A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jesus Lopez in a quiet corner of Resorts World, Las Vegas. We discussed many topics, he spoke of his parents, his children, his work as a Spanish-speaking broadcaster for the Vegas Golden Knights, and the sport that has defined much of his life. But what became apparent early on in our conversation was Jesus’ passion, passion for his Mexican heritage and passion for boxing. At one point in our discussion, Lopez used a phrase that lingered, “the romantics of boxing”. 

He was speaking of reminiscence. In his view, today’s boxing too often consists of carefully managed contests designed to protect an unbeaten record or maximise revenue. The fights ensure a business win, yet what they lack is urgency. “What people are yearning for”, Lopez expressed, “is the romance that first made boxing matter”. 

Romance, for him, is not simply a nudge to nostalgia. It is the memory of an era when fights felt authentic. To speak of the romantics of boxing is to recall a tradition that ran through the golden age of Caesar’s Palace in the 1970s and 1980s, where the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier showcased the grit and raw appeal of boxing. It is evident that those events were lived and felt within communities, and the modern era of boxing is not enough for those who seek to feel the fight. Lopez referenced his father, who stated, “to see good fights, you watch amateur boxing”. The point was not to diminish the professional game but simply to remind where boxing’s heartbeat truly lies, within local clubs and communities.