rear Tim Tze lost Brian Mendoza In October, he improved his record to 24-0 (17 KOs) and made it clear he felt he was outclassing his native Australia to establish himself as a mainstay in the junior middleweight division. He said it was time to switch to his main stage: the United States, specifically Las Vegas.
New York's Madison Square Garden has established itself as a boxing mecca, but the bright lights of Sin City have been the sport's biggest draw for decades. What was there was Marvin Hagler knock out thomas hearnswhere Hearns flattened Roberto Duranand where ray leonard He pointed to the controversial Hagler.it was las vegas larry holmes beat george cooney, Evander Holyfield shocked mike tysonTyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear.
where was it oscar de la hoya Just as he fought most of his big matches. floyd mayweather (Including the two richest matches in history – his victories Manny Pacquiao and conor mcgregor); where Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin It was a close battle both times.And where Diego Corrales Stop Jose Luis Castillo In this battle, considered by many to be the greatest battle of all time.
Las Vegas is not without its challenges, either. MSG's history and status continue to provide gravitational pull, with Atlantic City threatening to become a similarly brash East Coast cousin to Las Vegas in the 1980s and early 1990s, with boxing an administrative region of China. He even enjoyed a brief fling with Macau.
So far, Las Vegas has held its ground and turned away all visitors. But now it faces a new threat. Turki Aralsik and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, boxing in this desert country has combined episodic play with influencer events with a more dedicated pursuit of the biggest heavyweight fights to intrigue even the most casual fan. Ta. But now Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Alalshik is also preparing cards that will appeal to the sport's more hardcore fans, including a June 1 light heavyweight unification bout. Dmitry Bivol and artur beterbiev.
But as the Chinese experiment showed, that doesn't always hold true. Is the Saudi spigot ultimately destined to turn into another Macau mirage? Or are Las Vegas' days as the ultimate boxing destination really over?
A representative for a major boxing promoter told Boxing Scene he is optimistic about the threat Riyadh poses to Las Vegas' standing in the boxing world.
“Las Vegas will always remain the number one destination for boxing due to its rich history with the sport,” the promoter said. “And we embrace that tradition. Boxing's greatest gateway has arrived in Las Vegas.”
In contrast, veteran martial arts journalists in Sin City Kevin Iall He believes that his hometown's status is in real danger.
“It's been more than 30 years since I've been in Las Vegas, and I think we're in a real crisis now more than ever,” Iole said. kevinor.com, after years of covering boxing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Yahoo! Sports. “The Saudis can outspend even the casinos in Las Vegas. I think all the big fights will be there. There will be very few holdouts. Canelo is likely to be one of them. He wants to do his own thing. But for most people, there seems to be no way to compete with the Saudis.”
A representative for MGM Resorts International declined to comment for this article, but Iole said he suspects the casino operator is relaxed about the situation. He said the city is currently home to an NFL franchise and defending NHL champions, as well as a baseball team and a new NBA arena on the horizon.
“we have [the most recent] We've got the Super Bowl, we've got the NFL Draft, we've got Formula One,” Iole said. “These are all things we didn't have a few years ago, and they were all conspiring to push boxing out anyway.”
Boxing fans hate to admit it, but for broadcasters, casino operators and Saudi royalty alike, boxing is a means to an end. For Saudi Arabia, it is one of the many persuasive sports with huge international appeal that can be used to paint the nation and its ruling class in a proud light. For broadcasters, this is a relatively affordable way to attract advertisers and subscribers. In the case of casinos, boxing fans, at least those who go to boxing's biggest events, bring money for the rooms, restaurants, shows, and gaming tables.
But boxing fans aren't the only visitors with spending power. Las Vegas has always been a city of entertainment, but the sheer number of people it can attract for other events far exceeds anything it has experienced in the past.
“last year, [Stanley] Cup run, it was crazy,” Iole said. “Even after the game started, Toshiba Plaza remained [outside T-Mobile Arena] It was full of people, not to mention the people inside. I think all of this is impacting boxing and the casinos' desire to say, “Let's deal with the insanity that boxing promoters are putting up with.'' ”
(Of course, Saudi Arabia also has F1, has instigated a civil war in golf, is reportedly participating in the world tennis circuit, and is playing host to the 2034 FIFA World Cup, even though bidding has not officially begun.) Until the Saudis decided that boxing wasn't worth the trouble, given their growing collection of baubles and the sport's repeated propensity for self-immolation. I wonder how long it will take).
That doesn't mean boxing in Las Vegas will go away. The city boasts numerous gyms and ready-made fight camps, as well as the presence of major martial arts promoters. Many boxers, both active and retired, have made their home here. Gambling is woven into the Sin City experience. (If you want a place to bet on the game you're watching, you won't find it in Riyadh.) It's relatively easy to access, at least for American fans. And even though Las Vegas doesn't need boxing as much as it once did, the big event is still a potentially lucrative and welcome occurrence, and the industry's enthusiasm for holding cards in Las Vegas remains.
“Part of our DNA is to provide a show that is accessible to boxing fans, the boxing fans who buy tickets,” the promoter said. “There aren't many regular boxing fans who can fly to Saudi Arabia and pay for a hotel to see a fight.”
The promoter warned that while it was clear and understandable that Saudi money was attractive, spending most of it on the biggest attractions risked ignoring the sport's roots.
“Historically, promoters' pursuit of money has led to the shrinking of sports' fan bases, from network TV to HBO/Showtime cable to PPV and beyond,” they said. “We're trying to build a fan base, but I don't really know if we'll be able to do that just by continually feeding on Saudi Arabian games.”
The coming months and years will reveal whether Las Vegas will succeed in defending its boxing supremacy or choose to relinquish its title. However, he will be facing a formidable challenger for the first time in a while.
