Theories Emerge As To Cancellation of Sun Bowl Boxing Match
El Pasoans are grasping to find the reason behind the cancellation of a big boxing match at the Sun Bowl between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. And Andy Lee scheduled for June 16.
Tuesday, University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa said the Sun Bowl was not the appropriate venue, after a risk assessment for the event revealed “the risk was higher than normal.”
El Paso leaders have demanded more information from Cigarroa, to no avail.
One possible theory, a “rumor” as El Paso Mayor John Cook called it, involves Julio Cesar Chavez Junior’s girlfriend. The fighter is dating Frida Munoz Roman, according to MyBoxingFans.com. ABC-7 cameras captured her at Tuesday’s conference.
Cook said she may be the “genesis” of the security concern.
ABC-7 has learned that woman of the same name was the common-law-wife of Sinaloa drug cartel chief “El Chapo” Guzman’s son.
She claimed his body after he was killed in 2008, according to Mexican media, and gave birth to his daughter.
Guzman is one of the most wanted men the world, and was just indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso on Tuesday — the same day the fight was canceled.
The Sinaloa cartel has been in a bloody turf war with the Juarez drug cartel.
Cook said the alleged relationship between the fighter’s girlfriend and the drug cartel boss is nothing new, and local leaders don’t consider that a threat that would warrant the cancellation of the entire event.
Yet another theory involves the boxing promoter’s son.
Bob Arum’s son, Richard Arum, a sociology professor at New York University, wrote a book critical of the lack of progress at higher education institutions. And just this month, he was critical of the UT System in a Washington Post article.
In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, Richard Arum said, “It’s hard for me to believe it’s connected to my criticisms and the book. However, the timing of things is an incredible coincidence.”
Bob Arum told Yahoo! Sports the UT System has until the end of the day Thursday to reverse its ruling and allow the bout to take place at the 50,000-seat Sun Bowl.
During a news conference at City Hall, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and El Paso Police leaders stressed they knew of no “credible, specific threat” that would warrant moving the HBO-televised middleweight championship away from the Sun Bowl.
El Paso City Manager Joyce Wilson is also baffled by the decision to cancel the fight. Wednesday, she filed several Open Records Requests to obtain documents related to the risk assessment and learn what led Chancellor Cigarroa to abruptly determine the stadium at the University of Texas at El Paso was not the right venue for the event.
