Madison Square Garden Bowl

Madison Square Garden Bowl was the name of an outdoor arena in the New York City borough of Queens. Built in 1932, the arena hosted circuses and boxing matches. Its seating capacity was 72,000 spectators on wood bleachers. The idea of the stadium came from boxing promotor Tex Rickard who died before it was completed.[3]

It was located at 48th Street and Northern Boulevard in Long Island City. This was the site where James J. Braddock defeated Max Baer for the World Heavyweight title on June 13, 1935 that was dramatized in the film Cinderella Man. Braddock's first comeback fight against John "Corn" Griffin was also in the venue. Jack Sharkey and Primo Carnera also captured the heavyweight crown in the 1930s at the Madison Square Garden Bowl. It was known as the "Jinx Bowl" because no titleholder ever successfully defended his title there.

The bowl was torn down during World War II to make way for a US Army Mail Depot. It, in turn, was torn down and the area is now home to a Major World used car dealership and strip mall.It was also torn down because management of the arena deemed it more economical to rent baseball stadiums for fights rather than have a designated spot. Metal from the stadium was melted down to make bullets and other war materials for the aforementioned US Army Mail Depot.[4]