Alamodome title bouts to mirror layout employed at Utsagames
The pro boxing card Oct.
31 at the Alamodome will boast several high-action matchups, including San Antonio’s own Mario Barrios attempting the first defense of his WBA super lightweight title against fellow Texan Ryan Karl.
And the Gervonta Davis
Leo Santa Cruz world title showdown in the main event could be a fight of the year candidate.
But the Showtime Pay-per-view event will be noteworthy in at least one other respect. It will be the first major boxing card with fans in attendance since the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the sport worldwide.
The dome will host about 12,000 spectators for the event Halloween night, or about 19 percent of the dome’s capacity, Alamodome general manager Steve Zito said. It likely will be a familiar sight for some fans. Dome officials say they will use the exact same layout and protocols used for UTSA home football games.
“Safety is absolutely our first priority in all of this,” Zito said.
“We’ve been working with the state and the promoters on their protocols. We want to do it right the first time so we can do more of these down the road.”
That means subjecting fans to security guidelines in an effort to reduce risk amid the pandemic.
Face coverings are required at all times, and every fan must pass a temperature screening before entering. Anyone with a temperature higher than 99.6 degrees will not be allowed in.
In an effort to maintain physical distancing, every other row of seating will be closed, as will aisle seats. Tickets will be sold in blocks, or pods, with four empty seats separating each group.
That’s why Zito expects capacity on Halloween night to be no more than 12,000. He said the entire stadium will be in play for seating — even the upper deck — and will seat about 11,200, with an extra 1,000 or so on the floor around the ring.
Safety protocols will be in play there, too. One of the reasons the promoters of the show picked the Alamodome is the 50 percent capacity limit allowed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Since boxing’s restart, in Nevada and elsewhere, fighters have been performing in near empty arenas.
But Zito said any dreams of 32,000 fans — 50 percent of the dome’s 64,000 capacity — are unrealistic.
“We can’t have 50 percent capacity and the kind of physical distancing we need. It just won’t work,” Zito said. “We’re very conservative in creating that six foot standard. So, you either have that six foot barrier or you don’t. We chose to have it.
“We’re very serious about folks having fun, but safety is our top priority.”
This is the blueprint, Zito says, the dome will use going forward. He says they’re just happy to have the show after dozens of events had to be either canceled or postponed since March.
He said the dome was forced to furlough 52 staff members in March and 260 from the San Antonio Convention and Sports Facilities Department.
“Everyone’s real excited about this event,” Zito said.
That includes the promoters. Tom Brown of TGB Promotions, who’s teaming with Floyd Mayweather and Premier Boxing Champions on the event, said they are aware of the limitations brought on by COVID-19.
He said just having a crowd of any size in the arena will be a plus.
“We’ve done a few shows now with no fans at all, so this is going to be great,” he said.
His priority is creating safety protocols for fighters and staff.
At the core of this plan is a “bubble” set up at the Marriott Rivercenter to quarantine and keep boxers safe until the night of the fights.
Fighters on the card will arrive by Monday or Tuesday of fight week, Brown said, and immediately be subject to COVID-19 testing.