Boxing’s Greatest Venues

Every sport has its iconic arenas. Those places where some of the greatest moments played out, and where the echoes of those achievements can still be heard ringing around the walls.

For soccer fans, it might their own team’s stadium such as Anfield in Liverpool or the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, or one that also hosted two World Cup finals such as the Estadio Azteca in Mexico.

For tennis fans, Wimbledon is often regarded as the home of the sport, having hosted some of the greatest matches in history. In fact, the 1980 final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe is considered one of the greatest moments in all sport.

But what about boxing? What are the venues that are inextricably linked with the sport?

Ask most sports fans to name a boxing venue and two names will roll off their tongue: Madison Square Garden in New York and Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Both venues hold mythical status due to some of the epic fights they have staged.

Madison Square Garden, New York

The New York venue was the scene of the legendary Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II bout in 1974 and continues to hold fights of global interest today. In June of this year, British heavyweight Anthony Joshua will defend his WBA ‘super’, IBF and WBO belts against American fighter Jarrell Miller at The Garden with the unified champion 1/8 to prevail in the boxing betting. If he wins as expected, a mouth-watering clash with Deontay Wilder could be on the cards.

Caesar’s Palace. Las Vegas

Meanwhile, Caesar’s Palace has also staged many epic contests including the $13m showdown between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in 1981. The venue also featured in the Rocky III movie scene where Sylvester Stallone’s character Rocky Balboa takes on “Big Yank” Ball to the tune of “Eye of the Tiger.” Later, in 1996, the fight billed as “Ultimate Glory” between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez was staged in the Palace’s outdoor stadium with De La Hoya prevailing in the fourth round.

Yankee Stadium, New York

Another venue of note is the Yankee Stadium in New York. Best known as the home of the New York Yankee’s baseball team, the venue has hosted boxing on a regular basis from 1930 through to the late 1970s. In 1976, the fight between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton was held there but the Bronx location has rarely been used since.

The Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City

No list of great boxing venues would be complete without a mention of The Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The venue has hosted some epic contests over the last 50 years with legendary names such as Dick Tiger, Joey Giardello, Michael Spinks and Mike Tyson all appearing. In fact, Tyson made four title defences at the venue including a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it demolition of Spinks in 1988. Other venues of note include the irresistibly intimate York Hall in London, The MGM Grand in Vegas and the Forum in Inglewood, California. Even the aforementioned Azteca soccer stadium in Mexico deserves a mention for hosting one of the largest boxing crowds in history when 132,000 fans gathered to watch Julio Cesar Chavez defeat Greg Haugen in 1993.