Boxing Promoter Mad Alcohol Banned From Sun Bowl; Fight At UT Austin Will Have Alcohol Tonight
Fight promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said he was surprised by University of Texas System Chancellor Franciso Cigarroa’s restrictions for the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Andy Lee fight at the Sun Bowl, including a ban on alcohol sales.
Arum said he’ll have to get assurances from the UTEP and local police by early next week that they can be met. If not, Arum said he’ll move the fight to Houston.
“This is preposterous. We’ve never had one bit of problems in Los Angeles, Houston or San Antonio, which are all big Hispanic communities, on a Chavez fight,” Arum told the Associated Press.
Alcohol is not sold at UTEP football games but is sold during the Hyundai Sun Bowl and at some other events at the stadium depending on approval. Alcohol was sold at the Showtime boxing matches at UTEP’s Don Haskins Center on April 21.
According to a UTEP Police log, only one incident was reported during the boxing matches at the Don Haskins Center on Saturday when an iPad was stolen from a TV production room.
Alcohol is not just banned at the Sun Bowl for the proposed fight but also cannot be brought onto university property on the date of the fight.
ESPN Friday Night Fights will take place at the University of Texas at Austin Frank Erwin Center tonight and alcohol will be sold at the Erwin Center, according to an employee of the arena who was asked Friday morning.
