The biggest fight that the people want to see is Manny Pacquiao taking on Floyd Mayweather. A date set by Mayweather is for the 5th of May 2012 at Las Vegas. In previous eras it would have been the infamous Madison Square Garden in New York City
but promoters like Don King and Bob Arum have taken the big boxing fights to Las Vegas. The added advantage being the glamour, the betting and the casinos all coupled into one.
Few locations around the world are synonymous with greatness in their sport. Wimbledon for tennis, the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Course, and Madison Square Garden is the ‘World’s Greatest Boxing Arena,’ the ‘Mecca of Boxing’. Madison Square
Garden in New York City has gone through another round of renovation and re-inventing itself as a venue. The boxing ring of MSG was retired after 82 years of witnessing some of the greatest fights in the world in 2007. It has a legendary status and rightly
so the ring was placed at the Boxing International Hall of Fame to preserve its memory forever.
MSG was the first major boxing arena of the world. It has witnessed some of the most legendary fights down the years. For many boxers it was a dream to box at the historical arena. For future pugilist it might not be so but that does not take away the legendary
status MSG holds in the history of boxing.
“From a boxer’s point of view, once you have boxed there you can die in peace,” said ‘Tartan Terror’ Ken Buchanan. “If you can’t get excited about fighting there you’re in the wrong game, it’s the last thing I want to achieve in boxing,” said Joe Calzaghe.
The first fight at this infamous venue was on the 11th of December 1925 between Paul Berlenbach and Jack Delaney. This started a chain of events that would make it the venue to fight at. On August 27th, 1943 Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry
Armstrong, the best pound for pound fighters lit up the venue repeatedly to entertain the crowds. But perhaps the greatest fight of all time at the Madison Square Garden which was dubbed the ‘fight of the century’ was between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
A battle ensuing 15 rounds, Muhammad Ali was defeated by Joe Frazier. This set the tone for the future fights that would take place amongst the two boxers. The last major fight at the location was on the 9th of June 2007. Miguel Cotto retained his
WBA welterweight title against Zab Judah.
Even though the MSG is not the preferred location for fights with more money in Vegas but it still holds respect amongst boxers. “Fighters simply want to appear in Madison Square Garden and will fight for nothing if necessary,” said former light-heavyweight
champion Jose Torres. In a day and age of where money speaks, promoters are looking to make the most cash and MSG realized this. Steve Bunce a boxing pundit said, “The Garden has ended the rule on not paying site fees and will find the cash to induce promoters.”
This will revive boxing at the venue.
In a era where Las Vegas has replaced other traditional venues due to the attraction of millions of dollars, it is invariably becoming the hotbed of fights. The Madison Square Garden has been able to re-invent itself many times before by changing locations
and in its new incarnation it will have to offer more to earn its right as the undisputed ‘Mecca of Boxing’.