Fight night. Rented limos. Rented tuxes.
Rented, uh, "dates" for some of the ringside spectators.
There is nothing in sports like fight night.
Fight night is sharing an elevator with the multi-necklaced Mr. T. It's sitting a few seats away from Liza Minnelli and Sylvester Stallone.
It used to be Howard Cosell. Now it's HBO.
Fight night is a still-vibrant Muhammad Ali, at age 36, packing the Louisiana Superdome to regain the heavyweight title against Leon Spinks.
It's Sugar Ray Leonard. And Thomas Hearns. And Marvin Hagler.
It's Mike Tyson biting off a souvenir piece of Evander Holyfield's ear.
Fight night is Saturday night. What was once Caesar's is now Jerry's.
Arlington, trust me, has never seen a night like this -- fight night.
Emmanuel Dapidran "Manny" Pacquiao has held seven world boxing titles in seven different weight classes. He holds Ring Magazine's title of "pound-for-pound best boxer in the world."
He is a singer, he says, and a sometime actor. He carried the flag of his native Philippines, even though he wasn't competing, in the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. His picture is on a Filipino postage stamp.
Pacquiao has said he plans to make another run for political office when his boxing career ends. In the meantime, his face has graced the cover of the Asian edition of Time magazine. Forbes listed him as the world's sixth-highest paid athlete (right behind soccer star David Beckham).
At age 31 and with a 50-3-2 record, Pacquiao is boxing's brightest star, its most bountiful meal ticket. For all those who question boxing, he is the answer.
Manny Pacquiao isn't a clergyman -- that I know of -- but on Saturday night he will baptize a goodly share of 45,000 Texans in the art of fight night. Maybe he will wear down the rangier, beefier Joshua Clottey by dancing him around Jerry Jones' new boxing ring. Or he could have something new up his golden sleeves, as he often does, and finish Clottey in eight.
I wouldn't bet against him.
For those who think boxing needs a marquee heavyweight to survive, Pacquiao is the counterpunch. And besides, which of the post-Tyson heavyweights -- Buster Douglas, Michael Moorer, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Holyfield -- couldn't Pacquiao outshine?
Is big-time boxing dead? Snoring maybe, but miles from dead. The stadium gate and HBO numbers on Saturday should prove that.
"Boxing represents both the best and worst of free enterprise," said longtime local promoter Lester Bedford, who's helping with the Pacquiao-Clottey fight.
"Imagine if every pro football team was free to negotiate its own TV deal and schedule its own opponents. It's the structure of boxing that chokes it."
Only in boxing would a Floyd Mayweather Jr. turn up his nose on a $25-million offer to fight Pacquiao. In boxing, not all the bobbing and weaving takes place in the ring.
But that's where Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comes in. There is a grassroots charm to staging a big-time title fight in a Texas football stadium. Jones wants to prove that what happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily have to happen in Vegas.
"HBO recognizes that it has to help boxing get back to its roots," Bedford said.
"If boxing doesn't get back to places like Dallas-Fort Worth, New York and LA, it's going to lose its fan base."
Not everybody, Bedford is suggesting, can afford to go to Las Vegas to see Pacquiao or Mayweather fight.
But with Cowboys Stadium and Jones' mega-TV screen, an expected 45,000 patrons will be able to share in the noise and high-def sweat of a big-time boxing match. Jones would like to schedule more.
"If they're in the stadium Saturday night," Bedford predicted, "they're going to walk out as a boxing fan."
Texans have shown before that they appreciate and will support big-time boxing. Julio Cesar Chavez once fought at the Astrodome in front of 65,000. Oscar De La Hoya boxed outdoors at the Sun Bowl in El Paso in front of 47,000.
The latter was the same fight where the crowd began to form at 4 a.m. for a pre-fight press conference.
Today's weigh-in is expected to be quieter and more understated. Pacquiao just might, as he did on Jimmy Kimmel Live, break out in song.
Fight night awaits -- this time in a glimmering, new venue.
Rent a limo. Rent a Liza.
Pound for pound, it could end up being the most entertaining ticket you ever bought.
GIL LeBRETON, 817-390-7760
glebreton@star-telegram.com
Source: star-telegram.com
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