Las Vegas is built on noise.
The beeps and bells of the slot machines echo down the Strip – a blur of glittering lights, and performers who never break character.
A seismic fight week here usually feels the same – spotlight, swagger, and showmanship.
But Terence Crawford doesn’t play to the crowd.
At the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night, the American attempts something historic against Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – becoming the first male fighter to be undisputed champion in three weight divisions.
Alvarez has been among the sport’s biggest draws for over a decade, a four-weight champion who sells out arenas. Crawford – with 41 fights, 41 wins and 31 knockouts – is the unbeaten purist.
Yet his demeanour and words show why he is an outlier in a sport that thrives on theatre.
“I never set my sights out to be the face of boxing. It was never my goal,” the 37-year-old says.
“I just want to win. [Canelo] can be the face of boxing. Just give me everything in the background that comes with it.”
Crawford spoke to BBC Sport during a media event at the bustling Fontainebleau hotel.
In the same building, rapping chart-topper Pitbull headlines his residency, belting out “Don’t Stop the Party”.
Crawford, though, looks almost offended when asked how he would celebrate if he wins. “I don’t like to party,” he says.
Away from the cameras, he is loose and cheerful, but once the red light blinks, the mood changes. His voice flattens, his words become stripped back. Some might read it as coldness, but it is anything but nerves.
When BBC Sport begins a question, “If you win on Saturday you’ll make history…” Crawford interrupts firmly: “When I win on Saturday, I’ll make history.”
The certainty makes it clear – nothing outside the ring matters.
“This fight is about cementing my place in history,” he adds.
