DALLAS, TX – You could easily fit Dallas’ boxing history into a thimble. But that is about to change when Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey meet March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington.
Exactly 25 years ago nearby Fort Worth’s world welterweight champion Donald Curry fought a non-title fight against James “Hard Rock” Green at Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum. That fight is probably still being paid off.
Before that you would have to back almost 20 more years when Dallas’ Curtis Cokes defended the welterweight title he won in 1966 three times at Dallas’ Memorial Coliseum which is now part of the Convention Center.
Cokes went on to be voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In 1982, Don King and local promoter James Bailey brought Mexican legend Salvador Sanchez to then new Reunion Arena for a successful defense of his featherweight title.
I have always considered Cowboys Stadium in Arlington to be part of Tarrant County and Fort Worth rather than Dallas County and Dallas. Because it is.
But this fight needed the appeal and name value “Dallas” does possess so just like that this event is happening in Dallas.
Fort Worth is by far the better fight town. Most recently producing world champions such as Curry, Gene Hatcher, Stevie Cruz, Troy Dorsey and most recently Paulie Ayala.
Dallas has produced Cokes and Quincy Taylor. But Cokes’ Hall of Fame Induction is worth a few extra points.
Here is hoping that the event March 13 is a success and it leads to a few more fights here. In the meantime, maybe a young boy or two watching the fight with his father gets boxing in his blood by watching Manny Pacquiao and learning the story of his sacrifices to get to where he is.
