The announcement of Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin took the boxing world by storm when it was announced in early-May. The hype around the fight has only grown, which is why Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya had a tough decision to make when it came down to which venue should host the event.
AT&T Stadium in Dallas has the capability of housing over 90k fans, Madison Square Garden has a storied history of boxing matches, Barclays Center in Brooklyn has been establishing itself as a great venue for boxing as well, but Las Vegas and T-Mobile Arena won out.
De La Hoya answers why Las Vegas was his choice for the fight.
"Everybody wanted this fight, and I nailed it down," De La Hoya told ESPN. "Everybody who wants to go to Vegas, have a great time. Watch a great fight with Triple G and Canelo. I mean it's going to be a train wreck, let me tell you."
For those who thought T-Mobile Arena was a foregone conclusion, De La Hoya makes it clear that a lot of money was thrown his way to host what could be the fight of the year.
"I did receive a crazy amount of money -- the offers were just amazing [including] from Madison Square Garden. I was contemplating it," De La Hoya said. "Obviously, my good friend Jerry Jones wanted this fight. I talked to my great friend Magic Johnson, who wanted to stage the fight at Dodger Stadium, but ultimately the entertainment factor [was key]. People want to go to parties after the fight. You want to stage the pre-fight parties, the weigh-in."
Just how big is this fight?
Canelo Alvarez is coming off of a sold out Cinco de Mayo boxing match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in T-Mobile Arena, which topped 1 million pay-per-view buys, so it's no surprise that he is in favor of the venue hosting his next career defining fight during Mexican Independence Day weekend.
"I am thrilled to return to T-Mobile Arena, and to give the fans the best fight that can be made in our sport today," said Alvarez, who will be fighting at the arena for the third time. "I have repeatedly said that I fear no man, and I am now going to prove it by stepping into the ring against GGG. When the final bell rings, everyone will know that this is indeed the Canelo era, and that I am the best fighter in all of boxing."
De La Hoya's decision goes to show that despite boxing scheduling huge fights in Dallas, New York, London, and other locations the past few years, Las Vegas remains the fight capitol of the world.
Canelo vs. GGG reaffirms that title.
