The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

"It's incredible": boxer Souleymane Cissokho prepares to step into the ring ... in front of 70,000 people

2021-05-07T05:05:19.777Z


On the night of Saturday to Sunday, 70,000 people are expected in Dallas, Texas for a big night of boxing. This is the first event


For more than a year, since the start of the pandemic and the various confinements, never has a sport (or other) event brought together so many people in the same place and a Frenchman is one of the protagonists: Souleymane Cissokho.

The usual home of American footballers for the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium in Arlington in the suburbs of the city is expecting 70,000 people for an evening of boxing this Saturday.

No, there is no error on the number of zeros: “At the start, when the evening came up, says the boxer - bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics - we were told 60,000 people.

But the more we advance into the fight, the more we are told that there will be 70,000 fans.

It's grandiose, incredible, completely crazy and it's going to be awesome!

"

"Conway is no problem. He's a step to another level."

Souleymane Cissokh ... https://t.co/Df0R9ZpRwV via @YouTube

- Souleymane Cissokho (@Souleymane_C) May 2, 2021

For the occasion, Souleymane Cissokho (29 years old, 12 wins, 0 losses) challenges the Englishman Kieron Conway (24 years old, 16 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw) with the goal of the WBA International super-welterweight belt.

The challenge in the medium term is above all to get closer to the world belt in the category.

"It's a crazy exhibition for me"

Important clarification: the Parisian will not enter the ring in the early evening in the anonymity of an empty stadium. No. His fight is one of the two main ones of the evening with the duel between Mexican Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders counting for the unified WBA, WBC and WBO middleweight world belt. An opposition that shakes the United States and its Mexican neighbor. “I fight just before, rejoices the Parisian. It's a crazy show and if all goes well, it's a tremendous boost for the rest of my career. In addition to the crowd, the evening will be broadcast on TV. "

Seen from France, it is hard to imagine such a crowd while the virus is still circulating. It's like opening the Stade de France and filling it up this weekend. "The United States are used to these big shows," says the boxer on the other side of the Atlantic. They were missing it with the pandemic. Beyond this frustration, there is also this week the “Cinco de Mayo”, a very popular event in Texas ”. This May 5 holiday commemorates the victory of the Mexican Republicans over the forces of the conservative government and the French expeditionary force in 1862. "This holiday is very important for Hispanics," continues the boxer. There are still boxing fights around this date. Even if our evening falls on the 8th, the Mexicans do not want to miss Canelo Alvarez's fight for anything in the world. He is their hero ”.

He makes up for lost time

Souleymane Cissokho, who went 18 months without a fight between September 2019 and March 2021 found himself in this great barnum without having considered it.

But there are proposals that cannot be refused: “This evening is the first event in the world to my knowledge to be open to so many audiences for months.

I am happy that it concerns an evening of boxing and to be part of it, rejoices the captain of the France team at the 2016 Olympics. It is an incredible honor.

The folks caring for Conway have seen my last fight in March against Jermell Charlo in Dallas already.

Conway's original opponent backed out and they thought of me.

I obviously couldn't refuse.

I am making up for lost time and in what way!

"

🚨For an intercontinental WBA belt that will allow him to integrate the top 15 of the WBA @Souleymane_C will face Kieron Conway on May 8 during the evening between Canelo and Saunders.

Magnificent opportunity for Souleymane #TeamCissokho #CissokhoConway #LabelBoxe 🥊 pic.twitter.com/OUYf9vaD9a

- Richard Sette (@ richardsette7) April 17, 2021

Elsewhere in the world, such an evening is unthinkable. But Texas is way ahead of the vaccine. Of the 29 million inhabitants of the state, nearly 20 million - nearly two thirds of the population - have received the first dose and nearly 9 million have already received the second. This is more than all of France: “In Dallas,” says Souleymane Cissokho, “almost all people are in fact vaccinated. They are further ahead than us. This is where we see the gap between the two countries, but perhaps also in France, we are more careful. "

For several days now, Texas has decided to return to the world before by reopening its businesses, reducing barrier gestures, as if the Covid-19 was already part of the past. Gathering 70,000 people in a stadium therefore becomes almost normal: “Wearing a mask is no longer compulsory,” continues the Frenchman. That said, we boxers remain protected in a bubble. Me, I see nothing other than my hotel room and the bathroom. I am tested very very regularly. I take all my precautions because it is obviously not possible that I miss this evening, perhaps the most important of my career. "

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-05-07

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.