Boxing at Cowboys Stadium has nice ring to it for Jerry Jones -- Boston Herald

By Tobias Xavier Lopez, McClatchy Newspapers

ARLINGTON, Texas — When Manny Pacquiao looked down at the crowd from Jerry Jones’ personal suite at Cowboys Stadium, it looked strangely reminiscent of a Roman Emperor in the ancient Coliseum.

The comparisons to the Roman Coliseum continued throughout Tuesday’s news conference to formally announce Pacquiao’s March 13 welterweight title bout against Joshua Clottey.

"It was always in my mind that right here on the star we could put a ring," Jones said. "And the best fighters in the world could come out and fight and their fans support them."

Deep-voiced ring announcer Michael Buffer likened Cowboys Stadium to the Roman Coliseum and compared the fighters to gladiators of a different era.

During the news conference that resembled a football pregame show, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum suggested Cowboys Stadium could replace Madison Square Garden or Caesar’s Palace as the "new Mecca of boxing."

Despite the magnitude of Cowboys Stadium and the sideshow filled with pyrotechnics and Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, the proverbial elephant in the room still demanded attention.

This fight serves as a substitute only after the failure of promoters to agree on drug testing stipulations between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Jones pointed out the fact that had that fight taken place then, it would have happened in Las Vegas and not at Cowboys Stadium.

"I’m proud to have this fight," Jones said. "Pacquiao is who I wanted. The different dynamics of the other fight played out best for us."

Pacquiao spoke briefly about Mayweather and said the fight could still happen later this year.

"For me, I wanted to fight him, but he had a lot of reasons," he said. "That’s why the fight was canceled."

While boxing fans clamored for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Pacquiao’s iconic trainer Freddy Roach said Clottey presents a better matchup.

"Action-wise, both guys will come to fight," Roach said. "Mayweather’s a talented guy, but he puts people to sleep, and he runs and he runs and runs."

Up-and-coming Dallas fighter Roberto Marroquin (11-0) has an undercard bout, but the rest of the card has not been determined. Arum introduced Marroquin as the official fighter of the Dallas Cowboys.


Saturday, March 13


Cowboys Stadium, Arlington

The WBO Welterweight Championship (147 pounds)

—Champion Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao, 31, (50-3-2, 38 KOs); General Santos City, Philippines.

—Challenger Joshua "Grand Master" Clottey, 32, (35-3, 21KOs); ranked No. 1 WBO; No. 4 WBA, Accra, Ghana

Tickets: On sale Saturday at 10 a.m. CST for $50-$700 at the Cowboys Stadium box office, ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.

Pay Per View: $49.95

Source: news.bostonherald.com