Dodgers Stadium front-runner to host Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin
By José Youngs
Dodgers Stadium has emerged as the favorite to host Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin.
NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson has offered Dodgers Stadium as the host venue for the highly anticipated boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin on Sept. 16.
No you didn’t read that wrong.
Speaking with the Los Angles Times, boxing champion-turned-Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya revealed the NBA legend and Dodger’s co-owner has emerged as a serious player in landing the lucrative fight.
“I can’t reveal details, but Magic Johnson made a very nice offer. It’s a nice package I have to consider,” said De LA Hoya. “I like the fact that we were both in the ’92 Olympics, that we’re both L.A. boys, that we’re both entrepreneurs and that we’re both friends. So, it’s very intriguing.”
“From everything I know right now, Magic and the Dodgers are front-runners,” De La Hoya said. “It’s an exciting fight. Everyone wants it. Magic said to me, ‘This is the fight that will definitely bring boxing back.’”
According to reports, with the addition of floor seats, Dodger Stadium could hold up to 60,000 people.
In the past, the venue has one major boxing match where fans saw featherweight champion Davey Moore die after striking the back of his head on the ripe ropes during his fight against Sugar Ramos in 1963.
But even with this devastating history, California State Athletic Commission Chair John Carvelli expressed eagerness to bring the sport back to the historic venue.
“With the quality and prevalence of boxing fans here, the attention these fighters will get from those communities is worth something, even a little more income tax,” said told the LA Times. “We’d like to be able to host this once-in-a-lifetime event because we understand it’s so much more than a spectacle and we understand the importance to these amazing fighters, because of their background, their ethnicity, to know those people will show up and make this event one that is unique not only to California, but to boxing.
“Beyond that, we have worked hard to prove we have the best regulatory atmosphere in the world, to ensure we’ll have a fair event. And that’s what this is all about.”
In terms of actual competition, Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) was last seen dominating Julio César Chavez Jr. en route to a unanimous decision earlier this month. This victory pushed the Mexican pugilists win streak to seven straight, which includes a decision win over Miguel Cotto and a sixth-round knockout of Amir Khan.
Immediately following his win over Chavez Jr., Alvarez took to he mic to announced his match with Golovkin was official.
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Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) is coming off a decision win, the first of his career, over Daniel Jacobs earlier this year, retaining his title WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO belts and adding Jacobs’ WBA regular belt in the process.
Adding in another wrinkle, UFC President Dana White even revealed Alvarez vs. Golovkin took the date they were hoping to secure for Mayweather vs. McGregor.