Canelo vs. Saunders could be largest indoor boxing event in US history, with 70,000 expected at AT&T Stadium

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 01: An aerial drone view of AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys NFL football team plays, on April 01, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. The NBA, NHL, NCAA and MLB have all announced cancellations or postponements of events

There continues to be signs that North Texas is getting back to normal from the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of those is the 70,000 fans expected at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Saturday for the fight between Canelo Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders.

In the press conference before the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn said the event has broken the record for an indoor crowd in U.S. boxing history that was set in 1978 for a Muhammad Ali fight.

The roof will be closed for the fight, and the 70,000 fans set to be in the stadium for Saturday’s event is set to be the largest indoor gathering in North Texas since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing protocols were put in place last year.

AT&T Stadium seats 80,000, though with standing room, its maximum capacity is 105,000

Arlington has been allowing more fans to attend events recently, as the Cowboys and Rangers have had fans attend their games and the PBR World Finals and Women’s Rodeo World Championships were held in Tarrant County back in November.