Bob Arum, the boxing promoter who promoted the last fight at Yankee Stadium - Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton in 1976 - is trying to get boxing back in the Bronx.
It's something he's been trying to do since the Ali-Norton fight, but was turned down the Yanks due to concerns about putting a ring and seating on top of and damaging the infield grass. Arunm hope Hank and Hal feel differently.
Here's more from MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez:
Besides all that great (and at times not so great) Yankee baseball played at the old stadium, the other thing that made it such a great sports venue was the football game and boxing matches held there over the years. Continuing that at the new place can only be a good thing and I'm glad to hear boxing may be on its way.On the day boxing champions Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao stood on the first-base line at Yankee Stadium to announce their Nov. 14 fight in Las Vegas, Arum and team officials talked about the possibility of holding major fights at the stadium, according to The Associated Press.
"We have a history of bringing big fights to the Yankee Stadium," said Arum. "It's something we'd like to do again."
..."I think one of the reasons we had the press conference here is a precursor for a big, big event," Arum told The AP. "Certainly a big fight is going to happen next year, and it's going to happen at Yankee Stadium."
A fight between the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto against the winner of next weekend's bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez appealed to Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost.
"There'll be a winner of this fight and a winner of the Mayweather fight," Trost said. "Where better to hold that fight than Yankee Stadium?"
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Arum told The AP that it's unlikely that the Mayweather-Marquez and Pacquiao-Cotto winners would face each other, but it's possible that Cotto could cede his traditional spot at Madison Square Garden to up-and-coming star Juan Manuel Lopez to headline a card at the ballpark.
"We're going to get one here at Yankee Stadium," said Melvina Lathan, the head of the New York State Athletic Commission. "We've got to come back and revisit Yankee Stadium."
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"Yankee Stadium had a great tradition of boxing," Arum said, "and hopefully with the new Yankee Stadium, we'll start a new tradition."
8 Comments:
Imagine Cotto or Pacquiao vs Mayweather at Yankee Stadium. That would be the biggest fight of the 21st century by far.
How about a big UFC match? Its popularity seems to be on the way to overcoming the fading boxing world anyway.
-G
It's possible anon.
I think MMA is illegal in NY state, the state Athletic and Boxing commission follow a ban on full contact fighting in the state that I think is still on the books.
Danny, I just looked it up and as of January it was illegal in New York. I don't think they've changed that either. So yea, so much for MMA coming to the Bronx.
That sucks cause it would be a great revenue stream for the stadium ,that could help to reduce baseball ticket prices by allowing more non baseball events and revenue. MMA has such a growing grass roots following because of it being more affordable sports entertainment then most other athletic events. It would be a win for the Yankees.
I dont understand why its illegal when its obviously under close supervision with a set of rules and regulations. Its not like they are having street fights in the streets of NY. I love this city but some things that it does pisses me off.
It's not the city, it's a state law. The state regulates major athletic fighting competitions and bouts like boxing and martial arts tournaments. More likely than not though the boxing commission may have a hand in lobbying against it too all these years to protect boxing.
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