That was then. This is now. Coming up at the Garden on November 2?Golovkin vs. Stevens. That?s fine. It really is. But I?ll take then?
?New York?s like a boxing match.??John Cusack
Madison Square Garden is no longer where it was in its heyday, from 1925 to 1968, between 49th and 50th Streets on Eighth Avenue. But its glorious history is there for the having?if you have the money to have it. I don?t. If I did, I?d now be the proud owner of the Garden?s official program guide for the 1930-1931 boxing season.
I at least had the opportunity to examine this gem, which recently came up at auction. I was delighted with the advertising slogans, so emblematic of the era. ?Old Gold, the smoother and better cigarette ? not a cough in the carload,? contradicted by ?I?d rather have a Chesterfield ? they satisfy.? But what was truly satisfying were the full-page photos of the pugilistic heroes of the day, including Jack ?Kid? Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Victorio Campolo, Maxie Rosenbloom, Midget Wolgast, Fidel LaBarba, and Jimmy McLarnin.
We know what the purchasers of that 15-cent program didn?t know, at least not at the time of purchase. We know, for instance, that Berg beat Canzoneri by split decision on January 17, 1930. ?Fighting one of the most important ring struggles of his career,? the New York Times reported, ?Berg rose to the occasion by giving Canzoneri one of the worst beatings he has ever experienced.?
But Canzoneri became a two-division world champ on November 14 that year, stopping Al Singer by first-round KO, thus winning the Lightweight Championship of the World ?in one of the most startling upsets of modern times,? according to the ?newspaper of record.? Canzoneri delivered ?a left hook to the mouth that sent Singer down and out, and almost out of the ring,? continued the Times.
On November 20 of the following year, Canzoneri decisioned Kid Chocolate. Had Tony made 130 pounds (he came in at 132), he would have been awarded the Cuban?s junior lightweight title and become the first four-division champ in history.
And what of Campolo, ?El Gigante de Quilmes?? On March 24, 1930, he was defeated by Johnny Risko via split decision. Judge Charles F. Mathison went with Campolo, while judge George Patrick and referee Arthur Donovan voted for Risko in what was a highly unpopular verdict with the spectators. In the following year, Campolo was decisioned by Tommy Loughran on May 15 and stopped by Primo Carnera on November 27.
Rosenbloom fought five times at the Garden in 1930, including a bout with Leo Lomski on January 3. ?Maxie Rosenbloom demonstrated his absolute mastery over Leo Lomski,? wrote the Times. ?He fought one of his best battles, albeit it was a characteristic Rosenbloom exhibition of slapping, cuffing, clubbing and mauling.?
On March 21, 1930, Wolgast won the New York State Athletic Commission?s vacant flyweight title by beating Black Bill on points. In a unification bout on the day after Christmas (Boxing Day), Wolgast drew against Frankie Genaro, the National Boxing Association?s champ. Judge Tommy Sheridan gave the nod to Wolgast, judge Harold Barnes voted for Genaro, and referee Patsy Haley declared the bout a draw.
LaBarba fought fives times at the Garden between 1930 and 1931, including a win over Kid Francis on March 27, 1931. The crowd, reported the Times, ?saw LaBarba, admittedly one of the greatest little ring men of this era, subject Francis to a baffling exhibition of boxing skill in the first round of their tilt, ride successfully through the storm of savage drives to the body and head which Francis unleashed in four succeeding rounds, and come back with an exhibition of boxing which bewildered his rival.?
An astonishingly gifted welterweight, McLarnin sported numerous ring monikers over his illustrious 13-year career, ranging from the euphonious ?Irish Lullaby? to the far more sinister ?Hebrew Scourge.? He decisioned Young Jack Thompson on March 28, 1930, despite breaking his right hand in the first round, but lost to Billy Petrolle by unanimous decision on November 21 that year. Reported the Times:
?The greatest welterweight in America and believed heretofore to be the uncrowned world ruler of the class was knocked from his lofty perch last night in Madison Square Garden and supplanted by an overgrown lightweight.
?Billy Petrolle, Fargo veteran, who owns no respect for individual or ability, conquered Jimmy McLarnin, Coast Irishman with the devastating punch, in a 10-round battle which furnished one of the most exciting welterweight struggles seen in a local ring in years and provided about the biggest upset boxing has seen here in recent times.
?Battering and pounding away at his foe, whose hitting skills and strength have of late claimed victims with monotonous regularity, Petrolle, an ironman of the ring and a hitter of no mean ability himself, carried off the decision and did everything but knock out McLarnin and missed that climax to a wonderful effort because of the Irish lad?s recuperative powers.?
McLarnin defeated Petrolle by unanimous decision in their return match, on May 27, 1931.
That was then. This is now. Coming up at the Garden on November 2?Gennady Golovkin vs. Curtis Stevens. That?s fine. It really is.
But I?ll take then.
