UMBRELLAOnce upon a time, when boxing attracted a much larger section of the country, the New York City boxing scene flourished as a vibrant and electrifying atmosphere that captivated even diehard sports fans as well as the general public. For the most part, this comes in an era when football, basketball, and hockey haven’t made enough strides to dislodge boxing from its place near the top.
Those were the 1930s, 40s and 50s. And a seat in the match was the most expensive ticket in town.
During this special time, the city itself boasts many notable venues, each with its own unique charm and history. Of course, some of them are clearly “big leagues”.
Madison Square Garden, located in the heart of Manhattan, is undeniably the crown jewel of the boxing arena. It was considered the epitome of grandeur and hosted some of the most epic matches of its time, becoming synonymous with the sport itself. The garden, as it was affectionately called, was at the time located on 8th Avenue, between 49th and 50th Streets.
But Madison Square Garden isn’t the only venue of big boxing in New York City. The city is noisy elsewhere. The Polo Court, The famous baseball stadium in upper Manhattan, sometimes converted into a boxing arena, welcomes thousands of fans to witness epic battles on its sacred grounds. Many, many championship matches were held there. Needless to say yankee stadiumSometimes, has attracted the world’s attention for a championship war.
However, there are also plenty of “clubs” that feature locals, alongside the occasional world-class contender. St. Arena. Nicholas, nestled in the heart of Harlem, emerges as a standout venue, attracting a vibrant community and showcasing local talent in exciting matches.
In fact, countless smaller, more intimate venues have scattered throughout the city, satisfying the cravings of boxing fans. Legendary halls like the New York Hippodrome, Ridgewood Grove Arena and Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, the Bronx Coliseum, Harlem’s Star Casino, and the Fugazy Bowl in Coney Island all hosted fascinating events during those decades.
Then there was the Eastern Parkway Arena (where Joey Maxim’s victory over young Floyd Patterson took place), where Hall of Famer Teddy Brenner was the matchmaker.
Besides, any armory around the city hosts boxing shows. When television began to appear, some places televised events on the major networks. And naturally, radio is also an important factor.
The frequency of boxing shows in this era is nothing short of amazing. At one point there were as many as fourteen regular or semi-regular fight clubs. It’s not uncommon for several performances to happen on the same night, as the New York State Athletic Commission is a busy governing body. The committee was so prominent that in this era before many punitive organizations, the boxers they recognized as champions received universal acclaim.
Yes, boxing is king at the Big Apple. But what happened?
Well, many factors into it.
One of them was the migration out of the cities and into the suburbs, which began gradually shortly after World War II. There simply aren’t many fans able to take a taxi or catch the subway and go to the games, and parking at many of these locations is limited. Another reason is the rise of television, bringing a whole world of visual entertainment into people’s living rooms at minimal cost.
The television era also brought televised battles. So fans don’t have to leave their homes to see some of the sport’s brightest stars. And there is competition emerging from other sports like football and basketball, which are beginning to take a more prominent place in the landscape – with the help of television revenue.
So the clubs – and their place in boxing in New York City – gradually disappeared.
As a result, there are not many opportunities for boxers to develop their careers. And that simply hurts the sport — and the business.
Today, it’s a whole new ball game, with a different look.
There’s plenty of championship action at the Garden and Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, organizing club performances – those that cater to grassroots audiences – is harder than ever. But there is a need. And now the organization that is meeting that need is Boxing Insider Promotion, headed by Larry Goldberga native of the Atlantic City area who now lives in Manhattan.
After moving to New York, Goldberg, who runs his own Boxing Insider news site, started his own boxing practice, working out at the Mendez gym in the city. And what he noticed was that a lot of local boxers simply didn’t have stores in the area to trade, because there weren’t enough active promoters.
In a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people, that’s an opportunity. And Goldberg found a place to his liking – Sony Hall, located in the Times Square area.
Goldberg got his feet wet while performing an amateur gig last April, then made the decision to turn to professional boxing to deliver a return bout for Heather Hardy. He has been doing his shows steadily since then, with a series of dates already booked at Sony Hall.
Although several competitors with a nationwide presence have found their way into Boxing Insider gigs, Goldberg’s primary goal is to “bring local talent into local gigs,” and he has some of the best talent in the area in the Sony Hall ring. Overall, they carry a large following; Friends, fans and family don’t have to go far. Sometimes there is a neighborhood dispute that needs to be resolved between people from rival gyms, as was the case on April 27, when Sydney Maccow and Christian Otero pitted each other in a very heated sixth round. floating.
There are different stories that come to life in each show. And Boxing Insider Promotions is establishing a reputation for consistency, which is important.
And suddenly, Larry Goldberg became the busiest promoter based in NYC in the largest city in the United States – a city with the greatest boxing heritage.
While he was giving some commentary on the April 27 program, Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella, a frequent Goldberg’s collaborator, explains that although it is expensive to produce the club’s shows in New York, “if we don’t do it, the sport will suffer. enjoy. The boxing club is the heart and soul of New York boxing.
“I am happy to help him. I’m happy to put warriors on his (Larry) card, because he’s doing it the right way.”
Tickets for the June 29 show are priced at $95, $125, $200 and $325 and are available through TicketWeb. Information about the table, contact [email protected]. Doors open at 6:30pm, with the first bell expected at 7:30pm.
Founded in 1997 as the premier boxing news and information destination, Boxing Insider has, over the course of the past ten months, moved into the advertising business. This will be Boxing Insider’s fifth pro boxing promotion.
Sony Hall is located at 235 W 46th St. in Manhattan, at the end of the Paramount Hotel, right across from the Theater Royal.
The event will be streamed for free on BoxingInsider.com.
