Cathedral City commissions mural of two local sports heroes
Cathedral City is honoring two Coachella Valley sports heroes, world boxing champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley and mixed martial arts and Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Kevin Luke “Cub” Swanson.
Local artist, Rick Rodriguez, began painting the mural, known as the ‘Local Legacy Mural,’ on the east side wall of One Eleven Condition Club along East Palm Canyon Drive, just across the street from city hall and the Mary Pickford movie theater.
“I know that both of them started their careers early on this strip of the highway, so more than anything, I know that the community needs something to inspire,” said Jaime Jimenez, the owner of the One Eleven Condition Club.
Rodriguez was hired by the Cathedral City Public Arts Commission as part of their goal to incorporate art into the City’s commercial zones.
Both Bradley and Swanson grew up in Cathedral City and attended Cathedral City High School at the same time. Bradley won five-world boxing championships in two weight classifications, one of those was against the legendary Manny Pacquiao. In April 2017, Bradley and his wife Monica opened ‘Haus of Poke.’ They have recently opened their second location in downtown Palm Springs.
Bradley announced his retirement from boxing in August 2017 and is now an ESPN analyst.
Cub Swanson has earned multiple honors for his bouts in the UFC octagon, including “Fight of the Year” in 2016. Born in Palm Springs, he started fighting professionally in 2004.
According to the UFC, Swanson helped children with disabilities on their social behavior for ‘United Cerebral Palsy’ before joining the UFC. Swanson is also the owner of Tru MMA in Indio. He is currently scheduled to fight again on August 4 in the Staples Center.
Rodriguez began work on the mural on Tuesday and is expected to be done by July 24.
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