As rumoured last week, Joshua Clottey will be lining up in the opposing corner to
Manny Pacquiao on March 13th.
The venue of the bout was scheduled to be in Las Vegas but now will take place in Dallas at the 75,000 capacity Cowboys Stadium. Both Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Cowboys stadium owner Jerry Jones are both enthusiastic over the venue.
Jones said “ I have wanted to bring a major boxing event to North Texas for many years, so why not bring in the biggest and the best? Manny Pacquiao is boxing’s number one pound for pound attraction and a World champion. Manny defending his title against Joshua Clottey is not just a great fight, it’s a great event, and one we can showcase to the fullest in Cowboys Stadium”.
Due to the infastructure and viewing requirements of boxing, 40,000 fans will be able to see the bout if it is a sell out. Bob Arum is confident that the Texan public will sell out the place.
"Jerry Jones knows exactly how big and important this event is which is why it was so easy to put this deal together. If Jerry could sell me on Cowboys Stadium and the North Texas market, you know he is going to have no problems selling out Cowboys Stadium on March 13."
"We are ready to roll up our sleeves and promote Manny’s debut as World welterweight champion. Manny Pacquiao is the lone star of boxing (Texas is known as the Lone star state). There isn’t a more appropriate place in the World for him to fight"
Now as this writer has stated before, Floyd Mayweather gets a lot of criticism (often deserved) for fighting hand picked opponents. If there is a fighter out there more suited to be outsped by the Pac-man than Clottey then I am yet to meet him. However after the last few bouts against star opposition, Pacquaio is deserving of fighting whoever he wants.
By JIMMY LAST (EDITOR)
