From the 20s through the 50s, major cities were filled with boxing clubs. At the sport’s height, boxing cards were held six days a week in hotbeds like New York City. Since then, clubs have dwindled and struggled to stay open. Today, the latest casualty is Paterson, New Jersey’s Lou Costello Sportman’s Club, named after one-half of the famed comedy duo Abbott & Costello.
According to northjersey.com, the club is facing an eviction on October 1 from their leasing space at the non-profit Straight & Narrow building, located on 11 20th Ave. The building’s owners advised the boxing club organizers that the building’s new insurance provider would not cover boxing activities. An estimated 45 young kids currently work out regularly at the gym.
The Lou Costello Sportman’s Club was established in 1971 and has leased at the Straight & Narrow building since 2001. The eviction is a few months away, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed that some strings are pulled to keep the Sweet Science available to those kids in Paterson, NJ.
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