History of Cooperation Between MGM Grand and Floyd Mayweather
In the world of entertainment and sports, few partnerships stand the test of time. Most have a short lifetime, but this is not the case with the cooperation between MGM Grand and Floyd Mayweather. This partnership has been nothing short of iconic, and it is by far one of the best in the world of boxing.
MGM is a major player in the entertainment industry, one with a significant presence in the gambling world. It operates various resorts, casinos, and hotels where people can go to do some gambling. In its casinos, you can find all the traditional casino games, while for some unconventional gambling titles, you can always visit a crash gambling site and test your luck. If you stop the game before the crash, you can enjoy tremendous winnings depending on the multipliers you’ve gone through.
Now, the partnership between MGM Grand, the most popular casino of the brand, with the fighting legend, Floyd Mayweather is spanning over a decade and marks several historic fights as well as a few record-breaking events. Let’s go through the history of this cooperation.
The Genesis of the Partnership
In 2007, Floyd Mayweather started his story at the MGM Grand. People now refer to the MGM Grand as ‘Mayweather’s home turf’ after many years of great matches and events in it.
When he fought for the first time as a lightweight in April of 2002, he did so at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. He fought against the World Boxing Council champion Jose Luis Castillo and defeated him before a huge crowd of 6920 people. He then became the first lineal championship in the lightweight category since Pernell Whitaker.
In a world where sport and entertainment are more connected than ever, collaborations like those between MGM Grand and Mayweather are rare. If you are a boxing fan, the matches of this fighter in this arena are some of the most memorable ever.
Analysis of Major Fights Held by Floyd Mayweather at MGM Grand
Mayweather lives in Las Vegas, minutes away from the arena that is his fighting home. That being said, he’s had some major fights in this location over the years.
Mayweather vs. Hatton
After his famous fight with De La Hoya, the fighter decided to retain a welterweight title, so he decided to fight no other than Hatton.
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton superfight took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, located in Las Vegas. The opponents were reigning champions, and their fight was one for the century. Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton by TKO in their tenth round.
Mayweather vs. Marquez
On May 2, 2009, Mayweather decided to come out of his retirement which lasted 21 months. He embarked on a new journey – decided to fight the #2 pound-for-pound, The Ring lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Once again, the location for this fight was the MGM Grand. The match was aired on HBO PPV.
However, during training, Mayweather was injured and the fight was postponed. It actually took place once his ribs recovered on September 19. Mayweather won this match after 12 rounds in a unanimous decision.
Mayweather vs. Ortiz
Mayweather used his social media following to announce a very important decision on June 7, 2011. He posted on Twitter that he would fight The Ring #2 ranked and WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz later that year.
The actual fight took place on September 17 as promised, and where else if not in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mayweather was in full control through the first three rounds, but things went hayward when Ortiz rammed him in the face and opened a cut on his mouth. A few rounds later, the match ended with Mayweather winning.
Mayweather vs. Cotto
In 2011, Leonard Ellerbe, the advisor of the fighter, announced a new fight for May 5, 2012. Mayweather moved up in weight and fought Miguel Cotto, The Ring #1 ranked light middleweight champion.
That Saturday, Mayweather defeated his opponent in 12 rounds.
Other Fights
After spending some time in prison for domestic abuse, Mayweather returned to the ring in 2013. His next fight was against Robert Guerrero and before this, his opponent hadn’t lost in eight years. However, Mayweather won this fight, too.
Other notable fights in the MGM Arena are:
- Mayweather vs. Alvarez on September 14, 2013
- Mayweather vs. Maidana on May 3, 2014 and July 10, 2014
- Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2, 2015
- Mayweather vs. Berto on September 12, 2015
- Mayweather vs. McGregor on March 7, 2017
Over the years, Mayweather established a residency at MGM and made it the epicentre for many of his high-profile boxing matches. This venue became synonymous with his showmanship and skill, and it remained as such until his retirement.