Ridgewood Grove Arena - 43 World Boxing Champions

Описание: A visit to the old Ridgewood Grove Arena where 43 World Boxing Champions fought bouts here in Ridgewood, Queens. We are talking big names as well, the Raging Bull Jake LaMotta, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Graziano are just a few of the world champions who fought at the Ridgewood Grove.

Some of the World Boxing Champions who came here only did so once, while others boxed here more than a dozen times. In this video I list all 43 former champions by weight class, and I include a picture of each boxer as well.

Here is the list of all 43 boxers who fought at The Ridgewood Grove who were at one time a World Champion in their respective weight class.

In the flyweight division, we find Pinky Silverburg, who contested a bout here in 1928.

In the Bantamweight division we have Cannonball Eddie Martin, Sixto Escobar, Harry Jeffra and Lou Salica who had 9 fights here both before and after becoming a world champion.
Moving up to Junior Featherweight we have The Bronx Steamroller, Carl Duane, who won the title in 1929.

Next up are the Featherweights. Tony Canzoneri, Andre Routis from France and Freddie Miller. Petey Scalzo from Hells Kitchen, who fought here 5 times, and Phil Terranova.

The next weight class on our list is the super featherweights. From this class we have Mike Ballerino who headlined the second boxing card at this venue in 1926, and the legendary Cuban boxer Kid Chocolate. Frankie Klick, who beat Kid Chocolate for the title, had five bouts at the Ridgewood Grove, and Sandy Saddler.

In the lightweight division one of the all-time greats, Benny Leonard, who held the Lightweight title for eight years, appeared at the Grove during his comeback attempt following seven years of retirement. The Bronx Beauty, Al Singer, boxed 11 times at the Ridgewood Grove, including his first 5 professional fights, and Sammy Angott, Beau Jack and The Brooklyn Billygoat, Paddy DeMarco who fought here seven times.

Next we have the light welterweights, and we begin with The Whitechapel Windmill, Jack ‘Kid’ Berg, and Sammy Fuller who fought at the Grove while world champion in a non-title bout. The Kensington Stringbean Johnny Jadick and The Garfield Gunner, Tippy Larkin were the other two light welterweight champions who graced this arena.

Seven welterweight world champions fought at The Ridgewood Grove, including Sugar Ray Robinson who is often cited as the greatest pound for pound boxer of all time. Robinson won both the welterweight and middleweight world titles. The other welterweights were Joe Dundee, who fought here towards the end of his career, and the Croat Comet, Fritzie Zivic. Honey Boy Johnny Bratton and Marty Servo. And finally Johnny Saxton and The Boston Bomber, Tony DeMarco.

There were six boxers who were middleweight world champion at one time who were on boxing cards at this arena including Rocky Graziano and The Raging Bull, Jake LaMotta. Both fighters only had one professional bout at The Ridgewood Grove, though it is documented that LaMotta had two amateur fights here as well. Ben Jeby had nine bouts here, along with a fellow Jewish boxer who became middleweight champion, Solly Kreiger. And the other two middleweight world champions were The Boxing Bell Hop, Fred Apostoli and Joey Giardello.

Maxie Rosenblum, who later in life became an actor, begins are list of Light Heavyweight champions who once fought at this arena. Rosenbloom fought at the Ridgewood Grove Arena while he was light heavyweight champion, however, the fight that he had here was in the heavyweight division, and therefore his title was not on the line. He had previously fought 3 times at the old Ridgewood Grove. Paul Berlenbach, the Astoria Assassin and Bob Olin were two other light heavyweight champions. And rounding out the list of light heavyweights to fight at the Grove were Melio Bettina, who had his first 4 professional fights at the Grove, and Gus Lesnevich who fought here 19 times, including his debut, and 17 of his first 21 fights as well.

To round out this comprehensive list of future or former world champions who fought at The Ridgewood Grove, and in some instances current world champions in non-title fights, we have the only heavyweight boxing champion to have fought at the arena. The pride of the Irish, James J. Braddock.