Las Vegas was once the boxing capital of the world. For decades, world champions would have to go to the United States for the biggest paydays and the most fame, often gravitating more towards New York. Then, Sin City emerged, pumping millions into its live events, which included several top-class boxing matches.
Over the years of Las Vegas dominance, Floyd Mayweather Jr. making the city his home set the bar. As has been detailed by one of Las Vegas’ casino-hotel’s presidents of sports and events, he changed the setting. Mayweather created “an electricity” across the city, and while there were many great live events, Mayweather’s were special.
Now, however, Las Vegas barely registers a pulse in world-class boxing. So, it Las Vegas still a desirable location for a mega boxing event, and why might Sin City have faded as boxing’s Mecca?
An Undeniable Hub of Global Entertainment
From its absurd count of casinos to the famed Las Vegas residencies of star musicians and performers, Las Vegas continues to live up to its self-appointed moniker of being the entertainment capital of the world. Anyone who goes to the city for an event can enjoy so much more than just the boxing or a concert, for example.
Naturally, you’d look to the casinos as an extension of a night of entertainment. These lavish halls of classic casino games are more accessible than ever thanks to the plethora of help in understanding the best games available online. Anyone can easily review the how to win at slots guide and work out the best games to play as a result.
Drawing from the guide, visitors to Las Vegas should try to find slots with high RTP ratings, keep tabs on any available jackpot slots, and weigh up volatility. With volatility ranging from low to high, players can generally set expectations on the experience, with high volatility slots paying less often but in larger sums on average.
With so much going on, holding a world title fight would bring so much to Las Vegas, just as Mayweather bouts once did, and people love to go. It seems as though it’s more an issue with the sport than the city, though. In 2017, the UFC made the new T-Mobile Arena its official home, cementing world-class combat sports in the city for years.
Boxing’s Moved on from Las Vegas
We have seen a whole host of the biggest boxing matchups take place just about anywhere outside Las Vegas over the last decade, including Saudi Arabia, Dallas, New York and Japan.
Something that may be swaying this is the general American appetite for boxing. The country famed for the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson has been without a top-tier heavyweight champion for a long time. Deontay Wilder would regularly duck top-tier competitors and take easier bouts to defend his one belt.
Eventually, he came undone by a better-than-expected returning Tyson Fury, and recently it’s been Europe housing the heavyweight elite. In the US, world title may sell out 30,000-seater indoor arenas, but in the UK, they sell out 90,000 stadiums.
It’s not all about the heavyweight division, of course. Mayweather wasn’t a heavyweight, and Terrence Crawford isn’t either. Still, there is something to be said for the US being without a headline heavyweight.
In boxing’s place, the UFC has risen rapidly in popularity across the US, and Nevada has welcomed it with open arms. Even though boxing has moved on from Las Vegas, for the most part, Sin City has its new favorite.
