There was a time not so long ago when calling Madison Square Garden the Mecca of Boxing was mostly a historical reference. Between Lewis-Holyfield I, a 1999 fight marred by incompetent judging, to Miguel Cotto vs. Zab Judah last June, when the building was simply electric, Garden boxing had been a lot like Garden basketball: boring.
There were a few memorable nights, like Bernard Hopkins-Felix Trinidad in 2001 and Trinidad-Ricardo Mayorga in 2004. But in that span, nearly every historic bout was staged in some casino in Las Vegas. A big fight in the big arena became as rare as a Knicks playoff game. Now, the Garden is starting to hold its own again.
Other areas of the building might be dealing with court judgments and sexual harassment issues, but those charged with the boxing program have turned the famed building into a destination again. With last night’s Cotto-Shane Mosley welterweight championship fight, the Garden continued a series of meaningful fights that has restored the luster of fight night at the Garden for both fans and fighters.
Garden senior VP Joel Fisher has been the point man leading the resurgence of boxing. Working along with his team, the Garden has been busy over the past 15 months, with six boxing cards in the big arena. Starting with Wladimir Klitschko’s IBF heavyweight title win over Calvin Brock a year ago, the Garden has featured such matchups as Cotto-Judah last June and Sam Peter vs. Jameel McCline last October. After last night’s bout, the Garden will stage Trinidad vs. Roy Jones on Jan. 19 and is finalizing details for Klitschko vs. WBO heavyweight champ Sultan Ibragimov on Feb. 23 in a unification bout.
“Having these type of fights and fighters perform here only enhances our image,” Fisher said. “World championship boxing, New York City, HBO, the Garden; it’s doesn’t get any better than that.”
Cotto is as close to a house fighter as there is at the Garden. Last night’s bout was his fourth in the big arena in the last 3½ years, making him central to the Garden’s renewed focus on boxing. Fighting in the Garden normally on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade was the brainchild of Top Rank president Todd duBoef. Top Rank founder Bob Arum first promoted a fight at the Garden in 1970 when Muhammad Ali met Oscar Bonavena.
“Whatever you say about Las Vegas, Staples Center or other arenas around the world, there is something special and magical about Madison Square Garden,” Arum said. “It’s the true Mecca of boxing.”
Yesterday, Jones and Trinidad held a press conference at the New Yorker Hotel to begin the hype for their Jan. 19, 170-pound Garden showdown. Sure, its two fighters past their prime, and who knows what kind of shape they’ll be in or how much their skills have eroded?
But they remain marquee names that will draw a big crowd. Klitschko-Ibragimov might be a better fight than most people think and will be the first meaningful heavyweight fight in 2008.
How well promoters do over this stretch could determine whether this run of fights continues. Hotel costs have soared in Manhattan, making it expensive for visiting media and fans to afford. But fight night at the Garden has meaning again.
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Paulie Malignaggi will defend his IBF junior welterweight championship against Herman Ngoudjo Jan. 5 at Bally’s in Atlantic City.