Boxing promoter Arum gives seal of approval to stadium proposal

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said the Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s proposal to build a $1 billion domed stadium on 42 acres near UNLV is just what the city needs. And the Oakland Raiders would be icing on the Strip.

Arum said he learned of the stadium while it was still in the idea stage.

"This stadium would be great for the city," said Top Rank's Arum, who was among the city's sports movers and shakers excited by the project. "I could see big NFL games being played there. The Pro Bowl could be there. Hosting college combines is another event. It would be perfect for big concerts."

The Sands Corp. announced its proposal Thursday to build a facility of at least 65,000 seats on Tropicana Avenue on land owned by UNLV. In addition, the Sands Corp. has requested a meeting with Raiders owner Mark Davis, who is scheduled to visit Las Vegas today.

Arum said he was consulted by Las Vegas Sands representatives about their stadium proposal. He said Rob Goldstein, the Las Vegas Sands president, approached him a month ago on behalf of Sheldon Adelson, the CEO of the company.

The boxing promoter and Adelson are close friends and often bounce business ideas off each other. Arum said Las Vegas Sands didn't ask him to join as a business partner.

"We talked, and I told them this would absolutely be a great idea," said Arum, who has been involved with bringing the biggest fights to Las Vegas in the past 50 years. "We talked because we're friends and we help each other out. He didn't want us to venture in or anything like that.

"I gave him whatever information I could to help him out."

Arum provided contact information for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his representatives at Legends Hospitality LLC, a company that issues project planning for stadiums around the world. Jones is co-owner of Legends, which has done work at AT&T Stadium and Levi's Stadium.

"I'm very close with the people from the Cowboys," Arum said. "They've helped out a lot of stadiums get started. They helped with operations of Super Bowl stadiums. It's very exciting that Las Vegas could be a part of it."

Arum said he doesn't know if Adelson or anyone associated with Las Vegas Sands have reached out to Jones or Legends. Arum promoted a Top Rank card at AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys play home games, in 2010, which was headlined by Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

The meeting between Davis and Adelson will be to possibly discuss stadium details. A potential move by the Raiders to Los Angeles earlier this month was rejected by the NFL.

Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands' senior vice president of government relations and community development, told the Review-Journal that the company has had conversations with officials from other NFL teams as well.

Arum said the new stadium would provide a major boost for UNLV football.

"The Rebels would become a major program in college football," Arum said. "It would help them in recruiting and many other aspects. It would build a world-class college program."

As for boxing events, Arum couldn't help but to imagine what could have been if the stadium was built before Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao clashed in May.

"There would be 90,000 people there," Arum said. "We would certainly look to have fights there if a stadium were to be built."

The Ultimate Fighting Championship also could benefit from having a stadium near the Strip. Ronda Rousey versus Holly Holm set the UFC attendance record with more than 56,000 in Melbourne, Australia, in November.

UFC representatives had no comment about the possible stadium.

Don Logan, president of the Triple-A baseball Las Vegas 51s, also would embrace the NFL in Las Vegas and said Adelson could make that possibility happen.

"For major league sports to work in our town, it takes somebody with the power of an MGM, like they're trying to do with the hockey, or somebody like Adelson in this case," Logan said. "It's got to be one of the real powerful employers from the powerful companies here in Vegas, and obviously they got that with Adelson.

"The NFL will work here. It would work anywhere. Go to any casino on football Sunday and you'll see how powerful the NFL is."

Logan said there are many examples of minor league baseball teams thriving in markets with NFL and NHL teams.

"In our league, the Nashville (Sounds) has the NFL and the NHL, and they coexist and it works out fine," Logan said. "In New Orleans, the same thing. They have the Saints (and the Pelicans). It can work."

The 51s also are looking for a new stadium, but Logan doesn't see the proposed football stadium as an option.

"We're working on getting our own facility," Logan said. "It has to be a baseball stadium."

Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson envisions Monster Jam, Supercross, USA Sevens Rugby, the Las Vegas Bowl and many other yearly events taking place at the new stadium.

"There's one type of venue missing for the type events Las Vegas competes for, that's a stadium," Christenson said. "There is need for us to have that stadium. It would give us a chance to secure the events we already have for the future and go after new events."

Christenson, who has coordinated sports events in Las Vegas for more than 25 years, said the National Finals Rodeo most likely would stay at the Thomas & Mack Center if the city were to get a stadium. The NFR has sold out more than 300 consecutive shows in Las Vegas.

"The NFR has the right formula," Christenson said. "I don't see a change to that.

"There's probably a dozen other events we could pursue for a stadium venue. College football neutral sites, international soccer. That could all take place here."

The Review-Journal is owned by a limited liability company controlled by the Adelson family, majority owners of Las Vegas Sands.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow him on Twitter: @gmanzano24