From the colosseums packed with watchers who witnessed fights to the death with cestus gloves, to the glamorous title fights broadcast live in living color, the most high-profile fights are reliant on a dramatic backdrop to do them justice.
These locales are amongst the most commonly-named boxing arenas, even by casual fans, but what is it that makes them so exceptional?
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The sight of Fury ‘carried’ on a throne to the ring to face Deontay Wilder last month, bedecked in royal garb and a crown prior to his WBC title-winning knockout win, was befitting of the MGM Grand’s regal splendor.
Located in the heart of Las Vegas, NV, its famous emerald-hued exterior tells everyone in the vicinity that there is nothing to hide. Inside, the capacity of up to 17,000 makes for an incredible atmosphere, especially when combined with the advanced acoustics boasted by the main arena.
Its location within an area well-known for a vast array of casinos and entertainment venues further contributes to an energetic atmosphere where winning is all that matters in a high-stakes bout.
Atlantic City – Various
As Las Vegas is towards the US West Coast, New Jersey is towards the East. One of the pioneers of legalized wagering, ‘NJ’ takes a lot of credit for the expansion of such, into online realms – for instance – where the latest notable features and offers, such as the , are available to those in states where internet gaming is legal, allowing its citizens to enjoy the buzz of the casino from home.
But the area has a pretty decent offering of land casinos, too, and Atlantic City is a true heavyweight. Its iconic boardwalk sets it apart from other gaming hotspots, and inspires the name for its centerpiece monument – Boardwalk Hall. With a coliseum-style décor, it retains the best of the olden times on the outside, and has every modern refinement imaginable on the inside.
Also in Atlantic City was Trump World's Fair, once known as the Atlantis Hotel. This is a place that largely belongs in boxing’s past rather than its present, and the frequent sight of Mike Tyson in his 1980s prime demolishing opponents at Boardwalk Hall will be the venue’s enduring memory.
Madison Square Garden
Many residents of the Big Apple would argue that every boxing event in each coast’s main hub of life should be held at these venues and nowhere else. ‘MSG’ has held iconic fights in the recent and distant past, with a major watershed being the first fight in the famous Frazier v Ali trilogy. It single-handedly thrust MSG into a new era of fame, which has been maintained by new talents thereafter.
More recently, Anthony Joshua made his stateside bow at MSG, in a bout that promised to bring the States and Britain closer than ever in a boxing context. Its current boxing event capacity of over 18,000 makes it an exceptionally intimidating place for any potential challenger for a major belt.
As the city that never sleeps, New York’s electric atmosphere always serves to magnify the significance of any result witnessed in an event at MSG.