Joshua vs Klitschko: Five other stadium fights with massive crowds
Tuesday 17 January 2017 19:45, UK
Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko's Wembley fight has already sold a record 80,000 tickets, so we've remembered other modern-day occasions that brought together bumper crowds.
Julio Cesar Chavez vs Greg Haugen
Eighty-four consecutive wins had turned Julio Cesar Chavez into the latest fistic legend from Mexico, a country that idolises their punchers like no other. But it wasn’t enough to impress Greg Haugen, a former world lightweight champion from the United States, who derided Chavez’s victims as “Tijuana cab drivers that my mother could have knocked out”.
In 1993, Chavez’s fame in in Mexico opened an opportunity to box at the national stadium, the famous Azteca, where Diego Maradona had outraged and inspired seven years earlier. The 1986 World Cup final, won by Argentina, was watched by 114,000 inside the Azteca yet Chavez smashed that figure, and the opponent in front of him.
Over 130,000 crammed into the Azteca to watch Chavez silence a mouthy American visitor, whose pre-fight jibes looked more and more foolish as the rounds went on. Haugen climbed off the canvas early, but the referee saved him in the fifth round as Chavez’s record improved to 85-0.
"They must have been tough taxi drivers," Hauger admitted afterwards.
Ricky Hatton vs Juan Lazcano
Ricky Hatton's 'homecoming' fight following his first-ever defeat as a professional to Floyd Mayweather saw 55,000 fans turn out to back their beloved son at the City of Manchester Stadium in his hometown.
Despite the fight not carrying the enormity of some of Hatton’s other headline bouts, the Manchester crowd set a post-war record attendance for a British fight.
It was the Manchester fighter’s first fight back in his home city following four consecutive contests Stateside, and he was welcomed into the ring by the familiar and stirring rendition of 'High Ho Ricky Hatton' and his traditional crowd-pleaser, Blue Moon.
In truth, it was not a vintage Hatton performance as he successfully defended his IBO super-lightweight title, but ‘The Hitman’ did comfortably earn a unanimous decision victory to mark a celebratory homecoming.
Dmitry Chudinov vs Jorge Navarro
Never question the Russians’ appetite to support their boxers or, apparently, their motorbike stunt men. Dmitry Chudinov, who you might remember as a beaten opponent of Chris Eubank Jr’s, has twice boxed at motorbike rallies in his homeland that have allegedly broken all-time attendance records.
The validity of promoter Vladimir Hryunov’s claim that over 100,000 people packed into the open-air events is open to interpretation, unless you were there, but the sheer scale of the land space does make it possible.
The first of these mythical events took place in Volgograd, scene of a notorious battle in World War II. Three years ago, Chudinov dished out a two-round stoppage of Jorge Navarro after his brother Fedor, who is due to face George Groves, had won on the undercard. The promoter’s most outlandish claim is that 170,000 people combined their love of boxing and motorbikes for the bizarre occasion.
Unsatisfied with one attempt at the record books, the elder Chudinov revved his engine and sped towards a second, similar motorbike event in 2014. This time in front of a humble 100,000 spectators (who may or may not have known about the boxing alongside their beloved bikes), Chudinov beat Mehdi Bouadla in three rounds.
Carl Froch vs Georges Groves
Perhaps the most memorable stadium fight of recent years remains Carl Froch’s rematch with George Groves at Wembley, where Joshua and Klitschko will meet on April 29, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
It will long be remembered as one of boxing’s most bitter rivalries, a grudge that brought together two very different characters who held such absolute confidence of defeating the other.
Froch had won the first fight, albeit by a contentious early stoppage, but the demand and curiosity was there to see it again and 80,000 fans came out to see the showpiece event.
The conclusion to the fight could not have been more emphatic as Froch silenced the doubters with an explosive right hand that befitted one of boxing’s greatest ever occasions.
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs Liam Smith
Following in the footsteps of Chavez, pound-for-pound rated Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is the latest icon that Mexican fans come out in droves to catch a glimpse of.
The 26-year-old national hero has already notched up 50 professional career fights and has fought against the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Amir Khan, quickly becoming one of boxing’s marquee stars.
His biggest capacity fight is his most recent one, against Liverpool’s Liam Smith, which took place at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, home to the Dallas Cowboys.
Over 51,000 fans came out to watch the WBO light-middleweight clash in which Alvarez won via a ninth-round knockout having previously floored his unbeaten opponent twice before.
