Saturday, 13 March 2010

Festive stadium weighs in boxers -- ESPN

By Calvin Watkins, ESPNDallas.com



ARLINGTON, Texas -- A weigh-in at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium isn't just a normal one.

With screaming fans and the plaza doors open to show the massive video board as a backdrop, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey weighed in Friday for their Saturday night WBO welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao, the champion, came in at 145¾. Clottey was at 147.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he wasn't concerned about his fighter's weight. Pacquiao averaged about 152 pounds per day during training.

"After he stopped drinking protein shakes, the weight drops," said Roach, who added his fighter weighed 144 on Friday morning.

The fighters tried to stare each other down after the weigh-in but broke out in laughter.

The weigh-in was attended by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who said this inaugural fight at the stadium is "hopefully one of many."

Promoter Bob Arum said he expects the fight to have at least 1 million pay-per-view buys with the fight shown in more than 80 million homes worldwide.

The event brought out a star-studded crowd which included actor Robert Duvall and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson.

Cowboys officials expect 42 former and current members of the team to attend the fight, including former coach Jimmy Johnson and ex-quarterback Troy Aikman.

The fight is nearing a sellout of 45,000, and stadium officials said they will sell standing-room only tickets for $35 each.

Calvin Watkins covers boxing for ESPN Dallas. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

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