'Fight Night' in Las Vegas always has meant more than just boxing
Riddick Bowe (l.) speaks at a dais to members of the media, including W.G. Ramirez (center right), who at the time was sports editor at the Las Vegas Sentinel-Voice.
PHOTO CREDIT: W.G. Ramirez
(The following is an excerpt from an article that is featured at The Sporting Tribune, discussing the history of Fight Night from my point of view, as I best remember it since 11 years old in 1980, to a member of the media in 2024. You can read the full article HERE.)
By W.G. RAMIREZ
LAS VEGAS -- As I stood inside MGM's Grand Garden Arena for a celebration of the venue's 100th boxing card, I couldn't help but think about Oct. 2, 1980, the first time I remember attending a major fight card in Las Vegas.
My grandfather had secured ringside seats for "The Last Hurrah!"
Muhammad Ali's effort against Larry Holmes was a far cry from any hurrah, but it certainly brought tears to my eyes. Watching Ali get pummeled into retirement wasn't what I expected at 11 years old.
Here I thought Holmes was a nice guy for signing my autograph book before he ever even won a championship belt — he signed it "the future champ, Larry Holmes" — and I just watched him bring an end to "The Greatest."
'Boxing ... synonymous with Las Vegas'
"Boxing has been synonymous with Las Vegas for the past 40 or 50 years, and the 'Entertainment Capital of the World' became the 'Boxing Capital of the World'," legendary commentator Jim Gray told The Sporting Tribune during the celebration. "A lot of great events that have taken place here.
"And memorable not only for boxing fans, but for casual fans because they become historic. Ali, what happened out at Caesars Palace in the parking lot. (Marvin) Hagler and (Thomas) Hearns, one of the greatest fights ever. And (José Luis) Corollas and (Diego) Castillo at Mandalay Bay was maybe the greatest fight ever. … Mike Tyson and an ear-biting - there's a lot to unpack."
There really is.
Imagine one of many full-circle moments as a journalist when I covered Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, in his MGM Grand Garden debut on April 30, 2022, on the undercard of Shakur Stevenson's unanimous decision win over Oscar Valdez for the WBC and WBO Super Featherweight crowns.
"Everyone's got a story of my grandfather, but every story is different," Ali Walsh said Thursday at the celebratory event. "And especially when I hear someone like you who's in my hometown, you've lived here basically your whole life. I've been here my whole life.
"You're seeing different generations. And I think that's awesome."
Different point of view
By the time I officially covered my first boxing match, the 1984, 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Boxing teams had produced fighters such as Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland, Holyfield, Michael Carbajal, Kennedy McKinney, Roy Jones Jr., Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe and Oscar De La Hoya.
I couldn't wait to enter a different spectrum when it came to boxing.
The build-up with an initial press conference weeks or months before to promote the match and then the final pre-fight presser with an elegant luncheon two days before the weigh-in.
The night of the event was a page out of old-school Vegas when people went to showrooms to see headliners and wore their best suits and dresses. Nights out meant something, not just a casual couple of hours in shorts and a designer tee.
From Caesars' famed Sports Pavilion, to its outdoor stadium, to Boxing at the Boat (Showboat), to the Hilton Convention Center, to the Imperial Palace, to the Silver Slipper, to the Mirage, and to the Thomas and Mack Center when it entered the realm to host boxing, to now, the eventual current places we're seeing boxing events take place, like Mandalay Bay, T-Mobile Arena and the MGM Grand Garden.
As mentioned, Gray and I chopped it up briefly to talk about the 100 boxing cards at MGM's venue and for many of boxing's young stars, that's all they know.
"Fight Night," in Vegas, is what it was.
Lost its luster?
I can't say it's lost its luster, as many of the same events take place during the week leading up to the bout. And hey, this is still Las Vegas, and it is still the "Boxing Capital of the World."
But the media has changed, and the attitude toward covering an event is different. Social media hasn't helped and anyone with a smartphone is suddenly welcome, with or without a credential.
