One of a number of venues called Athletic Clubs in the metropolis prior to 1900, the Arena Athletic Club in New York City was located at Seventh Avenue and 47th Street near where Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall now stand, according to a New York Times account of 4 fights held there on the 12th of April in 1897.  Professional records indicate the club operated between March and June of that year, providing fast action between such figures as Tom Gannon and Black Griffo on May 1st, and a four fight slate of 10 rounders on June 5th that included the donneybrook between bantams Jack Ritchie and Joe Bateman that had to be stopped by police to prevent serious injury before Bateman was scored the winner.  The "Pride of Pittsburg" Jack McClelland headed the bill on March 29th very early in long career in the ring, winning in 10 over the novice Charles Leopold, with the brilliant Joe Butler filling in at the last minute on the undercard and flooring his opponent Jack Cattanach within seconds of the opening bell.  The newpaper accounts show that most of these boxers evidently were African Americans.