Promoters Believe Alexander-Bradley Bigger Than The Site

By Michael Marley

Co-promoters Big Gary Shaw and Don King did not mention any specifics, gave no numbers as to ticket sales at the Pontiac Silverdome, site of the Jan. 29 highly-publicized Devon Alexander-Tim Bradley junior welterweight unification, but they did present a united front on a recent media conference call.

I reported last Thursday that, at the time I penned the article, only 339 tickets had been paid for in the 80,000-seat domed stadium, which is being "curtained off" for a max crowd of 15,000.

Neither Shaw nor King denied that ticket sales are lagging with one main event fighter from Palm Springs and the other from St. Louis.

But they both defended the Greater Detroit venue and selection of same. Shaw and King just banked $225,000 each as their share of the site fee.

"This will show...Detroit is alive and kicking," King said with his trademark bombast. "The theme we take (here) is resurgence and I think it's provocatively beautiful. This will be (like) an infomercial...this will show that Motown is alive and ready."

Shaw was not as poetic but he said anemic attendance is not as important as the actual fight itself.

"I think (Pontiac) is a terrific place to do this fight," Shaw said. "HBO will be putting big spotlight on the area."

Shaw made reference to the May 7, 2005, Las Vegas fight between Chico Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, which has become known as an "instant classic" as Corrales came back from two knockdowns to controversially stop the Mexican fighter in the 10th round.

Various reports cited a crowd of either 5,203 or 5,168 at Mandalay Bay but Shaw said the bout actually sold only about 2,000 tickets. They fought again on Oct. 8 of the same year and Castillo rebounded, winning on a fourth round KO. Corrales died as a result of a motorcycle crash in Las Vegas on May 7, 2007--two years to the day after their first brawl.

Shaw said economic comebacks by area automakers prove that the situation in the historic "Motor City" and environs is improving.

If Bradley could go to England to whip Junior Witter, he couldn't go to Alexander's hometown where a 12,000-seat sellout would have pumped electricity into the telecast? I'm just saying...