The first weekend in May has become the equivalent of Super Bowl Sunday on boxing’s calendar.
Cinco de Mayo will always be a holiday celebrated more in the United States than Mexico.
It is often referred to by confused Americans as Mexico’s Fourth of July, but Mexican Independence Day actually falls on Sept. 16. Día de la Independencia is the country’s most important national holiday. To most of Mexico, May 5 is just another date on the calendar and an excuse for Americans to drink Tecate and eat tamales.
The first weekend in May, however, has become somewhat of a holiday in the Latino community over the past 15 years. But it has nothing to do with the Mexican victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5,1862. It has become the equivalent of Super Bowl Sunday on boxing’s calendar and an annual reason for thousands to descend on Las Vegas for a weekend highlighted by a big prize fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez began the trend in 1993 when he fought Terrence Ali during Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas and returned one year later to face Frankie Randall. While the fights were successful, they would be the only two Cinco de Mayo weekend fights Chavez would have. It wasn’t until Oscar De La Hoya fought Yori Boy Campas on May 3,2003, that the Cinco de Mayo weekend became an annual boxing tradition.
Every Cinco de Mayo weekend since has featured a big-time fight, usually held in Vegas. Four of the first six years featured De La Hoya. When he retired, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao took over, and Canelo Alvarez, who faces Daniel Jacobs on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, has continued the tradition most recently.
“We still have to owe it all to Chavez,” De La Hoya said. “He was the first one who brought all the fans together in one city, Las Vegas, and made an event out of it.
