The match between Mexican champion Saul Alvarez and his British challenger Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO World Champion, drew a massive crowd in the United States despite the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 73,126 spectators filled the stands at the "Cowboys AT&T Stadium" in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys American football team. This result broke the long-standing record for the highest attendance at an indoor boxing event in the United States, which had stood for 43 years. In 1978, a rematch between the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks attracted 63,352 fans in New Orleans.
The organizers chose the perfect venue and timing for this significant event, coinciding with the evening before "Cinco de Mayo," one of Mexico's major national holidays, which features a large Mexican community in Texas. Local authorities allowed the stadium to be filled without any restrictions. Fans rushed to purchase tickets from the very first days of sales, with organizers expecting around 70,000 attendees, and ultimately, they sold 73,126 tickets.
Saul Alvarez, the middleweight champion according to the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Association (WBA), did not disappoint the Mexican crowd, knocking out Billy Joe Saunders to hand him the first defeat of his professional career and claiming the WBO title. Alvarez, nicknamed "Canelo," aims to take the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from the undefeated American boxer Caleb Plant in a highly anticipated match scheduled for September, aspiring to become the undisputed boxing champion.
