Veteran combat sports promoter Scott Coker is staging the “Napa Knockout” event featuring budding prospects in boxing, kickboxing, and MMA in an intimate environment hosted by Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the California State Athletic Commission Fighter Pension Fund and the Association of Boxing Commissions Retired Fighters Charity.

CSAC executive director Andy Foster is excited about the event because it's designed to generate additional money in a new format to benefit retired boxers who’ve previously fought in the Golden State.

“There are a lot of retired fighters who could use financial assistance, and California is the only state that is doing such a thing with the CSAC Fighter Pension Fund,” Foster told The Ring. “It depends on a lot of different factors, such as how many times you've fought in California, what your purses were, these types of things. It's not life-changing money, but nobody else is doing it.”

Foster said they currently have nearly $5 million in the fund for eligible fighters.

Another CSAC initiative that is designed to raise funds for retired fighters is its recently launched custom license plate program.

“We've made all these efforts, and we've paid all these boxers who were owed money, and we're still looking for those who are owed money,” Foster said. “We want to pay them. We've made some pretty good inroads, and the Napa Knockout event is another way to raise awareness while trying to add more money into the fund."

According to a May 2023 Los Angeles Times report, the CSAC Fighter Pension Fund had awarded $4 million to 235 boxers while averaging a payout of $17,000 since it started distributing funds in 1999. As the pension received more press in recent years, it hit the radar of retired fighters, who started reaping the rewards.

“Sugar” Shane Mosley is the largest pension payment recipient, receiving $203,000 in 2022. The Pomona, California, native fought 27 of his 60 career fights in California, including a career-best win against Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 at Staples Center.

Boxers may be entitled to money if they are at least 50 years old and have fought in at least 10 rounds a year for four years or 75 scheduled professional rounds in California with no more than a three-year break.

“We’re spreading the word as much as we can so fighters can get what they are owed,” Foster said. “We’ve even hired private investigators so that we can try to locate fighters who’ve moved away, or are no longer reachable, so that they can get the money that they're owed.”

Foster, a former professional mixed martial artist himself, encouraged boxers to visit the CSAC’s website to see if they qualify for a pension.

As for Saturday's show, Foster said the event’s brainchild is CSAC commissioner Ron Fiore, who executed the idea and arranged the event through his friend, Jean-Charles Boisset, the proprietor of Raymond Vineyards.

Nearly 600 guests are expected to attend the upscale event, which will offer VIP and luxury experiences in an unusual setting.

Confirmed attendees include Andre Ward, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Arnold Barboza, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Randy Couture, Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson, Chris Leben, “Big” John McCarthy, and others.

Tickets can be purchased at either $500 or $1,000, and tax-deductible donations benefiting the CSAC and ABC funds are welcomed as well.