By Steve Kim

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez makes his 2015 debut this weekend versus James Kirkland at the home of the Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park. And as usual, a large throng of fans his expected to be in attendance.

"We're doing great, I think we should get 35,000," said Mike Battah, the head of Leija-Battah Promotions, who is running this event locally with Golden Boy Promotions.

They caught a bit of break with the Los Angeles Clippers beating the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

"The Rockets are playing this weekend, they were going to be against the Spurs but now they're going to be in Los Angeles and they're gone this weekend so I believe we're going to have a great turnout and walk-up. They're playing on Friday and Sunday against the Clippers not San Antonio, which would've hurt us because it would've been two Texas cities," said Battah, who ran the promotion a few years back when 'Canelo' drew nearly 40,000 versus Austin Trout at the Alamadome in San Antonio.

And while the weather will be warm throughout the week in Houston, there is a chance of rain. Which wont be a problem come Saturday evening. Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof.

"It was always going to be closed since day one," explained Battah. "There was no open or closed conversation. It was going to be closed."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.