Lennox Lewis And Evander Holyfield Draw

On March 13, 1999, a heavyweight championship match between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

Evander Holyfield (left) and Lennox Lewis (right) pose for a promotional photo prior to their fight at Madison Square Garden.

The match seemed to be in favor of the taller Lewis as he dominated Holyfield all around the ring for 12 rounds.

However, the match went to the cards and ended up being determined by the judges.

One judge gave the match to Lewis 116-113, one saw it as a draw, and Eugenia Williams, saw it as Holyfield being the winner. Because all three cards differed and one was a draw, the outcome was a draw.

Lennox Lewis (left) and Evander Holyfield (right) went toe-to-toe in a 12 round fight at Madison Square Garden in 1999.

There was an incredible amount of outrage from the decision, with many questioning if the fight had been fixed. Williams, the long judge to have Holyfield as the winner, received an enormous amount of criticism.

Williams mentioned that the photographers were blocking her view and that she couldn’t see the fight properly.

Williams testified in court and admitted she had made a mistake, saying, “I couldn’t judge what I couldn’t see. I couldn’t go to the other side, and I even hit my head on a camera when I tired to get closer.”

Eight months later Lewis and Holyfield planned a rematch to face one another, one where Lewis prevailed as the undisputed winner of this match.

The Knicks Open Up The Garden

On Nov. 11, 1946, the New York Knicks play their first game at Madison Square Garden.

Although the Knicks have played at Madison Square Garden since 1946, the location of the Garden has changed, twice before the Knicks began playing basketball in 1879, and 1890 before its location change in 1925 where the 1946 Knicks played.

The 1925 Garden was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near Madison Square. 

The Knicks would call this location their arena for home games, although if there was an important college game, they played in the 69th Regiment Armory.

Then in February 1968 the Garden moved to its current location, where it has been renovated three times in 1991, 2011, and 2012. 

The Garden is now the oldest active major sporting facility in the New York metropolitan area and is the oldest arena in the National Hockey League and the second-oldest arena in the National Basketball Association (after the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California). 

 The current configuration at the Garden has been host to several Knicks NBA Finals games including in 1970: when the Knicks won the NBA championship at Madison Square Garden.

The Garden was also host for the Knicks in the NBA finals in 1972, 1973, 1994 and1999: when the San Antonio Spurs won their championship at Madison Square Garden.