Madison Square Garden Receives Eviction Notice, Must Get Out By 2023
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
New York, NY (July 26th, 2013)– Madison Square Garden, the best known boxing venue in the United states, and a sports and entertainment arena known the world over, has received its permanent eviction notice in the midst of a three year billion dollar renovation. BY a vote of 47-1, New York City Council officials voted for eviction. The Garden’s 50 year land-use permit expired in January 2013. The eviction paves the way to renovation and expand the Penn Station subway and train mass transit location for superior public use and access in the future.
The council, however, approved a special ten year permit allowing the arena to continue to operate until it relocates. The Garden had sought a 15 year extension of its lease. The original Penn Station was demolished in 1963 for Madison Square Garden to be built. The Garden opened to the general public in 1968 and has been in continuous use for 45 years. If the Garden is unable to relocate in 2023, it would have to apply for a use permit extension.
As a boxing venue of champions and contenders, Madison Square Garden has a colorful history. John L. Sullivan defeated Joe Collins at The original Garden in 1882 to retain the world heavyweight title. Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta were popular boxers who fought at the The Garden frequently. Louis met his end here when Rocky Marciano knocked him out in the eighth round of his comeback in 1951. The late Emile Griffith boxed 339 championship rounds at The Garden, including the infamous televised black and white world welterweight championship bout with Benny Kid Paret in 1962. Paret fell unconscious and died after the bout, costing boxing its television exposure for nearly a decade and referee Rube Goldstein his career.
At the current Madison Square Garden, many famous names have appeared. In ‘The Battle of the Century’, Joe Frazier fought Muhammad Ali in 1971 on closed circuit television, the first bout between recognized world heavyweight champion claimants since Jack Johnson fought James Jeffries. At the time, the Ali-Frazier five million dollar purse was boxing’s biggest gate. Frazier knocked down Ali and won the decision, retaining his the world title. Roberto Duran, the ‘Hands of Stone’, fought at The Garden three times between 1971 and 1972, winning the World Boxing Association title from Ken Buchanan in his second Garden appearance. Middleweight champion Carlos Monzon stopped Tony Licata at The Garden to defend his title in 1975. Sugar Ray Leonard fought Terry Norris for the World Boxing Council Light Middleweight title at The Garden in 1991.
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