- Bout also had the largest crowd for a sporting event in the US since Covid-19 shutdown
- Previous record was set when over 63,000 watched Muhammad Ali beat Leon Spinks in 1978
The world title fight between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders was watched by 73,126 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas, an all-time attendance record for an indoor boxing event held in the US.
The fight at the venue, home of the National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys, was also the largest crowd for a sporting event in the US since the initial Covid-19 lockdown in March last year.
Initially, around 60,000 fans were expected to attend the event on 8th May on Cinco de Mayo weekend. However, Canelo’s popularity, combined with fans having the opportunity to end a 14-month wait to watch a boxing card in-person, meant the final attendance broke the previous US record by nearly 10,000. That was set in September 1978 when Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks in front of 63,352 at the Louisiana Superdome.
The fight at AT&T Stadium saw Canelo beat Saunders with an eighth-round stoppage. The Mexican, who Sportico reports earned US$25 million for the bout, is next expected to fight Caleb Plant, with the winner being crowned the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.
