Between the Ropes at Madison Square Garden

Inside Madison Square Garden, the City Ring was the altar of pugilism from 1925 until 2007. Hosting countless championship fights, historic main events and memorable undercards, it was center stage of boxing history. The ring now rests at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York—its 132 assembled pieces memorializing a key facet of 20th century American life. While many books have been written about great fistic contests that took place at Madison Square Garden, this is the first to focus on its Holy Grail.

Mark Allen Baker, business executive and author of hundreds of articles and more than 25 books, is the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer and biographer. He was accorded a Lifetime Award of Merit by the State University of New York in 2022, and inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023.

Mark Allen Baker
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 325
Bibliographic Info: 54 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7183-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3722-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1. The Early Years of New York City Boxing, 1871–1889 7
2. Madison Square Garden II, 1890–1919 14
3. Rickard’s Roost, 1920–1924 22
4. City Ring, 1925 until January 6, 1929 29
5. Dealing with the Loss, January 7, 1929–1934 41
6. Depression-Era Boxing, 1935–1939 56
7. World War II and a City Ring, 1940–1945 75
8. So, Where Were We? 1946–1949 98
9. The Marciano Era, 1950–1955 111
10. Exercising Control, 1956–1959 132
11. A Cloud of Uncertainty, 1960–1962 145
12. “I Must Be the Greatest,” 1963–1967 155
13. In the Eye of the Storm, 1968–1969 169
14. New York City Serenade, 1970–1976 176
15. Fade Away, 1977–1978 193
16. Your Kingdom Come, 1979–1985 201
17. Iron Mike, 1986–1990 220
18. Comfortably Numb, 1991–1996 231
19. Captain Hook, 1997–2002 250
20. The Final Rounds, 2003–2007 264
21. Retirement, September 19, 2007 274
Appendix I: Boxing Lineal Heavyweight Champions 283
Appendix II: Noteworthy Ring Adjustments 285
Chapter Notes 287
Bibliography 305
Index 307

• “Extraordinary…[Baker] has an immense knowledge of the sport…combines a crucial aspect of boxing history with a portion of American History. It’s a book written with a narrative that unfolds in a clear and relaxed manner and should be read and relished.”—IBRO Journal

• “Wonderful”—The USA Boxing News