Roberto Clemente Coliseum
Encyclopedia
The Roberto Clemente Coliseum (or Coliseo Roberto Clemente in Spanish) is a sporting events and concert arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico
.
It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and it continues being one of the largest.
hall of famer Roberto Clemente
, who died in a plane crash off Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
in Carolina
in 1972, while flying with relief articles to be given to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake
. Construction of the facility began in the early 1970s, it was finished in January 1973, and inaugurated in February of that year by the Fania All-Stars.
The coliseum has been host to a variety of events, including world championship boxing
and basketball
, business expos, circus, concerts and other things.
Many Puerto Rican
and international performers have been there, among others.
Here are some concerts that have been held there:
* Saga/FM: Silent Knight/City Of Fear Tour - January 10, 1981 (The photo that appears on the Worlds Apart Album was shot there)
* Judas Priest: Point Of Entry Tour - December 15, 1981
* Quiet Riot:Metal Health Tour - December 3, 1983
* Chicago - August 17, 1984
* Bon Jovi/Ratt:The World Infestation Tour '85 - December 13, 1985
* W.A.S.P./Kiss:Asylum Tour - January 12, 1986
* John Butcher Axis/Night Ranger:Seven Wishes Tour - February 8, 1986
* Hall & Oates - May 16, 1986
* Loverboy/Dokken:Under Lock And Key Tour - July 26, 1986
* Rough Cutt/Dio:Sacred Heart Tour - October 11, 1986
* Cyndi Lauper:True Colors Tour - January 3, 1987
* 38 Special/Kansas:Drastic Measures Tour - January 31, 1987
* Duran Duran:Strange Behavior Tour - August 7, 1987
* Def Leppard:Hysteria Tour - January 2, 1988
* Triumph:A Sport Of Kings Tour - March 25, 1988
* Saga - April 22, 1988
* R.E.O. Speedwagon - January 7, 1989
* Jetboy/Stryper:Against The Law Tour - October 20, 1990
* Meat Loaf/Extreme:Pornograffitti Tour - January 31, 1992
* Chicago - February 29, 1992
* Sting:Ten Summoner's Tales Tour - March 9, 1993
* INXS:Full Moon, Dirty Hearts Tour - March 23,1994
* Boston:Livin' For You Tour - September 6, 1997
* Mana:Sueños Líquidos Tour - April 10, 1998
* Motley Crue:Greatest Hits Tour - December 12, 1998
* Puya/Kiss:Psycho Circus Tour - April 14, 1999
* Alanis Morissette:Junkie Tour - December 18, 1999
* Sting:Brand New Day Tour - February 3, 2001
* The Cranberries:Wake Up And Smell The Coffee Tour - June 9, 2002
* Firehouse/R.E.O. Speedwagon/Journey - May 8, 2004
* Boston - August 27, 2004
* Stryper - August 19, 2005
* Judas Priest:Angel Of Retribution - September 16, 2005
* Incubus - December 5, 2005
* Firehouse/Slaughter/Poison:20 Years Of Tour - August 31, 2006
* Metal Church/Queensryche - August 16, 2008
* R.E.O. Speedwagon/Kansas - October 18, 2008
* Puya/Sebastian Bach/Guns N'Roses:Chinese Democracy World Tour - April 15, 2010
Van Halen
were scheduled to perform during their III Tour
on September 20 and December 11, 1998, but the shows were cancelled.
It has been the home of three different BSN professional basketball
teams and the BSN has also used it as a neutral site for their most important games, including game 7 of the championship finals, several times.
The Coliseum has also been used by religious leaders for conferences and religious services.
Most of the world championship boxing bouts fought in Puerto Rico during the late 1970s and early 1980s were fought at the Roberto Clemente coliseum, including Roberto Durán
's world title defense versus Mexican Leoncio Ortiz, Wilfredo Gómez
's knockout win against Carlos Zarate, many of Samuel Serrano
's title defenses, and the fight where Muhammad Ali
defended his title against Jean Pierre Coopman, the only time a world Heavyweight championship fight has been held in Puerto Rico. George Foreman
had his last fight (and experienced the vision that led him to become a born-again Christian in one of its dressing rooms) before announcing his first retirement there, and Julio César Chávez
had one of his first important fights there, on the undercard of Edwin Rosario
's world Lightweight championship win against José Luis Ramírez
. Because of all the boxing action going on during that era, many observers call the period from the middle '70s to the middle '80s as the golden age of boxing in Puerto Rico.
The arena also hosted the final phase of the 1974
World Basketball championship
The Clemente coliseum has also been the place of large political rallies, and Puerto Rico's electoral commission uses its facilities to count votes after each election.
It also hosted Miss Universe 2002
, won by Justine Pasek
of Panama
.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
.
It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and it continues being one of the largest.
General information
The Coliseum is named after baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
hall of famer Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, who died in a plane crash off Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to FAA reports . It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports...
in Carolina
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...
in 1972, while flying with relief articles to be given to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 12:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, December 23, 1972 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of about 5 kilometers beneath the centre of the city. Within an hour after the main...
. Construction of the facility began in the early 1970s, it was finished in January 1973, and inaugurated in February of that year by the Fania All-Stars.
The coliseum has been host to a variety of events, including world championship boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, business expos, circus, concerts and other things.
Many Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and international performers have been there, among others.
Here are some concerts that have been held there:
* Saga/FM: Silent Knight/City Of Fear Tour - January 10, 1981 (The photo that appears on the Worlds Apart Album was shot there)
* Judas Priest: Point Of Entry Tour - December 15, 1981
* Quiet Riot:Metal Health Tour - December 3, 1983
* Chicago - August 17, 1984
* Bon Jovi/Ratt:The World Infestation Tour '85 - December 13, 1985
* W.A.S.P./Kiss:Asylum Tour - January 12, 1986
* John Butcher Axis/Night Ranger:Seven Wishes Tour - February 8, 1986
* Hall & Oates - May 16, 1986
* Loverboy/Dokken:Under Lock And Key Tour - July 26, 1986
* Rough Cutt/Dio:Sacred Heart Tour - October 11, 1986
* Cyndi Lauper:True Colors Tour - January 3, 1987
* 38 Special/Kansas:Drastic Measures Tour - January 31, 1987
* Duran Duran:Strange Behavior Tour - August 7, 1987
* Def Leppard:Hysteria Tour - January 2, 1988
* Triumph:A Sport Of Kings Tour - March 25, 1988
* Saga - April 22, 1988
* R.E.O. Speedwagon - January 7, 1989
* Jetboy/Stryper:Against The Law Tour - October 20, 1990
* Meat Loaf/Extreme:Pornograffitti Tour - January 31, 1992
* Chicago - February 29, 1992
* Sting:Ten Summoner's Tales Tour - March 9, 1993
* INXS:Full Moon, Dirty Hearts Tour - March 23,1994
* Boston:Livin' For You Tour - September 6, 1997
* Mana:Sueños Líquidos Tour - April 10, 1998
* Motley Crue:Greatest Hits Tour - December 12, 1998
* Puya/Kiss:Psycho Circus Tour - April 14, 1999
* Alanis Morissette:Junkie Tour - December 18, 1999
* Sting:Brand New Day Tour - February 3, 2001
* The Cranberries:Wake Up And Smell The Coffee Tour - June 9, 2002
* Firehouse/R.E.O. Speedwagon/Journey - May 8, 2004
* Boston - August 27, 2004
* Stryper - August 19, 2005
* Judas Priest:Angel Of Retribution - September 16, 2005
* Incubus - December 5, 2005
* Firehouse/Slaughter/Poison:20 Years Of Tour - August 31, 2006
* Metal Church/Queensryche - August 16, 2008
* R.E.O. Speedwagon/Kansas - October 18, 2008
* Puya/Sebastian Bach/Guns N'Roses:Chinese Democracy World Tour - April 15, 2010
Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
were scheduled to perform during their III Tour
III Tour
The III Tour was a 1998 concert tour by hard rock band Van Halen. It was the band's first and only tour with vocalist Gary Cherone, in support of the only album he recorded with the band—the poor-selling Van Halen III.-History:...
on September 20 and December 11, 1998, but the shows were cancelled.
It has been the home of three different BSN professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams and the BSN has also used it as a neutral site for their most important games, including game 7 of the championship finals, several times.
The Coliseum has also been used by religious leaders for conferences and religious services.
Most of the world championship boxing bouts fought in Puerto Rico during the late 1970s and early 1980s were fought at the Roberto Clemente coliseum, including Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
's world title defense versus Mexican Leoncio Ortiz, Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
's knockout win against Carlos Zarate, many of Samuel Serrano
Samuel Serrano
Samuel Serrano , nicknamed Sammy and El Torbellino, is a Puerto Rican who won boxing's world junior lightweight championship twice.-Early history:...
's title defenses, and the fight where Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
defended his title against Jean Pierre Coopman, the only time a world Heavyweight championship fight has been held in Puerto Rico. George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
had his last fight (and experienced the vision that led him to become a born-again Christian in one of its dressing rooms) before announcing his first retirement there, and Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
had one of his first important fights there, on the undercard of Edwin Rosario
Edwin Rosario
Edwin "El Chapo" Rosario was a Puerto Rican boxer. He was the WBC world lightweight champion from 1983–84 and the WBA world champion in 1986–87 and again in 1989–90...
's world Lightweight championship win against José Luis Ramírez
José Luis Ramírez
José Luis Ramírez is a retired Mexican boxer. He was a two-time World Lightweight Champion.-Career:A native of Huatabampo, Sonora and a resident of Culiacán, Ramírez made his professional debut on March 25, 1973 at the age of 15. He climbed slowly but steadily on boxing's rankings...
. Because of all the boxing action going on during that era, many observers call the period from the middle '70s to the middle '80s as the golden age of boxing in Puerto Rico.
The arena also hosted the final phase of the 1974
1974 FIBA World Championship
The 1974 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:...
World Basketball championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
The Clemente coliseum has also been the place of large political rallies, and Puerto Rico's electoral commission uses its facilities to count votes after each election.
It also hosted Miss Universe 2002
Miss Universe 2002
Miss Universe 2002, the 51st edition of the Miss Universe pageant, was held in Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 29, 2002. There were 75 delegates from around the world who competed for the title Miss Universe 2002. Oxana Fedorova of Russia was crowned Miss Universe 2002 by...
, won by Justine Pasek
Justine Pasek
Yostin "Justine" Lissette Pasek Patiño is a Panamanian model, FAO Goodwill Ambassador, and Miss Universe 2002.-Early life:Pasek was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, the daughter of a Panamanian homemaker and Polish engineer...
of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
See also
- List of notable Puerto Rican buildings and structures.