All the old fight joints are gone. Stillman’s Gym. Sunnyside Garden. St. Nicholas Arena. Beecher’s Gym.

Once prominent landmarks, they have long disappeared from New York City’s landscape much the way boxing has faded from the forefront of American sports.

But there is still a place where an ex-fighter can call home.

All boxers are welcome at the Waterfront Crabhouse in Long Island City. That is where Ring 8, the New York City chapter of the Veteran Boxers Association, holds its monthly meetings. To attend a meeting is to journey through boxing history and listen as Stillman’s Gym or Sunnyside Garden are resurrected in the stories of the fighters who plied their trade at those long-forgotten venues. It’s a place where retired fighters gather and reminisce about the days when New York was the mecca of boxing, and where they come for various health benefits. VIEW FULL STORY…