# McGuigan Harrison Athletic Club

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. The club was used primarily to host boxing matches, but also hosted dances and other functions.

## Fight records

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," 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 :
| 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

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.