[professordp]

Many people are unaware that below the current Madison Square Garden there is another arena which seats about 5,000. Currently it is known as the Wa Mu Theater, but when the Garden opened forty years ago, this secondary venue was called the Felt Forum.

Most people recall it as a major rock venue (I saw the Band there in 1969!) Hendrix, Dylan, Zappa, the Doors, the Dead, Guns 'n Roses. et al played memorable concerts at the Forum.

But it was also an important boxing venue from 1968 to 1989 featuring short cards (five or six bouts) at least twice a month with such familiar names as Chuck Wepner, Bennie Briscoe, Adolpho and Edwin Viruet, George Benton, Harold Weston, and later on, Buddy McGirt and Aaron Davis. There were even a few title bouts (intercontinetal, for the most part).

It was a rather intimate venue and not overloaded with cops moonlighting as security guards. You could actually stop by the dressing rooms/lockers after the fights. I remember we hung out with Adolpho Viruet for about an hour after his bout with Luis Resto and were entertained by Al Braverman's stories. People like Gil Clancy were in and out while we were there and nobody gave us a second thought.

I apologize for the quality of the picture, but after plowing through the Net for about two hours, it was the only one I could find.

I've given you the address and seating capacity. If you are into setting a rating, you might want to consider a "3". Back in the early days of cable, MSG would regularly televise Forum bouts.