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POLITICS, CONTROVERSY,
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by Rebecca Guerrero The Prospector News happens constantly, and most of the stories that occur are relevant for a little while but quickly fade away. However, every year there are a few stories that manage to capture people’s attention more than most, and this year was no exception. Here are some news stories that made the top of the list.
Sun Bowl boxing match
This summer, El Pasoans went on a rollercoaster ride when officials from the University of Texas System decided whether or not the UTEP Sun Bowl could host a high-profile boxing match between Julio César Chávez Jr. and Andy Lee. When the UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa announced that they did not think El Paso would be a good location for the match because of security issues, the city was outraged. UTEP President Diana Natalicio said she was told that one reason the fight was canceled was because Chávez was reportedly in a relationship with the widow of Sinaloa drug cartel leader Joaquin Chapo’s son. William Blaziek, general manager for the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau, believed that the decision to move the fight based on border violence would be harmful to El Paso’s image and claimed that El Paso was one of the safest cities in the United States. He called upon the UT System to reconsider their decision, which
they ultimately did with the provision that no alcohol was to be sold at the match. The ban on alcohol may have affected ticket sales, as only 13,467 fans attended the event, compared to the more than 45,000 that attended the 1998 match, featuring Oscar De La Hoya and Patrick Charpentier. Still, the match is viewed as a success by the city as it was televised worldwide and produced $1.84 million in ticket sales and TV revenue for Top Rank, Inc. “I like to focus on the positive; and we were able to host a safe and enjoyable night of world-class boxing as we have done in many other occasions throughout the years,” said Jorge Vazquez, executive director of UTEP Special Events. “Every event that we host in our venues is unique, bringing new challenges and lessons learned. This particular event was no different. This was an intricate production and we were able to make it happen in a relatively small window of time. Many parts came together to present a quality event and do it in a way that was financially successful.”
Triple-A Ballpark
Of all of the local news this year, perhaps nothing ignited as much passionate debate as the decision to build a new Triple-A baseball stadium in the heart of downtown El Paso. The proposed stadium would cause the tearing down of city hall and the Insights Museum, among other structures. On Nov. 18, El Paso’s City
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The University of Texas at El Paso · November 27, 2012