Burning desire

Steve Virgen

He was a part of the rise of high school basketball in Costa Mesa in

the early 1990s. Now he wants to be one of the reasons for creating

more popularity for boxing in Costa Mesa.

Jeff Byrne, who played on the 1990-91 Estancia High boys

basketball state championship team, is back in his home town,

building a house of pain made for entertainment and competition. It’s

called Uppercut Boxing, which made its debut July 26 at the Costa

Mesa Hilton.

“That was our very first one and I was all into it,” said Byrne, a

licensed boxing promoter. “I was more nervous than the fighters. It’s

just so exciting and pressure filled.”

Byrne started the boxing company with partner Ed Steinfeld. The

two have known each other for the past seven years and met while

working with other boxers.

After high school, Byrne’s interests evolved toward boxing and he

became fascinated with the sport because it continually provides

drama and tests the limits of human strength, he said. As an athletic

trainer, Byrne met various boxers and soon became a promoter.

All the work and networking eventually produced Uppercut Boxing

and gave way to its debut, tabbed, “A Black-tie affair.”

“We had the No. 1 amateur in the nation, Dominic Salcedo,” Byrne

said. “He was fighting decent competition. He had a brilliant

knockout and he gave the crowd something to really cheer about. The

whole night was great. We plan on putting on the same quality shows

time and time again.”

Byrne has been promoting, “Battle at Big Bear,” which takes place

Aug. 9 at the Big Bear Convention Center. But, boxing isn’t the only

thing Byrne is promoting these days. He’s also publicizing himself,

to the NFL.

Byrne, who did not play football in high school, has been playing

football and training for the past two years. Last year, Byrne played

his first season as a tight end for the Orange County Makos. With a

soft pair of hands and a 6-foot-7, 255-pound frame, Byrne stood out

as one of the best tight ends among semi-pro teams across the nation.

“When I would watch the NFL, I thought I could be a tight end,”

Byrne said. “I thought to myself, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?

I can do that.’ It’s just been really fun. Here I am in the middle of

my journey and I’m not even close to where I need to be.”

Byrne said he had to buy an NFL rule book to learn more about the

game and because he did not know the game’s rules. This past

off-season he worked out for several teams at an NFL combine. As he

plays more football he gains more confidence, he said.

Motivation and a strong belief in his athletic skills have always

been a part of Byrne’s game. After graduating from Estancia in 1992,

he played basketball at three different colleges including Lewis &

Clark State College in Idaho and California Baptist.

After college, in 1997, Byrne became an athletic trainer and

continued to play basketball. But he injured his foot and during his

rehabilitation he turned his interests toward football and

intensified his passion for boxing. He’s hoping to keep the fire

burning for both sports for as long as he can.