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Philippines, 04 May 2024 |
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ABU DHABI, MONTEREY AND ARLINGTON ARE JUST SMOKE SCREENS PhilBoxing.com Sat, 07 Aug 2010  With all the brouhaha about the venue selection for the proposed fight between the Congressman from Sarangani, Philippines, Manny Pacquiao versus the ?cheater? from Tijuana, Mexico, Antonio Margarito, when all is said and done, I am betting the fight will be at Las Vegas on November 13th with the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Thomas and Mack Center as the front runners. Or, if the weather and other factors permit, an outdoor venue courtesy of Steve Wynn could be a long shot. Pure economic sense simply dictates that Las Vegas be the place. The place has every imagined advantage over any other city in the country, or abroad. And, I see the whole State, particularly the mega-rich power brokers pulling together for that glitzy city. They would not let that insane amount of money go anywhere else. And, there is no doubt Bob Arum will go where the biggest money will be. That place is of course is Las Vegas. The fight will never be at Abu Dhabi, the alleged presence of Michael Koncz, the Canadian go-fer being in that country notwithstanding. As the media has it, he is supposedly down there ?negotiating with people of the Royal Family.? In the first place, why in the world would the royal family in that booming desert country even deal with a Michael Koncz? If they are truly seriously interested, we know they will be dealing with Bob Arum himself not with a mere self-proclaimed Pacquiao ?adviser? opps, pardon me, ?a self-proclaimed partner.? If Abu Dhabi is a top contender in the first place, we know that Arum himself will be there faster that a blink of an eye. Just look at what happened when Pacquiao fought Clottey. Arum himself did the negotiations with Jerry Jones. He flew to Texas to get it done. And, Pacquiao did not delegate the job to Koncz. He simply trusted Arum to put the whole thing together. That brings us then to the Cowboys Stadium at Arlington. Reportedly, Bob Arum will be meeting with Jerry Jones on Wednesday. That at least is a good sign. But I do not see the reciprocating interest from Jerry Jones unlike when he and Arum were putting together the Pacquiao-Clottey fight. Jones at that time was all over the media trumpeting the virtues of having the fight happen in his billion dollar showcase, the Cowboys Stadium. Monterey, Mexico? That was a no-brainer from the beginning. No offense meant. Monterey I heard is a very nice place to visit. But recent news reports made it a non-choice to hold a fight with the magnitude we are talking about. Just a few weeks ago, news reports indicate that authorities found 51 dead bodies in that area. And, reports also say that past typhoons meshed up the area. I am sure that the Monterey authorities will spend all efforts to keep the fans safe if the fight get done there. And, they will leave no stone unturned to make every fan have a great time. But, why risk it? Margarito is meeting with the California State Athletic Commission this month. If he goes to that meeting fully contrite and admits his faults that led to his suspension, there is a better than even chance that the Commission may give his license back. Perhaps they will tack some conditions and put him on probation but at the very least it will open the door for Nevada to allow him to fight in their State on November 13th. With that, Arum and his lawyers working for Margarito will have no problem getting the much needed votes from the members of the Nevada State Athletic Commission who were reluctant to buck the system and allow Margarito to fight at Nevada without first resolving his California issues The floodgates will then open and on to Las Vegas we all go. Now what about Abu Dhabi, Monterey, Mexico and Arlington, Texas? Nah. They were really just smoke screens used to keep the media on their toes so that the proposed Pacquiao-Margarito fight which in all manner, shape, and form is nothing compared to what the fans really wanted on the first place, will stay in the limelight. The presence Abu Dhabi, Monterey and Arlington in the mix is nothing more than a brilliant move by Arum. Involving the three places did exactly what Arum wanted in the first place, that is keep the Pacquiao-Margarito proposed fight in everybody?s mind. That of course will eventually translate to dollars if and when the fight is made. And, as an icing on the cake, it will also keep the much delayed Pacquiao-Mayweather fight next year ( I wish) alive and well as well in everybody?s mind. Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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