Evan
09-20-2007, 03:17 PM
One of the greatest pieces of American sports history. I wish they had held a huge bout to usher it out in glory.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The boxing ring at Madison Square Garden, where Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali plied their trade, went down for the count on Wednesday.
The ring, scene of hundreds of world championship bouts, was officially retired by Garden officials, who are donating the 82-year-old sports relic to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
A new ring will be in place for the October 6 World Boxing Council heavyweight title fight between holder Oleg Maskaev of Russia and Nigerian Samuel Peter at the Garden.
"It's a bittersweet day after 82 years retiring the ring," Joel Fisher, the Garden's chief of boxing, said at a ceremony attended by boxing greats including Joe Frazier, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, Joey Giardello and Jose Torres.
"It has begun to show it's age. It became more difficult to maintain and set up. It was not an easy decision."
The 20-by-20-foot boxing stage framed by four brass cornerposts is supported by plywood flooring and a one-ton iron substructure which hooks together without any nuts and bolts.
Former heavyweight champion Frazier fought 10 times in the ring. His 1971 bout against Ali, the first of their three battles, is considered one of the Garden's greatest events.
"I hurt him two or three times in every round in '71," Frazier told Reuters of his 15-round points victory.
"I'd go back in my corner and say, 'What's wrong with this man, what's holding him up?' And they said, 'go right back where you left off.'
"There were great moments in the Garden."
Hall of Fame referee Arthur Mercante, who officiated that bout, said it was his highlight memory.
"Frazier-Ali number one had to be the greatest," Mercante said. "Sensational. Political, sports-wise. It was great."
Jose Torres, former world light heavyweight champion, had a quick reply about his best Garden memory.
"When I won the championship and I hit (Willie) Pastrano with a punch to the body and he screamed," Torres, former chairman of the New York State Boxing Commission, said of his 1965 title bout.
STIRRING BOUT
Bernard Hopkins, world middleweight champion from 1995 through 2005, recalled a stirring bout fought soon after the September 11 attacks.
"My DNA is in this ring, in its history of September 29, the profound whupping that I put on Tito Trinidad, who was undefeated," he told reporters.
"It happened at a crucial time in America -- 9/11. The fight was cancelled from the 15th. But then the fight happened. We needed to make a stand, we were not all going to stay in the house. The Garden had 20,000-plus people here in New York."
Veteran trainer Lou Duva recalled a date in 1984 when a flock of U.S. Olympians all turned professional at the Garden.
"I remember when I had my Olympic kids, Evander Holyfield, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor all fighting six-rounders after winning Olympic medals," he said about a card that also featured the pro debuts of Tyrell Biggs and Pernell Whitaker.
"That was a great night."
One artifact from the ring that will live on at the new Garden set-up will be the original solid-brass bell designed in 1925. It will be rung at the Maskaev-Peter fight.
"It's a great feeling, stepping into the old ring," Peter told Reuters. "I feel like I'm the champion already."
**********************************************
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The boxing ring at Madison Square Garden, where Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali plied their trade, went down for the count on Wednesday.
The ring, scene of hundreds of world championship bouts, was officially retired by Garden officials, who are donating the 82-year-old sports relic to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
A new ring will be in place for the October 6 World Boxing Council heavyweight title fight between holder Oleg Maskaev of Russia and Nigerian Samuel Peter at the Garden.
"It's a bittersweet day after 82 years retiring the ring," Joel Fisher, the Garden's chief of boxing, said at a ceremony attended by boxing greats including Joe Frazier, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, Joey Giardello and Jose Torres.
"It has begun to show it's age. It became more difficult to maintain and set up. It was not an easy decision."
The 20-by-20-foot boxing stage framed by four brass cornerposts is supported by plywood flooring and a one-ton iron substructure which hooks together without any nuts and bolts.
Former heavyweight champion Frazier fought 10 times in the ring. His 1971 bout against Ali, the first of their three battles, is considered one of the Garden's greatest events.
"I hurt him two or three times in every round in '71," Frazier told Reuters of his 15-round points victory.
"I'd go back in my corner and say, 'What's wrong with this man, what's holding him up?' And they said, 'go right back where you left off.'
"There were great moments in the Garden."
Hall of Fame referee Arthur Mercante, who officiated that bout, said it was his highlight memory.
"Frazier-Ali number one had to be the greatest," Mercante said. "Sensational. Political, sports-wise. It was great."
Jose Torres, former world light heavyweight champion, had a quick reply about his best Garden memory.
"When I won the championship and I hit (Willie) Pastrano with a punch to the body and he screamed," Torres, former chairman of the New York State Boxing Commission, said of his 1965 title bout.
STIRRING BOUT
Bernard Hopkins, world middleweight champion from 1995 through 2005, recalled a stirring bout fought soon after the September 11 attacks.
"My DNA is in this ring, in its history of September 29, the profound whupping that I put on Tito Trinidad, who was undefeated," he told reporters.
"It happened at a crucial time in America -- 9/11. The fight was cancelled from the 15th. But then the fight happened. We needed to make a stand, we were not all going to stay in the house. The Garden had 20,000-plus people here in New York."
Veteran trainer Lou Duva recalled a date in 1984 when a flock of U.S. Olympians all turned professional at the Garden.
"I remember when I had my Olympic kids, Evander Holyfield, Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor all fighting six-rounders after winning Olympic medals," he said about a card that also featured the pro debuts of Tyrell Biggs and Pernell Whitaker.
"That was a great night."
One artifact from the ring that will live on at the new Garden set-up will be the original solid-brass bell designed in 1925. It will be rung at the Maskaev-Peter fight.
"It's a great feeling, stepping into the old ring," Peter told Reuters. "I feel like I'm the champion already."