How Las Vegas Became the Home of Boxing
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Las Vegas is one of the most famous cities in the world. It's the place to go if you want to have a flutter in some of world's mostfamous casinos. Vegas has many Michelin-starred restaurants and Elvis Presley impersonators. Many A-list celebrities have been resident in one the big casino resorts, including Elvis, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga. The city is also the home of boxing.
Las Vegas has become the home of boxing. Top pros fight at the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Las Vegas is the home of professional boxing. New York's Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium and St. Nicholas Arena hosted boxing matches before Las Vegas. Boxing took off in the US in late 1940s when the three biggest TV networks were airing weekly boxing shows.
Boxing moved to Las Vegas in the 1950s. The quality of the fighters taking part in New York had declined. Las Las was appealing because of casinos and the night-time entertainment.
Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks' fight in 1978 cemented Las Vegas' position as the home of boxing. Mike Tyson took on Evander Holyfield in Las Las in 1996. Lennox Lewis fought Vitali Klitschko there in 2003. Floyd Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 earned $500 million for the organizers.
Johnny Tocco traveled to Las Vegas in 1953 to watch Nino Valdex take on Archie Moore. He stayed in the city and opened the Ringside Gym. Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, and Sonny Liston were all trained there.
Las Vegas is a city built around the casino industry. The fights are a marketing tool to attract high rollers to Nevada. Many people who attend a big boxing match will be betting on the fight and gambling at the tables and slot machines.
