LAS VEGAS ? There is something about this neon city that acts as a magnet to those from the United Kingdom, especially when you throw in the added bonus of a major boxing match.
British fight fans have made repeated pilgrimages here for decades, waves of raucous, marauding, often drunken but generally good-natured supporters willing to part with serious cash to follow their favorites to the Nevada desert.
Yet despite what is arguably the biggest bout of the year to date taking place this weekend with a Brit, Amir Khan, at center stage, the influx this time barely resembles a trickle.
On Saturday night at the new T-Mobile Arena it will be Khan?s opponent, Canelo Alvarez, who enjoys the lion?s share of the support, the Mexican boxing public pulled here by the dual incentives of the Cinco de Mayo weekend and by their countryman, now perhaps the sport?s biggest draw.
?I know it is going to be loud,? Khan said, ahead of the clash for the WBC middleweight title. ?And I know a lot of (the cheers) will be for him.?
But why?
There was a time when Vegas fight nights resembled European soccer contests in terms of atmosphere and intensity. Following on from Lennox Lewis years earlier, the chief instigator of that was Ricky Hatton, who was knocked out by both Floyd Mayweather in 2007 and Manny Pacquiao in 2009, but was backed by thousands of his screaming compatriots on each occasion.
?In some of my fights here I could hear the fans singing, and it is an amazing feeling,? said Lewis, the former world heavyweight champion.
British boxing has rarely been more buoyant than now, with 10 current world champions and big crowds and television ratings back home. The sport retains strong roots among the working classes but has also tapped into a lucrative high-spending clientele, with a cult following among the financiers of London stockbroking trade.
Yet Khan?s bid to go up in weight and topple Alvarez from his lofty spot in the pound-for-pound ranks (No. 5, USA TODAY) has failed to attract such widespread support.
?I have followed Amir for years, but it is not the same as with Hatton,? British boxing fan Jim Flanagan, 41, said at Friday?s weigh-in. ?People responded more to Hatton because he had the persona of an everyday guy who went in there and gave it a go. There are some Brits here, but it?s hardly an invasion.?
Khan is more technical, relying less on fierce power and more on his hand and foot speed. Those attributes, combined with his comparative youth, are likely the main reasons why he was avoided by both Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Opportunity on the biggest stage finally beckons for Khan, 29, who now bases himself in the Bay Area, where trainer Virgil Hunter is situated. While the decision to move was rooted in the desire for optimum fight preparation, it has also been regularly suggested in the British press that racism he received on account of his Muslim faith also played a role in the switch.
A victory over Alvarez would be a mighty achievement for Khan, particularly given the difference in size between the men. Even though both weighed in at the stipulated catchweight of 155 pounds on Friday afternoon, by the time they enter the ring Alvarez will likely by a full 10 pounds heavier following rehydration.
?This is what I have been waiting for,? Khan said. ?It is chance for me to take a huge step.?
If an upset happens, Khan will find himself close to the very top of the boxing tree, with some tantalizing opportunities down the road. Hopefully the footsteps of his countrymen will follow.
