Frenchman Souleymane Cissokho will fight in front of 70,000 people in Texas

70,000 people gathered in a stadium, this is quite simply a first in the world since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. This boxing fight, which will take place on Saturday evening in Arlington, Texas, will pit Frenchman Souleymane Cissokho against Englishman Kieron Conway.

Stake ? Uintercontinental belt WBA, which would allow the Habs to climb the ladder in the hierarchy of superwelters, in other words the “super welterweight” and integrate the Top 15 world. This fight is part of a meeting whose shock will oppose Mexican star Canelo Alvarez to Briton Billy Joe Saunders, for the unification of titles in the super-middleweight.

It had been over a year since a sporting event, and even an event quite simply, had not gathered so many audiences. 70,000 people are expected on Saturday May 8 in the‘AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys football team (NFL). The crowd, a record for a boxing match in a covered enclosure in the United States, is comparable to that of the Stade de France, almost entirely. The widespread vaccination and the easing of barrier measures in Texas convinced the organizers to welcome such a crowd.

For Souleymane Cissokho, this is a real first. Never has the French fought in front of such a crowd. “I’m happy to fight in front of so many people, it will be great but we have to take a step back, I stay focused on my opponent”, the Frenchman told AFP. Same excitement from his opponent, Kieron Conway. “It’s surreal, but I really can’t wait to be in front of such a massive crowd reacting to your punches and cheering you on. I made my way the hard way in small venues where sometimes we aren’t even not paid, so finding me there is crazy “, rejoiced the boxerEnglish as the fight approached.

Souleymane Cissokho spent 18 months without boxing, mainly because of the Covid pandemic, until his victorious return to a ring on March 11 against the Mexican Daniel Echeverria by stop of the referee in the 6th round. So, “even if this sequence may seem rapid “, Does he agree with AFP, the 29-year-old Frenchman and bronze medalist at the Olympic Games in Rio, no longer wants to waste time making his way to the heights of the under 69 kg category, dominated by the ‘American Jermell Charlo.

Unbeaten in twelve fights and as many victories, including eight before the limit, Cissokho will this time face a younger opponent, aged 24, but also of another caliber (16 wins, including 3 by KO, 1 draw , 1 loss), which has the same ambitions as him. “This belt ranks you in the top 15 in the world. Once in this ranking, the world champion who wants to defend his title has an exemption to take a boxer in this top 15. Suddenly it can go very quickly”, exposes the French.

The poster which will pit the two boxers against each other should initially have taken place in London last December. But Cissokho was prevented for administrative reasons.

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