Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders - 8 May 2021

[Boxerbeetle]

I’m really buzzing for this now, can’t wait

[ThereByTheGrace]

but omg billy yelled beef a bunch of times at him the other day, canelo is so shook he might as well admit defeat now !

Time for saunders to sink or swim. My guess is he will float for a few rounds then sink without trace in the later rounds

[Bard of Boxrec]

I predict Canelo by 116-112 type decision in reality, so on the cards 119-109.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo-Saunders Ticket Sales Have Surpassed U.S. Indoor Record For Boxing

The biggest star in American boxing will set a significant record Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.

Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed during a press conference Thursday that ticket sales for the Canelo Alvarez-Billy Joe Saunders card have surpassed the United States’ indoor attendance record for boxing. That record has stood for 42 years, since a crowd of 63,352 attended the heavyweight championship rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks in September 1978 at The Superdome in New Orleans.

The figure established by the Ali-Spinks rematch reportedly is based on tickets sold. The Texas Combative Sports Program, which regulates boxing in this state, will release its official ticket report a few weeks after the Alvarez-Saunders card.

Hearn stated Thursday that he expects the crowd Saturday night to reach 70,000, which would be the biggest crowd for a single sporting event in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

“My goodness, is it a big event, one of the biggest events I’ve ever been involved with,” Hearn said. “Of course, this morning we officially broke the record of the biggest indoor crowd in U.S. boxing history, beating [the] Ali against Spinks rematch in 1978. We went past that today. We will have 70,000 people in the AT&T Stadium. And this is such a great fight. This is such a great event for boxing, the largest crowd in the U.S. since the pandemic. And what a great statement for boxing, to show that when you put great fights on, we get it right, we hit the numbers. And Saturday’s gonna be an atmosphere that we will never, ever forget.”

This will mark the third time Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) has fought during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mexican icon defeated England’s Callum Smith by unanimous decision before an announced crowd of 11,426 on December 19 at Alamodome in San Antonio. Two months later, approximately 15,000 attended Alvarez’s technical knockout of Turkey’s Avni Yildirim on February 27 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Ticket sales were restricted to those two events due to COVID-19.

There was no limit on ticket sales for the Alvarez-Saunders card. AT&T Stadium can accommodate more than 100,000 fans for boxing, including standing-room-only admission.

“I feel really thankful with the response of the people,” Alvarez said, “and that boxing is the sport that brings everything back to normal. And I’m ready for this fight.”

Before his super middleweight title unification fight against England’s Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs), Alvarez’s first fight at AT&T Stadium drew the biggest crowd of his 15-year pro career.

An announced crowd of 51,240 attended Alvarez’s only other appearance at the home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, a ninth-round knockout of England’s Liam Smith in September 2016. Paid attendance for the Alvarez-Liam Smith show was 46,115.

While ticket sales for Saturday night have surpassed the U.S. indoor record for boxing, it doesn’t come close to the outdoor attendance record for boxing in this country.

An announced crowd of 120,557 attended the heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney at Philadelphia’s Sesquicentennial Stadium in September 1926. A larger crowd assembled for the Tony Zale-Billy Pryor middleweight fight in August 1941, but admission to that card at Juneau Park in Milwaukee was free for the 135,132 that attended.

[a force]

Canelo to break him down & stop him in the second half of the fight.

I think a combination of a fired up Canelo who can close the distance brilliantly & a Saunders who always fades in the second half of fights against good opposition (Ryder, Eubank & Lee) sees it ending inside the distance.

A lot will point to the Lara & Mayweather fights as examples of how a boxer can have success against Canelo but that was a drained Canelo who couldn’t fight at a good pace for 12 rounds. Since moving up to 160 & now 168 he’s got a great engine & it’ll be a very hard fight for Saunders after the first couple of rounds.

[maverick23]

I’m really buzzing for this now, can’t wait

Same. They’ve done a really good job of hyping it this week.

[CaptainSpacerod]

What time are we expecting the ring walks for the main event ?

[Ruthless-RKO]

What time are we expecting the ring walks for the main event ?

4am

[Oiky]

Can't stick late late nights but I'll be up for this one right the way through

[bigjack]

Can't stick late late nights but I'll be up for this one right the way through

Not many fight get me out of bed at that time,this will have me buzzing though

[Oiky]

Can't stick late late nights but I'll be up for this one right the way through

Not many fight get me out of bed at that time,this will have me buzzing though

Yes same here mate

[Controversial]

I see Canelo winning but I wouldn’t be surprised if BJS does well. His issue has often been under motivation or not training properly, I think he will be well fired up and in the best shape he’s ever been in. I’m looking forward to this.

[bigjack]

Can't stick late late nights but I'll be up for this one right the way through

Not many fight get me out of bed at that time,this will have me buzzing though

Yes same here mate

However this fight ends i hope it's conclusive,we really don't need anymore bad decisions,massive stadium with 70,000,biggest fight by far since covid,it needs to end well

[Loftgroov]

I don't really see how BJS can win.

He won't knock Canelo out ...and even if he wins every single round he obviously won't get the decision.

Hope to be proved wrong as I'd love it if he somehow does.

[Oiky]

Not many fight get me out of bed at that time,this will have me buzzing though

Yes same here mate

However this fight ends i hope it's conclusive,we really don't need anymore bad decisions,massive stadium with 70,000,biggest fight by far since covid,it needs to end well

I make you right no bulls**t hopefully

[My T Sharp]

Would have got 80,000 in there with a smaller ring

[ERIC GUY]

I've probably watched every Saunders fight in the last 7/8 years and literally never seen his dad before. Where's he suddenly appeared from

his dad is at every fight, am and pro,

[Deserter]

Just reading Boxing News' breakdown of BJS's greatest wins and it says it all really - Lemieux at no.1, then the wafer-thin decisions over Lee, Eubank etc. Let's just say it's hard to read that and then have any sense of confidence regarding the task in hand.

[ERIC GUY]

Mickey Theo will
Be calling his dad out next

mick is only after 1 fight, so no, its not gonna be tom

[ERIC GUY]

mick was round my house last week, we done an interview

[Ruthless-RKO]

Would have got 80,000 in there with a smaller ring

Billy’s to blame!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo On Saunders' Beef Taunts: He's The Last Person To Be Talking About Doping

“He’s the last person to be talking about doping,” Alvarez told a small group of reporters following their press conference at Live! by Loews, a hotel near AT&T Stadium. “We know that he’s had problems with that in the past. We all know about the meat. We know what happened, and he’s the last person to speak on that.”

[mickey1975]

mick was round my house last week, we done an interview

Is he still boring on?

[CaptainSpacerod]

What time are we expecting the ring walks for the main event ?

4am

Thanks mate

[emallini]

First fight that has the big fight feel to me in ages.