Even before Madison Square Garden became the most famous indoor sports arena in the world, it was one of the most compelling structures in New York City. The first venue, built in 1871, was located at what had been a vacant railroad depot at Madison Square Park and 26th St. and was used for concerts and the circus. The famed showman P.T. Barnum was one of its original owners and he gave it the name Madison Square Garden. It was the second tallest building in the city.

Joe Frazier is motioned to a neutral corner by referee Arthur Mercante after he dropped Muhammad Ali in the 15th round of their March 1971 fight. (AP)

Although John L. Sullivan fought there twice as heavyweight champ, the sweet science was not a primary attraction at the first Garden. Instead, New Yorkers filled the building to see 'Wild West' shows that featured such legendary figures as 'Buffalo Bill' and the famed Souix chief, Sitting Bull.

In 1890, the original structure was replaced by a modern facility that was designed by Stanford White, America's foremost architect. The building's most prominent feature was a tower, which rose 341 feet to a belfry 341 feet above the street. On its belfry stood a 14-foot gilded copper statue of Diana, the Goddess of Chase. When the wind shifted, Diana rotated on her base, which drew the ire of local clergy.

Lettered vertically along the tower was a sign that read "Swimming Pool." This Garden was designed for horse shows, auto shows and other exhibitions. The circus and six-day bike races were also prominent events. In the years prior to World War I, cycling was popular in New York City, and racers would circle the Garden track for six days and nights in what was the biggest event in the cycling world. And of course, the Garden housed boxing.

Noteworthy boxing events at MSG II
The Great John L. says goodbye, 9/14/92
The first major boxing event in the second Garden was not a fight, but a testimonial to John L. Sullivan just one week after his 10-year reign as heavyweight champ was brought to an end by 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett.

Jess Willard ND 10 Frank Moran, 3/25/16
The first modern-era heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. It was during the "No Decision" era when the outcome of the fight was left to the discretion of ringside reporters and the public had to wait until the next morning to find out whom the media consensus deemed the winner.

Jack Dempsey KO 12 Bill Brennan, 12/14/20
Dempsey's only fight at the Garden as heavyweight champion. The American icon was so popular that most his title fights were usually held at stadiums.

Benny Leonard KO 6 Richie Mitchell, 1/14/21
The bout was sponsored by Miss Anne Morgan, of the House of Morgan, and her Committee for the Restoration of Devastated France. For this fund-raiser, boxing's rowdy regulars shared ringside with luminaries from the political and theatrical world. Leonard, the lightweight champion of the world, made his fourth title defense.

Sid Terris W 12 Johnny Dundee, 5/5/25
In the last fight at the second Madison Square Garden, Terris outpointed Dundee, a former junior lightweight champion.

Madison Square Garden III

At the time, The Manhattan Railway Company, which operated the city's street cars, was in bankruptcy and three of its car barns were up for sale. Eventually, Rickard purchased the barn on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets because of its proximity to the Theatre District. This Garden was purchased and built for $5.6 million by Rickard and a group of financial backers that included another boxing promoter, Mike Jacobs.

The building, which was the largest indoor athletic arena, contained an ice floor that could be covered within 10 hours to allow for boxing, basketball, horse shows, and other events. The rise of this Garden paralleled the Golden Age of boxing and the arena became known as the 'Mecca of Boxing.' With the Knicks and Rangers hardly an attraction, championship bouts were a regular feature. It was the wars waged by boxing's best that made the Garden the most famous sports arena in the world. It was known as 'The House that Tex Built.' Rickard was the dominate sports mogul of the era. He was a larger than life figure and very popular. When the promoter died in 1928, he was waked at the Garden and thousands paid their respects.

Upon Rickard's death, his old partner Jacobs, who was known as 'Uncle Mike,' became boxing's most powerful man.

Noteworthy fights in MSG II
Paul Berlanbach W 15 Jack Delaney, 12/11/25
In the first main event at this Garden, Berlanbach posted a unanimous decision to retain the light heavyweight title.

Beau Jack W 10 Bob Montgomery, 8/4/44
Known as the War Bond Fight. Tickets to this non-title bout were available only by the purchase of War Bonds. There were 15,822 bonds sold, ranging in denomination from $25 to $100,000. That generated a gate of $35.9-million, the greatest sum of money produced by a boxing card. The record still stands. Many who purchased bonds left the tickets at the box office for U.S. servicemen. Seats in the first three rows were filled by veterans of the American campaigns in Italy and Normandy and all recipients of the Purple Heart. Jack and Montgomery, both privates in the U.S. Army, did not collect a purse for the fight.

Sugar Ray Robinson W 15 Tommy Bell, 12/20/46
Robinson, arguably the greatest fighter who ever lived, won his first title by rising from a second-round knockdown to outpoint Bell for the vacant welterweight crown.

Kid Gavilan W 15 Billy Graham, 8/29/51
Graham, a New York City favorite, lost on a controversial split decision to welterweight champ Gavilan. It was publicized later that Graham's manager spurned a deal with the Organized Crime figures who controlled boxing and that lead to the unpopular decision. Graham was known as the "Uncrowned Champ" for the remainder of his life.

Rocky Marciano KO 8 Joe Louis, 10/26/51
Old meets new. The 37-year-old Louis was riding an eight-bout winning streak since failing in a bid to regain the heavyweight title in 1950. But Marciano, at 28, was too young, too strong and too determined. He won the heavyweight title five fights later.

Emile Griffith KO 12 Benny Paret, 3/24/62
Tragedy strikes the boxing world. Welterweight champ Paret was pummeled by an assortment of punches in round 12 as referee Ruby Goldstein watched. By the time Goldstein intervened, Paret's body was draped, limp, along the ropes. He was unconscious when he was carried out of the ring. Paret, 25, lapsed into a coma and died 10 days later.

Emile Griffith W 15 Dick Tiger, 4/25/66
Former welterweight titleholder Griffith spotted middleweight champion Tiger nine-and-a-half pounds and managed to win the 160-pound title via a disputed unanimous decision. Most of the ringside press had Tiger a winner.

The Current Madison Square Garden

Noteworthy fights in MSG IV
Joe Frazier TKO 11 Buster Mathis, 3/4/68
The first card at the New Madison Square Garden. Frazier earned recognition as heavyweight champion by state athletic commissions in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts by stopping Mathis. On the undercard, Nino Benvenuti regained the middleweight title by decisioning Emile Griffith.

Joe Frazier TKO 8 Jerry Quarry, 6/23/69
A crowd of 16,570 showed up to witness one of the most anticipated heavyweight shootouts of the year. Both men possessed devastating left hooks and the fight started at a blazing pace. Quarry was cut toward the end of the third and the wound grew worse until the fight was stopped before the start of the eighth round.

Joe Frazier W 15 Muhammad Ali, 3/8/71
To this day, it is still "The Fight of the Century." Both men entered the ring undefeated and earned $2.5-million purses, then a record. Back from his exile, Ali claimed he was the linear heavyweight champion. Frazier was recognized as champ by most of boxing governing bodies. The fight lived up to its hype as the heavyweights set a frenetic pace. Frazier dropped Ali in round 15 with a thunderous hook and won a unanimous decision.

Roberto Duran TKO 14 Ken Buchanan, 6/26/72
The beginning of the Duran era. Duran dropped Buchanan with the first hard punch of the fight and never relented. The fighters swapped blows after the 13th round and Buchanan slumped to the canvas, complaining Duran kneed him in the groin. The referee saw no such infraction and the bout was stopped.

Muhammad Ali W 12 Joe Frazier, 1/28/74
By any other standards, the Ali-Frazier rematch was a thrilling affair. But the action does not compare to the pace and excitement of their first and third fights.

Carlos Monzon TKO 10 Tony Licata, 6/30/75
In his only fight in the United States, Argentine champion Monzon dominated the light-hitting Licata and successfully defended his world middleweight title.

Salvador Sanchez TKO 15 Azumah Nelson, 7/21/82
Sanchez was a dominant featherweight champion making the ninth defense of his title. Nelson, a late substitute, was engaging in just his 13th fight. Mismatch? Hardly. Nelson, a future two-division champion, pressed the action and forced Sanchez into a grueling fight before getting stopped in the last round. Three weeks later, Sanchez, 23, was killed when his Porsche collided head-on with a truck in Mexico City.

Roberto Duran KO 8 Davey Moore, 6/16/83
A sellout crowd of 20,061 came to witness the return of Duran. Moore won the WBA junior middleweight title in his ninth fight and defended against Duran four fights later. Duran, a 17-year veteran, had lost two of his four previous fights and came in as a 5-2 underdog. It was no contest. Duran thrashed Moore en route to an eighth-round knockout.

Terry Norris W 12 Ray Leonard. 2/9/91
Leonard, the only man to win a title in five weight classes, insisted his career would be incomplete if he didn't fight at the Garden so he came out of retirement to challenge Norris. It was a night he'd regret. Norris, the WBC super welterweight champion, dropped the 34-year-old Leonard twice and won a humiliating unanimous decision.

Pernell Whitaker W 12 Buddy McGirt, 3/6/93
The last big fight in the Garden's main arena. The battle was close early, but Whitaker pulled away in the second half of the fight and dethroned WBC welterweight champ McGirt to win his third world title. McGirt later revealed he entered the fight with a torn rotator cuff.