Madison Square Garden is now known for holding some of the greatest sporting contests including some of the biggest boxing matches (Ali vs. Frazier, Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano, etc..). But between 1875 and 1879 this was not always so:
(In Madison Square Garden) Also were offered were "illustrated lectures on pugilism" a means of getting around the state law against boxing. Pug-nosed "professors" were employed... Similarly a few years later John L. Sullivan would get arrested at the venue after he knocked fellow "professor" Charlie Mitchell out of the ring. Sullivan's "instructions" in the pugilistic field sometimes came with the proviso students would be enriched by $1,000 if they remained standing after four rounds.
Wrestling in the Garden: The Battle for New York by Scott Teal
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