By Sean Anderson
BEFORE David Benavidez faced David Morrell in another fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, it became apparent that the days of the MGM as the Strip’s boxing focal point may be over. Boxing News charts the history of what was once the undisputed location for the world’s biggest boxing events.
Almost 70 years ago, a boxing promoter came up with the outlandish idea of bringing big-time boxing to the desert in Las Vegas, Nevada. The boxing scene in New York was struggling.
The first fight held in Vegas saw Archie Moore defend his world light-heavyweight title against Nino Valdés on May 7, 1955. The location wasn’t a casino; it was outdoors at the site of Cashman Field. Hosting a major fight in Vegas went down as well as a craps shooter hitting a seven. In the pre-fight build-up, it was described as “the greatest event for the town since the government started using the area for atom bomb tests.”
Despite the furore surrounding the event, attendance was poor. Nevertheless, the foundations had been laid and subsequent events moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center. With the close connection between gambling and boxing, it was only a matter of time before casinos saw their opportunity.
Caesars Palace kicked things off with George Foreman vs Ron Lyle in 1976. This fight took place in an indoor tennis centre at the complex. Before long, the parking lot became home to many marquee fights throughout the 1980s. For many, such a setting didn’t do the bright lights of Las Vegas justice and an indoor arena purpose-built for boxing was needed. Enter the 17,000-capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Just over 30 years later, the location has hosted a total of 119 events, including those held in its ballrooms. Synonymous with the biggest fights for over three decades, the arena opened with a Barbra Streisand concert on New Year’s Eve in 1993 before hosting its first fight night on January 29, 1994.
Don King, Bob Arum and a frenetic start for the Arena (1994-1995)
Don King’s promotion on January 29, 1994, was initially planned as a blockbuster clash between George Foreman and Lennox Lewis. That plan went up in smoke after Foreman lost to Tommy Morrison.
Fortunately, they had a three-fight deal with the unbeaten Julio Cesar Chávez to fall back on. Chávez headlined the inaugural show, putting his incredible 89-0-1 record on the line against Frankie Randall. Chávez lost, and the MGM was officially on the map.
That year, the location hosted a staggering 15 shows, including King’s “Revenge: The Rematches” card. Four rematches took place, including Chávez avenging his loss to Randall. It is widely considered one of the best pay-per-view cards to ever take place.
Other notable fights in 1994 saw Roy Jones Jr. defeat James Toney and the ‘Big George’ moment, with Foreman defeating Michael Moorer to win the world heavyweight title aged 45. “It happened!” A certain Oscar De La Hoya also appeared at the MGM three times in 1994.
Bob Arum and Top Rank led from the front in 1995. Kostya Tszyu won his first world title; Toney suffered a second successive defeat when stepping up in weight to face Montel Griffin and Riddick Bowe stopped Britain’s Herbie Hide in seven shows at ‘The Big Green’.
Six-fight deals, stocks and the steady decline of Iron Mike (1996-1999)
By early 1996, Mike Tyson was two fights into his post-prison comeback under the guidance of Don King. Two comfortable victories left many believing that the Tyson of old was still there and King brokered a six-fight deal with the MGM. Ever the entrepreneur, King parlayed his promoter’s cut to buy his own stocks in the casino.
The year began with a card headlined by Félix Trinidad defending his IBF strap, but the three other cards that year were all headlined by Tyson. In March, he knocked out Frank Bruno to regain the WBC version of the heavyweight title, and in September, he rolled over Bruce Seldon. Then, in November, he was comprehensively outboxed and stopped by Evander Holyfield.
By this point, King had invested millions in MGM shares and continued cashing in during the Holyfield vs Tyson rematch in June 1997. However, everything unravelled after Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ear. Following the controversy, the casino decided to end its deal with Tyson, the then-controlling owner, Kirk Kerkorian, buying out King’s share in the location. This resulted in the location being absent of boxing for 18 months.
After serving his ban from the Nevada Boxing Commission, Tyson returned to the MGM in 1999. This time, King was not involved, the fight against Francois Botha being promoted by America Presents. Tyson laboured before pulling off a fifth-round knockout. His final appearance at the MGM was another disappointment, a first-round no-contest against Orlin Norris in November 1999.
While Tyson’s six-fight deal at the location was an undeniable let-down, the revenue it generated for all involved, including the surrounding casinos, was immense. The MGM was firmly established.
The lighter men and the new millennium (2000-2004)
Following the chaos of King and Tyson, it was time for someone else to take the baton. On the first card of the new millennium, Floyd Mayweather made the first of his record 15 appearances at the MGM (equal with Manny Pacquiao), defending his WBC super-featherweight belt against Gregorio Vargas. This was an era dominated by Top Rank. Fighters like Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor, Johnny Tapia and Paulie Ayala all featured in 2000.
2001 was arguably the most impressive year at the venue since the madness of 1994. Headliners included Mayweather scoring a rare knockout victory against Corrales, Tszyu knocking out Zab Judah amid remarkable scenes, De La Hoya stopping Arturo Gatti and Marco Antonio Barrera outpointing Prince Naseem Hamed. Erik Morales also made his debut at the location in 2001, as did Pacquiao, defeating Lehlo Ledwaba.
Between 2002 and 2003, there were six events at the location. Barrera began to thrive there, avenging his loss to Morales two years previously at Mandalay Bay. Mayweather narrowly edged out José Luis Castillo, while De La Hoya lost his rematch with Shane Mosley.
In 2004, six stellar cards were staged, including Pacquiao’s draw in his first of four fights with Juan Manuel Márquez, Bernard Hopkins knocking out an ageing De La Hoya and Barrera defeating Morales in their rubber match to close out the year. These were halcyon days for the lighter weights, with Arum maintaining ownership of many of the sport’s star attractions, but a shift was on the horizon.
The Golden Boy trades punches for promotions (2005-2008)
By 2005, De La Hoya, Richard Schaefer, and Golden Boy Promotions were beginning to make waves. Their first show at the MGM was Hopkins’ defeat to Jermaine Taylor in July of that year. Morales also beat Pacquiao while Don King promoted a show for the first time since selling his stake in the MGM, Ronald Wright vs Felix Trinidad.
It was more of the same over the next two years, with Golden Boy dominating. But there were two clear highlights, both taking place in 2007. First of all, Mayweather and De La Hoya faced off in one of the biggest fights ever held, exclusively under the Golden Boy banner. Then, just seven months later, Mayweather knocked out Ricky Hatton. It is here we first see the name Leonard Ellerbe appear as a promoter at the MGM, and this fight was promoted alongside Schaefer.
2008 saw Arum again become more active at the MGM, delivering Kelly Pavlik vs Taylor and Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito. Golden Boy were again busy, promoting fights including Hatton vs Paulie Malignaggi. The year ended in a super fight between Pacquiao and De La Hoya, a Top Rank and Golden Boy co-promotion. It’s the fight that spelled the end of De La Hoya’s fighting days.
Pacquiao, Mayweather and the Fight of the Century (2009-2015)
The next seven years saw Pacquiao and Mayweather dominate with Canelo Alvarez emerging as a rising star. Pacquiao faced Hatton, Cotto, Mosley and Tim Bradley twice. Mayweather, meanwhile, took on Marquez, Mosley, Victor Ortiz, Cotto, Robert Guerrero, Alvarez and Marcos Maidana on two occasions.
In truth, the two leading boxers of the time should have faced off at the start of this period but were unable to agree terms. The long-awaited clash finally took place in 2015 in what was billed as ‘The Fight of the Century’. The fight was rumoured to have generated $72 million in ticket sales and over $500m all-in.
Following Mayweather’s victory, he would go on to have one more fight at the MGM, defeating Andre Berto in what would mark his final (and 12th consecutive) appearance at the venue. This period saw the MGM host an average of almost five shows a year.
Big fights Remain, but numbers dwindle (2016 – Present)
While the big names have still echoed through the MGM microphone over the last decade, the action has slowed. Pacquiao was by no means done at the location. As his star faded, so did the number of marquee fights at the MGM. In 2016, the only events featured Pacquaio beating Bradley in their trilogy fight and Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol. In 2017, the sole world title fight was Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz II. 2018’s only show of any kind was Terence Crawford vs Jeff Horn.
2019 showed an uptick. Tyson Fury made his MGM debut, defeating Tom Schwarz. Pacquiao made his final appearances at the location, winning against Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner, while Alvarez knocked out Sergey Kovalev. Deontay Wilder also scored a memorable win over Luis Ortiz. Unfortunately, this was not the beginning of a MGM resurgence. Over the last five years, there have been just seven fights in total. In 2020, Fury vs Wilder II was the only major event. The lone fight of 2024? Gervonta Davis vs Frank Martin.
Has the final bell rung for the MGM?
It’s no surprise that the lights have dimmed at the MGM in recent years. The location has always faced fierce competition from other casinos on the Strip. But the competition is fiercer than ever.
Until recently, the marquee names in boxing consistently considered the MGM home. Not anymore. Alvarez’s current fight deal is at the T-Mobile Arena, just a 10-minute walk away. Fighters are also more open to performing at a wider range of states across the nation. The rise of massive fights in Saudi Arabia further compounds the MGM’s challenges. It’s safe to say the location is up against it.
However, from Chávez losing his unbeaten record to the moment Mayweather shifted his focus to celebrity boxing, and with Tyson, De La Hoya, Barrera, Pacquiao, Alvarez and many more in between, there’s no doubting the MGM’s status as the mecca of boxing during its prime.
