AUSTIN, Texas – A state senator from El Paso said Thursday the University of Texas System regents should overturn a decision by Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to ban a high-profile boxing match from the Sun Bowl over unspecified security concerns
The regents are scheduled to meet next Wednesday and Thursday in Austin. Sen. Jose Rodriguez, a Democrat, sent the nine-member board a letter asking them to put Cigarroa's decision on their agenda so he and other lawmakers and officials from El Paso can ask them to intervene.
"I urge the Board of Regents to reverse this decision; allowing it to stand will cost El Paso millions of dollars and irreparably damage our city's reputation," Rodriguez's letter said.
Cigarroa told the University of Texas-El Paso that its football stadium cannot host the June 16 fight between Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Ireland's Andy Lee after a risk assessment determined the fight created an elevated security risk. UT system officials have provided no details to support the claim, and the risk assessment report has not been made public.
Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies say they are unaware of any security risk associated with the fight. El Paso officials have asked the UT system for the risk report and any others conducted for major events held on system property over the last five years.
Rodriguez said he's frustrated that the UT system has not provided details to support Cigarroa's decision.
"I'm baffled by it. We have our top law enforcement people telling us they don't have any information" to support the ban, Rodriguez said.
Regents spokesman Anthony de Bruyn said the UT system had no comment. The regents meeting agenda should be set by Friday, he said.
Cigarroa's move banning the fight angered El Paso officials who say their city has been falsely portrayed as a war zone suffering spillover violence from the drug war in Mexico. El Paso ranks among the safest cities in the U.S. in terms of violent crime.
El Paso officials have said they will do what they can to keep a bout projected to generate about $4.5 million for the city. Organizers expected more than 40,000 fans at the fight featuring Chavez, a popular Mexican boxer and the WBC world middleweight champion.
Fight promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said he will move the fight to Houston's Toyota Center if needed but is willing to wait until after the regents meet.
"I'm for El Paso," Arum said Thursday. "I'm out there on the barricades with them in this fight."
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.