Boxing continues going back to the future with yet another big fight booked into a major sports stadium in expectation of drawing a huge crowd.
The brand new Yankee Stadium in New York will stage its first fight on June 5 when Brooklyn-based Yuri Foreman defends his world light-welterweight title against Miguel Cotto.
Thus promoter Bob Arum will realise his dream of taking boxing back out to the ball park. This follows his success last month in attracting an attendance of 51,000 for the first fight in the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, the victory over the larger Joshua Clottey which enhanced Manny Pacquiao’s claim to be the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in the world today.
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With east London favourite Kevin Mitchell getting his shot at interim WBO lightweight champion Michael Katsidis at West Ham’s football ground on Frank Warren’s May 15 promotion, the return to stadium boxing is becoming a powerful trend.
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Before pay-per-view television took over as the paymasters of mega-fights, the old Yankee Stadium was in the forefront of the open-air arenas which bank-rolled those events by pulling the masses through the turnstiles.
Harry Greb, Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey and James Braddock were among the legends who filled the old place in the 1920s. Joe Louis fought a record 11 times there in the 30s, including his two bouts with Germany’s Max Schmeling.
Raging Bull Jake La Motta, Rocky Graziano and Sugar Ray Robinson joined the famous names inscribed alongside the front gate and Rocky Marciano recorded four straight wins there in the 50s.
The Greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali, took his place with his notorious fight against Ken Norton on the September night in 1976 when a transit strike brought chaos to the city.
Now, after an absence of three decades, big-time boxing goes back to the Bronx.
By strange coincidence, prizefighting at the new Yankee Stadium will be inaugurated by a Jewish champion, just as it was at the old ball park when Benny Leonard fought Lew Tendler on July 23, 1923.
Foreman, born in Belarus but now a confirmed Yankee fan, is preparing to become a rabbi. As he will be observing his Sabbath until sundown on Saturday, June 5, the first bell for the main event will not ring until 11.30 pm. That will also give New York’s large Jewish population time to reach the stadium and help swell the crowd to an expected 35,000.
There will also be significant support for the Puerto Rico-born Cotto from the Hispanic community, despite his recent loss to Pacquiao. The Klitschko brothers – Vitali (left) and Wladimir
Crowd pullers: The Klitschko brothers – Vitali (left) and Wladimir – fill stadiums in Europe
Arum believes more big fights will return to major league sports grounds – as they are in Germany when the Klitschkos defend their world heavyweight titles and as they used to be in England – and that the shift will be good for the hard old game.
He says: ‘With pay-per-view restricting the size of the TV audience, we need to get boxing back in front of big crowds. We need a new generation of fans who are not priced out by the high ticket prices necessary at indoor arenas.
‘Once they experience the thrill of big nights like these, they will be hooked.’
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