DALLAS, TEXAS – Nobody could blame Jerry Jones if he said “Thanks, but no thanks” to Bob Arum about future fights in Cowboys Stadium after the effort by Joshua Clottey Saturday night.
In front of the third largest indoor crowd in Texas boxing history (51,000) last night voluntary challenger Clottey, whose final take might be around $3 million US dollars, inside the greatest and biggest sports palace ever built and a worldwide television audience in an event hyped for two months, decided to do for 12 rounds what he did for the last three rounds costing him the Miguel Cotto fight last June.
Simply, Clottey went in the tank. Oh it certainly took a tremendous effort to absorb the pounding Manny Pacquaio put on him for 12 sustained rounds. But Clottey was paid to fight back. That’s why they call it a fight.
This is no reflection on the world – class professional effort sustained over the course of the night by Manny Pacquiao, but it takes two to tango and Clottey wouldn’t.
Jerry Jones has to make a decision and I think he already has. The decision is whether or not to get in the boxing business. Despite Clottey’s non-effort, I think Jones wants to be a player in the boxing business. And I’m not just talking picking off three or four fights a year that would normally go to Las Vegas.
I’m talking about developing his own stable of fighters so he can be competitive in all facets of the industry. Maybe on a much smaller scale develop monthly boxing shows so the fans can start learning who the fighters are as they move up from four round fights to 10 round main event fighters. Maybe making a haul of US Olympic boxers when they turn professional if we ever develop any again.
I’m talking about being involved long after Floyd Mayweather ever fights Manny Pacquiao or not.
I think Jones is in, but likes most billionaires in the public eye, he has vultures waiting to talk to him wanting to sell him anything and everything and he is sorting out who he can trust and who is credible for the long term.
I know Jones can’t stay small for long as he likes to go for it as he did last night and will again.
If North Texas becomes a player in boxing it will energize the fan base like only a Cowboys playoff win would.
Observation: The eruption of cheers for Pacquiao when HBO would cut to him arriving at the stadium and in the dressing room during the preliminary fights up to now has been reserved for the late Cowboys head coach Tom Landry and Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. Welcome to Texas, Manny.
