Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-05-12 | Page 13 | Famed Harlem Olymphia Arena Sold for $227

r I I FAMED HARLEM Hl OLYMPIA ARENA SOLD FOR Club Where Dempsey Made New York Debut Passes Into History NEW YORK May 12 UP UP-A UP A I boxing landmark of a bygone era th the Olympia club of Harlem has passed Into history The ring in which Jack Jac Demp y then an unknown from Utah made mad his New York YOlk debut 15 years ears ago th the ring in which Freddy Welsh Benny Leonard and Johnny Johhny Kilbane fought fough their way to championships was sold soldat soldat at auction I The frayed ropes against which Johnny Johnn Dundee did some of hi his fanciest bouncing the padded ma mat where many an aspiring pugilist heard the toll toU of the fatal 10 10 the posts post and buckets bucke buckets all all went with the ring I and the ringside seats 70 10 chairs chair and 75 benches for the sum of to J J. J Lc Lewis is of oC Brooklyn who now has hs the beginning of ot another boxIng boxIng box box- Ing irIg club SOLD FOR FOB DEBT The Tho ring and scats seats were put Under under un under un- un der the hammer to satisfy a of or 2646 obtained by the owner o othe of the building for unpaid rent The Olympia club has actually been dead for somo sono time The last las boxing show was staged there February February February Feb Feb- 6 Charley and Billy BUly hea eight fighting for the right to meet Fred Fulton the leading loading contender contender con eon tender of the tile day drew a gate of 18 13 a at Olympia one night The gate cate for the last few shows was under with only a few hundred fans in place of the WOO 2000 who Jammed the club in its palmy days BUILT 1 IN 1916 The Olympia arena rena was built buU in 1916 as a a. dance hall hail bu but was taken over as a n. boxing club a short time later Tho The late John R John the tho Barber became matchmaker anc and picked up a wanderer named Demp Demp- sey He used u cd Dempsey at the Olympic Olympic pic plc In three bouts a against Andre Anderson An An- derson Wild Burt Kenny and John Lester Johnson Johnson received less than for the three bouts and was fired by who who later attempted to cut in n on Dempsey's million dollar earn earn- ings lags When boxing was ns barred In New York the Olympia became a dance danee hall haIl again and then reopened in 19 1920 0 under the Walker law as the Commonwealth Com Corn club