Floyd Mayweather has made Las Vegas his home, both personally and professionally, and when he is billed to fight there, he brings a larger-than-life sense of excitement and electricity to a town that is already larger than life.
Vegas is color, excitement, and lights, and it is no wonder that it is the boxing capital of the world. From the days of Mohammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, the Strip has hosted a number of stunningly memorable matches.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns 1981
Hearns and Sugar Ray faced off only six times in the ring. In perhaps one of the classic Sugar Ray matches, the 1981 competition, billed as ‘The Showdown’, was held in front of a packed house at Caesar’s Palace.
The contrast between the pair was sublime – Sugar Ray’s trademark footwork and lightning-fast moves pitted against the powerful right jabs and stabbing left-hand follow-ups of Hearns.
Sugar Ray battled a badly swelling eye, and Hearns subsequently took out rounds nine through twelve before Sugar Ray rallied and unleased on him to win the championship.
Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe 1992
The Strip has witnessed many intense bouts which have brought the establishment to a virtual standstill. Perhaps one of the show-stopping moments was found in the intensity of the Holyfield vs. Bowe fight in November 1992.
This was a battle from start to finish, and the excitement ran to a sustained fever pitch from the first to the final bell. Despite being the favorite, Holyfield had consistent trouble exchanging blows with a larger, younger opponent, and Bowe’s strength shone through with the contender landing a full 53% of his 248 blows, compared to Holyfield’s 39% from 161.
In one of the best bouts of all time, Bowe took out the new Heavyweight Champion of the World crown.
The duo met again only twice after that, with Holyfield winning one by decision the following year and the powerful youngster Bowe winning by knockout in 1995.
Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney 1982
Even though in recent times, the surrounding backdrop of Vegas has moved to online sites like spinpalace.com, casinos in Vegas have a vivid history when it concerns boxing matches. Held at one of the most famous casinos in Vegas in 1982, the Holmes vs. Cooney match drew a record attendance for what was one of the most highly anticipated bouts of its time.
The ‘Great White Hope’ Cooney, known for his power punching and left hook, gave it his all against the more experienced 12th-time defender of the title. Holmes’ experience, skill, and style proved too great a match for the younger aggressor, putting an end to it neatly in the 13th round.
Final bell
A star-studded audience also witnessed the 1982 Holmes vs. Clooney event, with both Sylvester Stallone and Frank Sinatra ringside, perhaps neatly sealing a classic match and the end of a darker cultural era.
With this kind of history and pedigree, Las Vegas unsurprisingly holds the title as the boxing capital of the world.