Return of the Mecca: Past, Present & Future Champions Converge in NYC

I was in the building when Felix Trinidad fought Troy Waters, when he fought Pernell Whitaker , and when he fought William Joppy and Ricardo Mayorga. The atmosphere was amazing for those cards, but other than the fan who brought his trumpet to the fights, those crowds had nothing on the crowd that showed up Friday night.

Hundreds of fans wore the flags of Puerto Rico and Ireland draped around their shoulders like capes, and one fan showed up dressed like a green clover. A few rows from me were former contenders John Scully and Tyrone “The Harlem Butcher” Jackson. The crowd erupted into cheers when Kevin Hart and Christopher McDonald appeared on the big screen, but, predictably, the cheers were loudest when New York-Puerto Rican Luis Guzman waved to the crowd.

While the undercard at The Garden was starting, across the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, some of the best fights of the night were taking place. In an event sponsored by Boxraw, fighters such as Rashidi Ellis, Kurt Scoby, Jalil Hackett, Nikita Ababiy, and Ray Cuadrado rumbled in a one-day event that was free to the public. About two hundred fans showed up to view the sparring, gathering in a 130-year-old, exposed-brick building that was once a rope factory. Entry was free, as were the food and drinks, and everyone who attended received merchandise at reduced prices.

Rounding out the week was Saturday’s card co-headlined by the Shakur Stevenson -William Zepeda and Edgar Berlanga– Hamzah Sheeraz fights. Held in an open-air venue known more for tennis, four fantastic fights closed out the weekend with a bang. David Morrell Jr. appeared fortunate to get the nod over the rugged Iman Kataev. Subriel Matias became a champ again, taking a close one over Alberto Puello. In his toughest test to date, Stevenson survived a rocky first four rounds before settling into a groove and winning about six of the last eight rounds. And then, in the closing match, Sheeraz dropped the local favorite Berlanga three times in five rounds to gain an emphatic victory over the smack-talking New Yorker.

Two great cards, one fantastic sparring event, and a week of festivities that gave New York boxing fans a glimpse of what it was like back when Madison Square Garden was known as the Mecca of Boxing. Starting in the 1880s, when track star and comedian Peter “Old Sport” Campana ’s historic performances inspired media members to christen New York the Mecca of Racing, New York and its venues became known as The Mecca of Cycling, The Mecca of Opera, and, later, The Mecca of Boxing. During the 1930s, you could watch the flashy Kid Chocolate on Monday, the rugged Tony Galento on Tuesday, the exciting Pedro Montanez on Wednesday, the dynamic Tony Canzoneri on Thursday, and the whirlwind Henry Armstrong on Friday.

In the 1940s, you could watch local legends such as Rocky Graziano and Sandy Saddler develop, and could show up at The Garden and watch Joe Louis , Sugar Ray Robinson , and Holman Williams all fight on the same card. Similarly, this week was filled with open workouts, media appearances, and, for the first time in a long time, the local papers were writing about boxing. Aside from the lack of parking at the Louis Armstrong Stadium for the Berlanga-Sheeraz fight, the only downside, at least for New York fans, was the losses of two of the city’s biggest draws.

Taylor-Serrano III was not the exciting slugfest that their two previous fights were. But a third win by Taylor puts an end to the hottest rivalry female boxing has ever seen. Can Serrano draw as large a crowd without Taylor? And what about Berlanga?

There was no doubt Berlanga could fill an arena, at least in New York. And any questions as to why his bout went on last were put to rest if you were in attendance. The crowd was there to see Berlanga first, Matias second, and Shakur third. Aside from a few fans with Jersey license plates who wanted a head start home before the Grand Central Parkway became the Grand Central Parking Lot, the crowd remained in their seats for the Berlanga fight. Hopefully, New York – and other cities – can find the right mix of stars and local attractions to continue putting on events like the ones we saw this week.

The apparent front runners to take over women’s boxing appear to be American Alycia Baumgardner , who retained her crown with a unanimous decision over Spain’s Jennifer Miranda, and London’s Ellie Scotney, who added the WBC title to her IBF and WBO straps with a decision over the game Mexican, Yamileth Mercado. Shadasia Green won over the crowd with a game victory over Savannah Marshall, who showed that she still has a lot of miles left on her odometer.

Another option was sitting just a few seats from me. Nine-time national amateur champion, Jaysha Zapata, an 18-year-old from Newburgh, NY, with an infectious smile and cinnamon-colored eyes, is gearing up to go pro in 2026. Seated with her parents and fight manager/advisor Neil Pellone, the Puerto Rican-born Zapata was unabashedly rooting for Taylor, who she felt was the better fighter. On the male side, New York has a couple of excellent pros who might become the ticket sellers that Berlanga and Serrano are. Richardson Hitchins and Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington are only a win or two from becoming main attractions.

One thing that promoters Jake Paul and Turki Al-Sheikh proved this week is that when promoters want to promote, when they use their creativity and vision, boxing is not only alive and kicking, it’s as popular and exciting as it was when New York was The Mecca of Boxing.