Viva Las Vegas, the grand old lady of big-time boxing

Ahead of tomorrow's colossal clash, Alex Pattle hits the 'fight capital of the world' and considers its history and future at a time in which the biggest bouts have drifted elsewhere

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You needn't spend much time in Las Vegas to find yourself entangled in the extensive strands of fighting history, or to feel their tensile strength. This unique, bizarre city in the middle of the desert was built on one key agenda, making money, and boxing has brought almost as much of that to "Sin City" as gamblers have. And within minutes of being enveloped by the balmy, late-summer evening air, it could be that your very first interaction with a local draws out this topic.

"The last time I actually went to a fight was when Lamon Brewster knocked out Wladimir Klitschko," Curtis, a 63-year-old taxi driver, tells The Independent. "When was that? 2013, 2012? No, way earlier, right? 2005 maybe..." Even further back, in fact, in 2004.

That result at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, a major upset, gave way to conspiracy - another tenet of boxing. An FBI investigation was launched, with late odds changes, Klitschko's blood-sugar level, and an accreditation switch all points of discussion.

That is not to say every Vegas fight has brought such drama, but they always bring glitz. The "fight capital of the world", as it is known, has been the domicile of boxing for decades, with a 1963 heavyweight clash between Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson among the city's first major fight events.

Since then, some of the biggest bouts in the city have been Floyd Mayweather's contests with Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and UFC star Conor McGregor; and Mike Tyson's back-to-back duels with Evander Holyfield (including the night he chewed on his rival's ear). In fact, all of the above were held in the MGM Grand.