MGM Resorts International closing Las Vegas properties, boxing events affected

Earlier we noted that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has voted to suspend all combat sports events until at least Mar. 25, and now another domino has fallen in the state as far as boxing goes, as MGM Resorts International has announced it will temporarily suspend operations at all of its Las Vegas properties, effective Tuesday.

The casino operations will close on Monday, followed by hotel operations, according to the company’s release.

“Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,” the release says.

The properties will reopen “as soon as it is safe to do so.”

As for boxing, this has at least likely impact on three upcoming notable events:

• The Mar. 28 Showtime card from Park Theater at Park MGM, headlined by Luis Nery vs Aaron Alameda, is off.
• The Apr. 25 ESPN card at Mandalay Bay, featuring Naoya Inoue vs John Riel Casimero in a bantamweight title unification. Top Rank have been proactive about this card, looking into options for moving it to a TV studio if necessary. Apr. 25 is far enough away that it’s hard to say for sure what will happen here.
• The May 2 DAZN card at T-Mobile Arena, where MGM has a 42.5% ownership stake, which is to be headlined by Canelo Alvarez, likely against Billy Joe Saunders. Canelo-Saunders hasn’t even been officially announced yet, and the last word is that this card is in a state of limbo. It’s a major production and event, a true “big fight,” and you simply are not going to have a Canelo Alvarez card with a Canelo Alvarez purse with no live gate behind it, so even the idea of a closed doors event is out of the question here. They also need time to promote, sell the tickets, etc. This date for Canelo’s return is absolutely on thin ice.