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By Jake Donovan - It was a picture perfect afternoon in late October when the local media gathered for what appeared to be yet another run-of-the-mill boxing press conference in Houston. The topic of the day was undefeated middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. making the first defense of his alphabet title against fringe contender Peter Manfredo Jr. on November 19 at Reliant Arena.
The media session was staged in the VIP lounge on the third floor of Reliant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Houston Texans. On the field level, stadium workers could be seen laying down the turf for a game the Texans would host against the Jacksonville Jaguars that upcoming Sunday.
Looking down below to the field through a glass window was Bob Arum, the promo who somehow entered the room unnoticed. He’s quietly approached by a media member, who says nothing as he stands alongside the Hall of Fame promoter.
The reporter looks down and sees a bunch of people getting the stadium ready for football. Without provocation or even making eye contact, Arum says what’s on his mind. It was at that moment the reporter realized that while they were staring in the same direction, they see something completely different.
“Can you imagine 40,000 people in this place for Chavez-(Saul) Alvarez one day?” Arum asks, barely above a whisper and perhaps not even to anyone specific, not even the guy standing next to him.
The reporter glances, and suddenly realizes what this event means to Arum – a homecoming.
By the time Chavez Jr and Manfredo take the ring on Saturday evening in their HBO-televised main event, exactly 45 years and five days will have passed since Arum’s Top Rank Inc. made their stateside promotional debut. The Harvard lawyer was a mere 35 years young, when he brought to town a certain reigning heavyweight champion by the name of Muhammad Ali. [Click Here To Read More]
The media session was staged in the VIP lounge on the third floor of Reliant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Houston Texans. On the field level, stadium workers could be seen laying down the turf for a game the Texans would host against the Jacksonville Jaguars that upcoming Sunday.
Looking down below to the field through a glass window was Bob Arum, the promo who somehow entered the room unnoticed. He’s quietly approached by a media member, who says nothing as he stands alongside the Hall of Fame promoter.
The reporter looks down and sees a bunch of people getting the stadium ready for football. Without provocation or even making eye contact, Arum says what’s on his mind. It was at that moment the reporter realized that while they were staring in the same direction, they see something completely different.
“Can you imagine 40,000 people in this place for Chavez-(Saul) Alvarez one day?” Arum asks, barely above a whisper and perhaps not even to anyone specific, not even the guy standing next to him.
The reporter glances, and suddenly realizes what this event means to Arum – a homecoming.
By the time Chavez Jr and Manfredo take the ring on Saturday evening in their HBO-televised main event, exactly 45 years and five days will have passed since Arum’s Top Rank Inc. made their stateside promotional debut. The Harvard lawyer was a mere 35 years young, when he brought to town a certain reigning heavyweight champion by the name of Muhammad Ali. [Click Here To Read More]
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