Seven days in Sin City

Hotels like Mandalay Bay are luxurious but expensive

By BBC Sport Online's Sanjeev Shetty in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is synonymous with just about every vice going and a young man enters the city with trepidation.

The famous bright lights still glitter in the night with all the vivacity that one expects from a place designed to make sure you leave with a smile on your face and a hole in the pocket.

There had been a rumour that Vegas is now a sanitised place devoid of the sleaze and kitsch that made it so notorious.

That is certainly true of the famous Strip, with hotels such as the Mandalay Bay and the MGM offering every luxury going, but at a ridiculously high price.

Others, such as the Excalibur and the Luxor attempt stunning themes that do not work as well as the proprietor hoped.

Middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins is in town

The city still has enough about it to attract business conferences as well as Saturday's unique double bill - a heavyweight title fight at the Mandalay and Britney Spears at the MGM.

But just a few miles away from the Strip is a glimpse of the real Vegas, a place that seems dated but, improbably real.

The Golden Nugget, Circus Circus and other Vegas institutions can be found there, as well as a massive number of casinos filled with slot machines and crab tables.

Walking down this part, known as Fremont, one finally gets a taste of the real city and thoughts drift to scenes from Martin Scorsese's film 'Casino'.

Pleasures galore

I had decided sometime ago that gambling was not on my agenda, but a momentary lapse saw $50 leave my hands in less than five minutes.

Fortunately, I know nothing about blackjack or poker, so those losses were never likely to become any more substantial.

But there are other ways of throwing your money away in this city.

Lewis' fans make the most of Las Vegas

The major hotels are frighteningly expensive, with rooms costing $150 a night but offering no services for that fee and charging their customers for virtually everything.

The sex industry also flourishes, with topless bars and strip clubs aplenty, while that oldest profession prostitution seems in no danger of making a loss any time soon.

While this all may paint an unflattering picture, for the hardcore boxing fan there are other pleasures to behold.

Few sporting events generate the excitement and tension that a heavyweight title fight does and the second meeting between Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman is no different.

Unique glamour

As the fight draws closer, each day sees an influx of the finest in the sport.

The likes of Emile Griffith, Bernard Hopkins and Buddy McGirt - world champions of the past and present - rotate around the press rooms, only too happy to oblige with a quote or ten.

And you do not have to look hard to find people like Dennis Rodman, John Fashanu, Ambrose Mendy and Pamela Anderson adding to the event's unique glamour.

As one begins to think about whether Lewis or Rahman will triumph on Saturday, it becomes apparent that for all the city's faults and the tension in America because of other matters, there is still no place I'd rather be.