From 1933 to 1960, the UW nighttime hotspot wasn't Langdon Street, where popular late-night formal dances were routine. It also wasn't the Plaza Bar and Grill off of State Street or the Memorial Union Terrace.
It was the UW Field House, where boxers reigned supreme.
Each match, the UW boxing team would entice thousands: students, alumni, Madisonians and, in 1940, even Madison's fire chief showed up.
With a 16,000-person crowd overflowing, the fire chief approached boxing head coach John Walsh.
John, I'm the fire chief and I'm a boxing fan. But if you put in another crowd like this, I'm going to close you down and run like hell,"" he told Walsh. ""[I'm not shutting you down] tonight though. We've got a good match.""
The UW boxing team dominated UW sports, winning eight national titles in its 27-year existence""two more than men's hockey, which won its six national titles in a 33-year span.
Wisconsin boxers collected 38 individual titles""just over one-fourth of the total number of NCAA championships won during college boxing's existence. Though often considered an individual sport, part of the reason boxing was so successful was because of the team's closeness.
""[Former Badger Athletic Director and football legend] Elroy Hirsch made the observation without being prompted that the boxers had more camaraderie than any other single group in athletics at the university,"" said Bob Ranck, who won the 1951 and 1952 NCAA heavyweight championships.
From 1939-'43, the average attendance at the Field House numbered 12,888. The smallest audience during that time was 8,500, according to ""The Six-Minute Fraternity"" by E.C. Wallenfeldt. Today, a maximum of 10,600 spectators can watch the UW volleyball team in the Field House.
Boxing matches were social events. With an average of 15,000 attendees, it drew more than the basketball team, according to Doug Moe, author of ""Lords of the Ring"" which focused on the rise""and fall""of UW boxing. The University of Wisconsin Marching Band would show up an hour and a half before the matches, and approximately one-third of spectators were women.
""It was a big, popular deal here,"" Moe said. ""In terms of the success they had, it was probably the most successful program ever at UW-Madison as a sport.""
The Badgers even hosted the NCAA tournament during Olympic years.
""It was wild. It was wonderful. The home crowd advantage was wonderful,"" Ranck said. ""We went a lot of places""California, New York. It was not like Wisconsin. The people of Madison loved boxing.""
""Collegiate boxing, in and of itself, was an excellent thing to be involved in,"" he added. ""It taught you how to be a man.""
