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McGuigan Harrison Athletic Club

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McGuigan Harrison Athletic Club
McGuigan's A.C.
McGuigan's Arena
The Casino
"Bucket of Blood"
"Tub of Gore"
Address56 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, NJ
OwnerPatrick Daniel McGuigan
TypeAthletic
Genre(s)Boxing

The McGuigan Harrison Athletic Club, also known as McGuigan's Arena or The Casino, was a popular sports and social club in Harrison, NJ in the early 1900s owned by NJ Hall of Fame boxer and promoter Paddy McGuigan.[1] The club was used primarily to host boxing matches, but also hosted dances and other functions.[2]

McGuigan A.C. Harrison PBA Benefit

Fight records

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McGuigan opened his club after the conclusion of his boxing career, which may have gone well into his 50s. Sometimes referred to as Old Paddy McGuigan's "Bucket of Blood,"[3] the club was a widely popular venue for at least 18 years, based on dates found in surviving fight records.

Fights at the club were regularly followed by the Newark Evening News and the Newark Star-Eagle.

Surviving Records[4]
Date Boxer Weight Opponent Weight Result Rounds Type Notes
10-13-1910 Dave Kurtz Charley Smith Win 10 News Decision from New York City newspaper(s).
11-17-1910 Dave Kurtz Frank Kenny Draw 10 News Decision from New York City newspaper(s).
01-03-1911 Hank Griffin "Dutch" Zimmer Win 3 KO Watertown Daily Times.
01-03-1911 Hank Griffin Jack McCargo Win 5 UNK Watertown Daily Times.
01-03-1911 Hank Griffin Bull Anderson UNK UNK UNK Took the place of Freddie Dipples who failed to show. Watertown Daily Times.
01-16-1911 Valentine "Knockout" Brown Jack Ritchie Win 2 KO
02-06-1911 Battling Hurley Tony Bender Win 10 News Decision from the Philadelphia Record.
03-11-1911 Angelo "Young Foster" Venizona William Kennedy UNK 4 UNK Venizona died the next day as a result of injuries sustained during the fight.
02-04-1918 Allentown Joe Gans Willie Gradwell Win 8 News
02-25-1918 Allentown Joe Gans Lew Cardell Draw 8 News
12-09-1918 Jackie Sharkey Harold Farese Loss 8 News
12-23-1918 Phil Krug Bobby Gleason Draw 8 News Gleason's pro debut. He founded the famed Gleason's Gym.
03-19-1919 Jackie Sharkey Patsy Johnson Win 8 News
04-14-1919 Ed Kinley Battling Levinsky Loss 8 News Decision reported from the Illustrated Boxing Record.
05-20-1919 Charley Weinert Ed Williams Win 2 TKO
10-27-1919 Phil Krug Ed Kinley Win 8 News Decision from New York City newspaper(s).
12-19-1919 Mickey Walker 139 lbs Young Thompson Win 5 TKO Decision from northern New Jersey newspaper.
05-03-1920 Bobby Gleason Allentown Joe Gans Win 12 News
12-06-1921 Allentown Joe Gans Panama Joe Gans Loss 12 News Decision from New York City newspaper(s).
10-09-1922 Spencer Gardner Willie Murphy Win 12 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
10-09-1922 Oliver Gardner Johnny Dixon Loss 6 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
10-16-1922 Red Chapman Jimmy Freda Win 12 News Decision from The Ring & the Newark Evening News.
10-16-1922 Billy Vidabeck Willie Applegate Win 6 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
10-23-1922 Red Chapman Spencer Gardner Win 12 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
11-14-1922 Spencer Gardner Tommy Gerrard Win 12 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
12-07-1922 Red Chapman Spencer Gardner Win 10 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
01-25-1923 Willie Herman 138.5 lbs Marty Mandeville 140 lbs Win 3 TKO
01-25-1923 Panama Billy Walker 138 lbs Bobby Morris 140 lbs Win 8 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
01-25-1923 Snowball Moore 148 lbs Battling Walker 141 lbs Loss 6 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
01-25-1923 Joe Barry 116.5 lbs Eddie West 116.25 lbs Loss 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
01-25-1923 Clyde Jones 131 lbs Young Ross 133 lbs Draw 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
01-25-1923 Charley Murray 127.5 lbs Kid Callahan 128.15 lbs Draw 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
02-01-1923 Lew Seltzer 146.5 lbs Young Banne 143.5 lbs Win 8 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
02-01-1923 Johnny Ryan 138 lbs Joe Bean 135 lbs Win 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
02-01-1923 Charley Reed 136.5 lbs Kid Beans 135 lbs Win 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
02-01-1923 Joe Ross 133.5 lbs Lew Farrell 132.5 lbs Win 2 TKO
02-01-1923 Johnny Dixon 126 lbs Artie Gold 124 lbs Win 4 News Decision from the New York Evening Telegram.
02-13-1923 Tommy Stapleton Bert Smithers Win 8 KO
02-13-1923 Joe O'Brien Mickey Griffin Loss 4 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
02-20-1923 Battling Johnson Joe Senter Cancelled 0 X Fight was canceled due to Johnson's illness, declined to fight others.
04-03-1923 Billy Moore Jim Halliday Scheduled UNK UNK Outcome unknown.
04-03-1923 Mickey Lebor Johnny Dixon Scheduled UNK UNK Outcome unknown.
04-24-1923 Willie Crystal Jack McFarland Loss 12 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
04-24-1923 Larry Estridge James Thomas Win 1 KO
05-10-1923 Ray Pryel Jimmy Duffy Scheduled 12 UNK Outcome unknown.
05-21-1923 Billy White Jack Ritchie Win 6 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
05-21-1923 Joey Russell Frankie Mason Win 4 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
06-07-1923 Joey Russell Patsy Moore Win 1 TKO
06-28-1923 Leo Gates Bill Holliday Scheduled 12 UNK Outcome unknown.
08-09-1923 George Mulholland Jackie Brown Scheduled UNK UNK Outcome unknown. Rematch of Mulholland's victory a week before in West New York, NJ.
09-06-1923 Jack Rappaport 140 lbs Shamus O'Brien 144 lbs Loss 12 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
02-11-1924 Mickey Walters Charley Traino Win 10 News Sometimes attributed to Mickey Walker.
Decision from New York City newspaper(s).
02-05-1925 Benny Tressito Philly Griffin Loss 6 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
02-05-1925 Sollie Castellane Bobby Rinker Win 1 KO
02-05-1925 Jack Stone Sid Kelly Win 3 KO
02-05-1925 Sammy Tucker Matty DiSantis Win UNK News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
06-12-1925 Nate Isaacson Steve Samsky Win UNK News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
06-19-1925 Charley Wells Nick Resa Win 4 News
06-30-1925 Willie Ferguson Jimmy Britt Win 1 KO
06-30-1925 Midget Herman Nick Carter Win 6 TKO
07-09-1925 Larry Roach Kid Leon Win 1 KO
07-09-1925 Bobby Morris Whitney Miller Win 8 News Decision from the Newark Evening News.
07-17-1925 Benny Tressito Philly Griffin Loss 6 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
07-17-1925 Abie Bain Willie Ferguson Win 3 KO
07-17-1925 Joe Harbelt Dal Hawkins Win 6 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
09-11-1925 Nate Isaacson Sailor Joe Downey Win 10 News
03-26-1926 Buddy Dawson Sollie Castellane Loss 8 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
07-09-1926 Sammy Tucker Sammy Parker Win 1 KO
08-20-1926 Sailor Darden 145 lbs Joe Moresco 142 lbs Win 10 News Decision from the Chester Times in PA.
09-14-1926 Abie Bain Sailor Darden Loss 10 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
09-14-1926 Phil Krug Danny Fagan Win 10 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
09-14-1926 Joey Russell Babe Adams Win 8 News Decision from the Newark Star-Eagle.
09-14-1926 Lenny Banks Billy Devoe Win 1 TKO
08-27-1928 Tony Galento James Jay Lawless Loss 5 DQ

Controversy

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On March 4, 1911, a boy boxer named Angelo "Young Foster" Venizona died after being hospitalized due to injuries sustained in a bout with boxer William Kennedy at McGuigan's club the previous night. Reportedly, the match ended without a knockdown or knockout after four rounds and both competitors shook hands in the dressing room. Shortly afterwards, Venizona fell backwards onto the ground while sitting on a railing inside the club. A physician instructed Venizona to be taken home after evaluating him. After a confrontation between the boy's father and the men who took him home regarding the source of his injury, Venizona was taken to the City Hospital in Newark. Harrison detectives ruled that Venizona's death was caused by a blood clot at the base of his brain due to a blow to the head sustained during the match, which may have also caused him to fall off of the railing afterwards. Kennedy was arrested and charged with manslaughter. McGuigan and two other men were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting, arraigned in the Harrison Police Courts, and taken to the Hudson County Courthouse. McGuigan was released on $500 bail, while the two others were held as material witnesses. Upon receiving a letter from the case prosecutor, Harrison's Chief of Police notified McGuigan that boxing matches would no longer be permitted at the club. It is unknown how this ban was resolved or circumvented, as bouts continued to take place at the club for at least the following 15 years.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Corporations of New Jersey: List of Certificates Filed in the Department of State During the Year 1917", November 25, 2011
  2. ^ Anthony Marenghi, "Mourners Recall McGuigan's Foes", September 14, 1938, The Newark Star-Eagle, November 4, 2010
  3. ^ "New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, "Jack McFarland," October 5, 2011". Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  4. ^ Boxrec Boxing Records, McGuigan's Arena Harrison NJ, November 25, 2011
  5. ^ The New York Times, "Boy Boxer Died After Bout", March 5, 1911, "[1]", July 7, 2011