While the heavy coverage is given to Floyd Mayweather's unending negotiations with Manny Pacquiao about a proposed May 2 super fight, Mexican star Canelo Alvarez already has a fight set for May 2 in San Antonio vs. James Kirkland.
It might not be Mayweather-Pacquiao, but Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya thinks Canelo vs. Kirkland will be breaking records.
"We are going to fill the arena and we are looking to break the attendance record that [Julio Cesar] Chavez has for his fight against [Pernell] Whitaker at the Alamodome. San Antonio and the rest of Texas is an extremely important market for us and we are grateful and pleased that we have great partners there to promote our fights," De La Hoya said.
The 72,000-seat arena should be buzzing for an Alvarez fight on May 2, the weekend of Cinco de Mayo. It is unclear if De La Hoya's optimism about attendance records would be tempered if he has to shift the date, however.
While Alvarez is one of the biggest draws in the sport, and took part in the highest-grossing fight of all-time when he lost to Mayweather in 2013, De La Hoya has said he will change the date of Kirkland-Alvarez if Pacquiao and Mayweather agree to fight on May 2 "out of respect for the fans."
Alvarez had been hoping for a higher-profile fight against WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, but Cotto's unhappiness with the financial particulars forced Alvarez's team to walk away from the negotiating table.
Kirkland does not have Cotto's mass appeal or resume, but he does bring an intriguing power element to the table. He's 32-1-0 with 28 knockouts, meaning even for a durable fighter like Alvarez he poses a threat. On the downside, he hasn't fought since late 2013, and will not be training with Ann Wolfe, with whom he is unbeaten.
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