There are two things about boxing we’re talking about in Las Vegas. Actually, that’s a lie. There are lots of things about boxing that we’re talking about in Vegas, but two predominate. The first is the upcoming Pacquiao/Morales bout at the MGM. It’s well-hyped, full of billboards all over town, and historically the MGM Grand has had most of the best and most thrilling fights in town. It’s almost par for the course, talking about whatever big pay-per-view bout is coming up at the MGM Grand. You talk about it in the sports book. You talk about it in the gym. You talk about it at the bar. However, there’s new buzz on the horizon, and the second thing we’re talking about is much, much more fascinating.

Discussion topic: Will Caesars Palace and ESPN change the face of boxing on the Las Vegas strip? Is there finally a player big enough to take away a little of the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Showtime and HBO lock on big venue boxing on the strip, and if so, how great could that be for the sport?

But let me give you a little background first, in case you don’t live in Vegas and haven’t walked through the courtyard in front of Caesars Palace lately. Several months ago, new construction started on some sort of entertainment building outside of Caesars. We all wondered what it was. Already buildings had been created to house Celine Dion and Elton John. Goodness, we thought, what slightly-past-their-prime-power-ballad-singing pop star was coming to Caesars next? And we shuddered a little bit, because Barry Manilow was the obvious choice. (Don’t worry, Manilow is coming to Vegas. The Hilton got him). Then word started to leak: the new venue going up in front of Caesars? That was a 5000-seat outdoor boxing venue for a new set of pay-per-view cards Caesars was doing in conjunction with ESPN. Not only that, but the cards were going to be good. The first one, scheduled for this April, is a quadruple header with all of the following:

So, to review, it’s a great card. It’s happening in a great location, which is to say Caesars is a better spot, right on the center of the strip, closer to other casinos and attractions and with more energy and buzz than the MGM Grand at the end of the strip or the Mandalay Bay off the main strip. Also, it’s outside, which means it’s going to gain energy from the enthusiasm of passers-by. And I promise you, Caesars will ensure that there won't be a shortage of celebrities in attendance. Plus, gentlemen, this is a bonus for you. You can bring the wife or girlfriend along and before the bout buy her tickets to see Celine, the greatest singer in the world. She’ll remember you forever and won’t begrudge you your night of hard liquor and betting money on fights. And beforehand you can get served alcohol by a wait staff dressed entirely in togas. Already, there’s a lot in play to the advantage of Caesars Palace.

But then there’s also the cost of the card on pay-per-view. Are you used to having to offset the cost of buying your overpriced pay-per-view fight by having your fight night guests provide the food and beer for your get together? Not necessary, because ESPN and Caesars are selling this entire card on pay-per-view for only $29.95. Yes, we all know how cheap that is.

It makes you wonder, how long will the big four of Showtime, HBO, Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand hold on to the big card boxing monopoly on the strip, and how is this new, well-funded, knowledgeable third player going to change things for the fans and the fighters?

The obvious answer is that if you’re a fighter or a manager, you should be thrilled right now. ESPN and Caesars clearly want to make a go of this, and they’re clearly willing to put cash behind it. Not getting the deal you want from the big four? Now you’ve got another option, and that helps everybody. Not just because it gets easier to get match-ups, but because it becomes more likely to get good match-ups. How many fights that you personally have wanted to see happen never happened because nobody could agree on a purse? With three major partnerships instead of just two fighting over the pieces of the same pie, it suddenly becomes much more likely that there’s always going to be somebody in Vegas who will find a way to make your fight work. The new dog, Caesars/ESPN, will want a piece of the bigger title fights, and chances are they’re going to fight to get them. More people trying to make more fights and putting money behind promoting them and getting people excited about them? That’s a good thing if you make your money by fighting.

And it’s a good thing if you’re a fan of fights, too, because it means more fights. It means more quality fights. It means that you have to wonder, if ESPN/Caesars really make this work, how long will it be before buying a pay-per-view fight isn’t the same price as a weekly grocery bill for a family of four? It’s a good thing because three competing major pay-per-view venues mean better exposure for fighters. It means another revenue stream for fighters, which means the possibility of more boxers who can be boxers instead of delivery drivers who box on the side. It means more accessibility to the sport we love to watch. That’s a good thing.

Who is this not a good thing for? It might not be a good thing for the big four. There’s never been a player as big as ESPN/Caesars trying to make a move. Not that I can remember, anyway. And we’ve already covered all of the advantages that give Caesars an edge without even mentioning that the ESPN sports machine may just be a bigger promotion avenue to the general public than Showtime or HBO could handle. There’s a real chance that the entrance of ESPN in conjunction with Caesars onto the Vegas pay-per-view market is going to change the entire balance here. Good for all of us? Let’s hope so. Me? I’m going down to Caesars today to try to get a ticket. Because sitting outside on the strip in nice weather watching a really good card with the lights of Vegas behind you sounds pretty nice to me. And in addition to that, watching to see if ESPN/Caesars can really make this work? That’s interesting to me. To all of us. Changes are a brewing, and they could honestly mean an entire shift in how the public views and thinks about boxing. That should be fun to watch.