Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council, believes that this Saturday’s fight between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and John Ryder at the Akron Stadium, in Guadalajara, Mexico, has generated the same hype as Julio Cesar Chavez‘s bout against Greg Haugen.
The aforementioned bout between the two boxing legends took place at the Azteca Stadium exactly three decades ago and still is the sporting event with the largest attendance in the history of the ground, as 132,000 people were there to watch the fight.
“To have a stadium fight are big words. It is something exceptional. Canelo is going to fill the Akron and it is something very special and to have a stadium fight in Mexico is something you rarely see,” Sulaiman told ESPN.
“Chavez at the time was the best pound for pound and ‘Canelo‘ now is the best in the world. Idols that filled their stadiums against tough opponents.
“Haugen came with great expectations and Ryder is looking to take advantage of the opportunity. Canelo will be at home, with his family, even though he is coming from an operation.
“Canelo is WBC. He was made from a young age with youth titles, the junior, the silver, etc. It was an intimate relationship for many years.
“In boxing there are many interests, but the relationship was never broken and he is the proud champion in three divisions and the undisputed champion in super middleweight.”
