For further information Team Quest Athletic Center can be reached at teamquestsj.com, 951 487-2700, or 2181 W. Esplanade Avenue, San Jacinto.

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At Team Quest Athletic Center Corey Grant (owner and trainer) is a firm believer that you need to have a strong balance of the three and that’s why he constantly encourages his guys to learn all three disciplines. Corey Grant is a former fighter/champion in his own right, he also helps train/corner a number of current professional fighters who spend time training or teaching in his gym. Corey always tries his best to give his fighters the opportunity to compete outside of weekly training in the gym so that they can see how they are improving as fighters. That’s why Corey Grant is hosting a Kickboxing event at his gym on July 20th, 2019.

At this event, there will be around 20 fights varying between women’s matches, kids matches, and men’s matches. They are also planning on putting on a Heavyweight tournament and one fighter will be walking away with a championship belt. The fights are open to all levels and serve as a good way of seeing where your abilities and skills are amongst your peers.

The weigh-ins for the fights start at 8 am, and the gate opens at 11:00, tickets for spectators are only $15.00. The general admission ticket will allow you access to all 20 fights which will equal out to nearly a full days worth of entertainment. There are some strict rules at this event to ensure that all the fighters are safe and serious injuries are avoided. It is a Semi-Contact No Knockout event, that doesn’t mean that fighters will be in there without the intent to win, it just means they will be focusing more on scoring points instead of head hunting and swinging for the fences.

Mark it down in your calendars to attend this event on the 20th of July. It is a rare opportunity to watch live high-level kickboxing, get out of the heat for a while and spend $15.00 on all day entertainment. The fights take place at Team Quest Athletic Center (2821 W Esplanade, San Jacinto, CA, 92582) and tickets are on sale now.

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