The Staples Center will host its second boxing card in 2018 when Mikey Garcia and Robert Easter Jr. fight for the unified lightweight titles and Ringstar Sports promoter Richard Schaefer expects a big crowd for the fight.
Schaefer spoke to Fightful in a conference call to talk about the Garcia vs. Easter fight, set to headline a Showtime boxing card at the Staples Center on July 28. Schaefer said ticket sales has been going well and when Fightful asked what his expectations for the attendance number are going to be compared to the first Staples Center boxing card this year.
That card took place on June 6 and featured the rematch between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares for the WBA featherweight title in the main event. That fight drew an attendance number of 12,505 and it was the first boxing card at the venue since 2016. When looking at the June 6 attendance number, Schaefer believes the July 28 card could match the Santa Cruz vs. Mares rematch and even eclipse it.
“I expect that attendance number to the be in the ballpark [of 12,505], maybe even more. When I started working with Mikey, one of our goals was to really make the Staples Center at least once a year the home of Mikey Garcia. Before that fight we did with Mares and Santa Cruz, it has been quite a while since Staples Center had a fight card. To be able to make Staples Center the home was one of the goals. Mikey’s an ambitious guy and he’s had many other goals. To fight in Staples Center is a big thing and Mikey’s the right guy and he will be the king of LA and the king of boxing and the pound-for-pound king and all those things. You watch and see,” Schaefer said.
Garcia and Easter will fight for the unified WBC/IBF lightweight title on July 28, making this the first lightweight title unification bout Showtime will air since 2005 when Diego Corrales defeated Jose Luis Castillo to unify the WBC, WBO, Ring Magazine and lineal lightweight titles.
Fightful will have live coverage of Garcia vs. Easter live from the Staples Center. You can listen to Schaefer's comments in the video above.
