Paris Las Vegas hosted its first fight cards on the weekend of August 11 & 12, 2000. Saturday night, August 12th was the big fight, Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz in a WBA heavyweight championship bout promoted by Don King. But it wasn't that bout that got Paris Casino mentioned along with boxing in the press. It was an under card bout between heavyweight Richie Melito Jr and Thomas Williams. It was fixed. Thomas "Top Dawg" Williams accepted $10,000 to lose to up-and-coming Richie "The Bull" Melito Jr by 1st round KO. »
| Fight | Location | Date | Boxing Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV |
TBA | TBA |
Paris Information
Paris Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-946-7000
Paris Las Vegas Parking:
There is free valet and self parking.
Paris Las Vegas Boxing Seating Chart:
View Paris Las Vegas Boxing Seating Chart
Paris Las Vegas Boxing (continued)
On a tip from Williams former trainer FBI agents were inside the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino ballroom when the Melito-Williams fight took place. Later when the FBI questioned Marc Ratner, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission he told them he thought the punch that knocked Williams through the ropes into the lap of Judge Carol Castellano was legit. That it looked like a real punch.
There was no doubt that Williams did take a dive against Melito. In 2004 Williams and promoter Bobby Mitchell were convicted of sports bribery in federal court and sentenced to prison. Promoter Robert Mittleman plead guilty and was given probation and home detention for testifying against Williams and Mitchell. It was the first time the State of Nevada successfully prosecuted any one for fixing a boxing match. Richie Melito was never charged. He was totally unaware that half his opponents had been paid "insurance money" to lose.
Paris hosted a couple of fight cards in 2002 after the August 2000 bout that was part of the fight-fixing scheme and then nothing until the Ricky Hatton vs Juan Urango fight on January 20, 2007 when 3,000 Brits crossed the pond to watch their countryman fight at the Paris Hotel & Casino.