WHEN in the 1970s high rollers arrived at the now extinct but then iconic Caesars Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas, greeting them just inside its elaborate doors would be one Joe Louis. Louis’s appearance and role there as the hotel’s host marked an almighty fall from grace. That this former heavyweight world champion and sporting and cultural icon could be reduced to this in his twilight years was both insult and injury combined.

But, then, needs must and by now his ring earnings were long gone, lost to a penchant for living the high life and a hungry IRS which hunted him for unpaid taxes until his dying day in 1981. But, still, from former heavyweight world champion to shuffling novelty act at a Las Vegas hotel and casino? What cruel fate.

Fast forward to now, and Joe Louis has his modern-day equivalent in the personage of Roberto Duran. Duran is, as Louis was and remains, a genuine legend of the sport. His “Hands of Stone” ring name was more than justified during a career which saw him face the most formidable lightweights, welterweights, light middleweights, and middleweights not only of his, but of any era.

He won world titles in each of the aforementioned weight divisions, and in his time fought a who’s who of veritable giants of the game: Scotland’s Ken Buchanan, Sugar Ray Leonard (twice), Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler, the names just trip off the tongue they were so great.

But now, sadly, Duran has been reduced to the status of a novelty act, being paid — and no doubt handsomely — to help lend credibility to the circus that is the top flight boxing element of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.

Established by the Saudis as a soft power “sportswashing” vehicle in 2019, Riyadh Season is a series of sports, cultural and entertainment events which take place in the Saudi capital annually. In boxing terms it brings together the sport’s great and the good from yesteryear and today and stuffs their mouths with gold.

Under the stewardship of Turki al-Sheikh — otherwise known as “His Excellency” to those with a vested and financial interest in debasing themselves — the Saudis have essentially taken over top flight boxing to the point of asserting total ownership. More recent acquisitions in this regard include Ring Magazine, the most venerable and oldest boxing publication in the world, and as things stand a financial stake in US online sports broadcasting platform DAZN.

With the astute and judicious use of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, al-Sheikh has turned Riyadh into the centre of gravity of world boxing. This to the point that at every event, every boxing spectacular, he has been able to engender the services of an aged Duran to mingle and be visible to the fighters, journalists and fans.

There he is — the once fierce Panamanian — having selfies taken with this, that and the other. There he is, being filmed tentatively hitting a heavy bag. And there he is, smiling and shaking hands with all and sundry.

Not that he isn’t entitled, Duran, to bask in the attention being lavished upon him. And not that is not justified in being able to earn a crust while in his dotage. But at what cost to the mystique and the legend has it come?

Last weekend’s latest instalment of Riyadh Season involved a roster of fights of such magnitude and talent that the boxing commentariat ran out of superlatives. The main event was a classic, involving the rematch of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight for undisputed.

Beterbiev had come out on top in their first clash in October last year. But this time round it was Bivol who prevailed, performing a masterclass in combination punching to take the decision after 12 pulsating rounds. The fight was so close and exciting, though, that a trilogy fight is a question of when rather than if.

Remarkably, the first fight of a stacked undercard on the night brought together Liverpudlian veteran Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi, again at light heavy but this time for an WBO interim title.

What a fight it turned out to be, as both men gave their all. Smith is one of the most unassuming fighters out there. Part of the fighting Smith family, he’s had to work for everything he’s achieved in the game, and given that he’s had his fair share of setbacks, nobody could seriously deny him a fourth act in which he is once again resurgent.

Smith’s victory by unaminous decision sets him up nicely for a staggering array of opportunities going forward. As for Joshua Buatsi — born in Accra, Ghana, before relocating to south London — his performance was so brave and so impressive that he can come again and more.

Overall, the Saudis have injected to much money into the sport that is has been made impossible for anyone to say no to them. But at what cost? The live atmosphere at these Riyadh events remains near non-existent, to the point where Smith and Buatsi could have been duking it out inside a snooker hall. Fans with a passion for the sport in Britain are being deprived of the chance to see these fights up close and personal. Surely money can’t be allowed to dictate everything in life.

Roberto Duran and Joe Louis reached for and touched the stars during their respective ring careers. They deserve to be remembered as fighters not as glorified nodding dogs.