Canelo goes for another historic sellout when he faces Crawford at this NFL stadium

For some time now, Mexican star Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez hasn’t just been fighting for titles—he’s been competing against his own records, against his legacy, against history itself.

On September 13, the undisputed super middleweight champion will step into the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the NFL’s Raiders. His opponent: Terence Crawford. His goal: to expand his legacy and, in the process, add yet another massive crowd to his résumé of marquee events.

The bout, scheduled during Mexican Independence Day weekend, will be the first boxing event ever held at the state-of-the-art stadium, which previously hosted a Super Bowl. It will be broadcast globally by Netflix, which is positioning itself as a serious new player in boxing after dipping its toes in with events featuring Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.

Donald Trump could disrupt Canelo attendance

Originally, Allegiant Stadium was set to host a college football game between UNLV and Utah Tech. But the Guadalajara native’s drawing power—and Netflix’s commercial ambition—rewrote the story: in the city that never sleeps, boxing beat out football.

For more than two decades, Las Vegas has effectively become a Mexican outpost every September. September 15 is a sacred date for Mexican boxing, and fans travel across the United States—some by car, others by plane—to be part of this powerful mix of celebration, identity, and combat.

This year, however, travel could be disrupted by Donald Trump’s new immigration policies, as he looks to reintroduce stricter measures in response to a recent surge in migration.

Still, expectations are sky-high. Canelo is no longer just a boxer—he’s a spectacle.

Can Canelo fill Allegiant Stadium? It’s no small question. The venue holds about 65,000 spectators, but with the ring placed at the center and temporary seating added, that number could rise to 70,000. A sellout would make it the second-highest-attended fight of his career—just behind his 2021 bout against Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which drew over 65,000 fans.

Packing stadiums has become part of Canelo’s boxing identity. He’s done it in the U.S. and in Mexico. In 2023, more than 50,000 fans filled Akron Stadium in Guadalajara to watch him face John Ryder.

Canelo’s highest attendances

*60,000 fans are estimated

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