Immediately after a bout with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Oscar De La Hoya announced a scheduled middleweight fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. The highly-anticipated matchup is expected to set a record number of Pay Per View buys.
A venue for the Sept. 16, 2017 championship fight has not yet been selected, as De La Hoya has met with multiple representatives in recent weeks. Among them was Los Angeles Dodgers part owner Magic Johnson.
He proposed Dodger Stadium as a potential host for the Canelo-Golovkin bout. While De La Hoya lauded Johnson for submitting a strong presentation, the CEO of Golden Boy promotions recently indicated Dodger Stadium is no longer under consideration, via Fight Hub TV:
“It’s between Dallas and Las Vegas. I have my meetings set already, all this week and next week. Hopefully I can have an answer for you in the next few days. … It’s all about where the fans want it. We’ve been having polls on ESPN and the internet. A lot of fans are saying they want it in Dallas. It’s almost split right down the middle. A lot of people want it in Vegas because of the whole excitement, lights and action. I have my work cut out, but I’m sure I’ll decide on the perfect place for this big fight.”
A return to Las Vegas would mean a third consecutive fight for Alvarez at T-Mobile Arena. The illuminated skyline has historically served as the backdrop to several prized fights, making it the natural selection.
However, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly has a unique setting with AT&T Stadium. For a boxing matchup, dependent on configuration, capacity could reach upwards of 90,000.
For comparison, a sold-out crowd of 20,501 watched Chavez Jr. and Alvarez earlier this month at T-Mobile Arena.
AT&T Stadium drew 51,240 last September for the WBO 154-pound title fight between Alvarez and Liam Smith. In 2010, Manny Pacquiao fights attracted crowds of 36,371 and 43,162.
