Читать книгу Jacobs Beach. The Mob, the Garden and the Golden Age of Boxing онлайн

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What appeared in Ali's newspaper in Kentucky that morning was a bulletin from the Associated Press, issued at 4:35 p.m. (Eastern time) the previous day, the 18th. Datelined Canastota, New York, it read: “After 82 years, Madison Square Garden will retire its storied boxing ring and donate it to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where it will go on display this fall.”

This was the ring in which LaMotta first fought, and lost to, Sugar Ray Robinson, in 1942.

This was the ring in which Rocky Marciano knocked out Joe Louis in the Brown Bomber's last fight, in 1951.

This was the ring where Randolph Turpin brought the crowd to their feet in losing heroically to Carl “Bobo” Olson in 1953.

This was the ring where Joe Louis was lucky to get the decision against Jersey Joe Walcott in 1947, and where Billy Graham was robbed against Kid Gavilan in 1951—as was Lennox Lewis against Evander Holyfield in 1999.

This was the ring where Lou Ambers, Tony Canzoneri, Beau Jack, Dick Tiger, Ken Buchanan, Roberto Duran, Fritzie Zivic, Ike Williams, Joe Frazier, and Muhammad Ali thrilled, shocked, and amazed us.