Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/2097074/las-vegas-t-mobile-arena-chosen-stage-canelo-alvarez-gennady-golovkin
Sport/ Boxing

Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena chosen to stage Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin superfight

The September middleweight title fight for boxing supremacy is going to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin pose in Las Vegas. The much anticipated September 16 middleweight title fight between Golovkin and Alvarez will take place on the Las Vegas Strip at the T-Mobile Arena. Photo: AP

The Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin fight for middleweight and boxing supremacy is going to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“Fight City” beat back the best efforts of Jerry Jones’ massive AT&T Stadium in Texas and Magic Johnson’s interest in bringing the sport’s biggest fight to Dodger Stadium when the announcement was made Monday by Alvarez’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya.

The September 16 fight matches unbeaten, three-belt middleweight champion Golovkin (37-0, 33 knockouts) against Alvarez, Mexico’s most popular fighter (49-1-1, 34 knockouts) and a former two-division champion.

Though Golovkin will be making his Las Vegas debut, Alvarez opened the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in May 2016 by knocking out Amir Khan. He returned a year later to dominate the bigger Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr by unanimous decision.

Previously, Alvarez staged one of the top pay-per-view bouts of all time, losing to Floyd Mayweather Jnr in 2013 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Alvarez won a mismatch against Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in May. Photo: AFP
Alvarez won a mismatch against Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in May. Photo: AFP

The city’s ability to attract high-rolling gamblers helped it bankroll the unrevealed site fee that beat out Jones, who brought Alvarez to AT&T before 51,000 fans for a September 2016 junior-middleweight title fight against England’s Liam Smith, and promised a crowd possibly doubling that for Alvarez-Golovkin.

The awaited HBO pay-per-view showdown between Alvarez, who’ll turn 27 next month, and Golovkin, 35, is boxing’s biggest match since Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao in 2015, and is expected to provide far more action than that disappointing contest.
Golovkin congratulates Alvarez following his victory over Chavez Jnr. Photo: AFP
Golovkin congratulates Alvarez following his victory over Chavez Jnr. Photo: AFP

Before edging Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision in March, Golovkin had won 23 consecutive bouts by knockout.

Following Alvarez’s one-sided triumph over Chavez, he and Golovkin announced to fans while standing inside the ring at T-Mobile Arena that they had struck a deal for the bout.