THOUSANDS OF FANS STORM CANELO ÁLVAREZ AND JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, JR. AT HOUSTON PRESS CONFERENCE
All photos by Porfirio Barron Jr./Round By Round Boxing
Video by Jhannet Sanchez and Peter Nieves for Round By Round Boxing
HOUSTON (Feb. 23, 2017) Two-division world champion Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) today hosted a press conference in Houston, the third stop on their four-city press tour.
Thousands of Texas fans came out to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, to see and cheer for their favorite Mexican fighters. With fan hysteria and swelling crowds, fire marshals shut down the fan entrance leaving hundreds still outside waiting to get in to catch a glimpse of Canelo and Chávez, Jr.
Canelo and Chávez, Jr. will meet on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Below are what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s press conference in Houston:
CANELO ÁLVAREZ, Former Two-Division World Champion:
“Every time I come to Texas, you give me so much love and support. Thank you for welcoming me. I will train hard and prepare 100 percent. On May 6, T-Mobile Arena will be full and all of us together can claim the victory and proclaim together, ‘Viva Mexico’!”
JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, JR., Former WBC World Middleweight Champion:
“I’m proud to be in Texas again. I love boxing, and I love Texas. I’m undefeated here in Texas. I promise all the Mexican fans that on May 6 I will win this fight.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
“To the fans–we always love coming to Houston and thank you for your tremendous support. There are thousands of you here today that are lined up, some as early as 5:00 a.m., to see your favorite fighters. Canelo and Chávez, Jr. do this for the fans. This fight is for the fans.
“Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is, by far and away, the biggest boxing event of 2017, and we are expecting a knockdown, drag-out brawl between two of the most skilled, aggressive fighters in the sport. Tickets went on sale Monday, and are going incredibly fast. I hear we are almost sold out. There are less than 1,000 tickets available for Canelo-Chávez, Jr.
“On May 6 we have two great Mexican warriors; people from all over the world will watch this guaranteed war.”
EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer for Canelo Álvarez:
“I want to thank everyone for being here. On May 6, we will have the champion ready. It’s very honorable to have two Mexicans fighting on a special Mexican day. On May 6, we will be ready to raise Canelo’s hand in victory.”
JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Co-Trainer for Canelo Álvarez:
“To be here and see all this support from you in Houston is beautiful. On May 6, it’s going to be all about honor. Lets stop with all the back and forth and let’s make Mexico rise and together we will scream, ‘Viva Mexico!'”
GUADALUPE VALENCIA, Representative of Julio César Chávez, Jr.:
“We are so happy to be here in the great state of Texas. This fight is about pride. This fight is abut legacy. And this fight most importantly is about the fans. These fighters wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, the fans. This is a big fight between two Mexican warriors, but this is also a fight for the world. Everyone will be proud of boxing after this fight.
“Join us in Vegas or watch on Pay-Per-View. This will not be a fight with two guys walking around, trying to figure each other out. This is going to be a fight with non-stop action so don’t blink your eyes. For all you Canelo fans–Houston we have a problem. Viva Chávez, Jr.!”
Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400, $300, $200, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $125 and $75 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.
Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
