Does Irish Boxing Need Las Vegas-Style Venues?
Irish boxing is in rude health as it stands. With Katie Taylor and Kelie Harrington flying the tricolour flag for the sport in particular in recent years, it’s only gone to show the thirst for competition and big events here in Ireland. We all witnessed our great boxers’ homecomings, especially in the wake of Olympic success, where north Dublin streets were lined with thousands of adoring fans.
However, are the country’s venues holding us back? With the National Stadium on Dublin’s South Circular Road being the primary dedicated venue for the sport, it’s clear to see that there is a gap in the market. That is a 2000-seater venue, which would do well to host the biggest bouts.
The 3 Arena, which has hosted boxing and MMA on occasion, on the other hand, is too big to be used as a regular home for the sport. So, could casino venues be the way forward in the vein of Las Vegas?
Casino and Boxing: A Long History
While it might seem a little unusual at first glance to consider casinos as a de facto home for boxing bouts, the sport has a storied history with the casino.
Las Vegas is largely where this starts, as it has seen some of the biggest matchups, especially in the city’s heyday in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. All the greats, like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, have fought there. Big names in boxing became as synonymous with Nevada as Elvis and Siegfried and Roy.
Even now in the online casino world, it’s evident that boxing is as much a casino sport as ever. So, not only are the biggest bouts still held in Vegas and live-streamed by casinos and sportsbooks, but online casino games also use boxing as inspiration.
Looking at this Irish casino, for example, you have titles like Boxing Ring Champions that take the sport and turn them into slot games. It’s clear then that casinos and boxing do very much go hand in hand.
World Class Venues for World Class Fighters
To say that Ireland is lacking in first-in-class boxing venues is something of an understatement. The National Stadium on Dublin’s southside has been the sport’s home in Ireland for over 80 years. However, its relatively small size and lack of access from public transport other than Dublin Bus or taxi means it’s no longer truly fit for purpose to host the country’s big bouts.
In fact, the stadium is far better known now for regularly playing host to some of the best acts in music – particularly in indie music. Many would say that the greatest ever boxing match it hosted was the 1998 bantamweight bout between Francie Maughan and Gavin Brown.
We wouldn’t blame anyone who didn’t recognise those names. It’s hardly the Rumble in the Jungle for brand recognition. That’s further evidence that Irish boxing can do and deserves better.
Casinos Could Offer Mid-Size Venues for More Than Boxing
It’s not only boxing that struggles with the lack of mid-size world class venues for top events. In sports, the League of Ireland soccer has seen attendances pass the one million mark for a season for the first time.
That has led to one-off games like February’s Bohemian Football Club v Shamrock Rovers match up to be played in the Aviva to allow a larger attendance than the 4,500 capacity Dalymount Park would have allowed. New venues are needed to ensure that attendances can grow without the pressure of using an oversized venue like Lansdowne Road.
The same can be said for music, too. The 3 Arena, Croke Park, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Thomond Park, and the Aviva have all been used to host huge concerts. However, in terms of mid-size venues, Vicar Street and The Academy are the closest we have in the capital, and other cities are also lagging behind.
A good-sized casino conference hall that can be used for boxing and concerts would offer so much more to the country in being able to attract a different calibre of performer. Either way, the argument for Vegas-style venues is strong.
