When it was announced that the March 13th Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey bout would be taking place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas I admit that I had mixed feelings. On one hand it was disappointing not to see Pacquiao have yet another meaningful bout in the Las Vegas Valley, as it has become his home away from home, but at the same time I feel that it was a change that was needed. Staging Pacquiao’s WBO Welterweight title bout against the bruising Ghanaian inside of the newly constructed stadium will surely bring a different element to the table and that’s what is needed sometimes.
In seeing Pacquiao fight away from Las Vegas for the first time in six fights it really hits home when you think about the impact he has had in the city in recent times. Over the years the Filipino icon has risen from a star in the game to an international symbol and Las Vegas has been the host to his recent defining moments.
While Pacquiao’s bout with Clottey in new surroundings will surely be a breath of fresh air, I thought it would be fitting to take a statistical and subjective breakdown of Pacquiao’s Las Vegas bouts as of late.
An introduction
Pacquiao’s first fight on American soil was on June 23rd, 2001 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Underneath Oscar De La Hoya’s easy decision win over Javier Castillejo, Pacquiao would shine against the South African under the bright lights.
Ledwaba was coming off of an impressive HBO showcase against Carlos Contreras just a few months prior and Pacquiao himself was unknown to many watching the Pay per view telecast. From the outset it was obvious that Pacquiao was on a mission as he took control of the early rounds by attacking his older foe with vigor and tenacity. Precise power shots and aggression lead the way for Pacquiao as he stopped Ledwaba in the sixth to claim the IBF Super Bantamweight championship of the world.
Looking back on that contest very few could have imagined the success Pacquiao would go on to have from that point forward, especially over the past year where he has risen in weight to defeat a slew of former pound for pound champions.
Coming back
Pacquiao would return to Las Vegas seven fights and nearly three years later in a huge Pay-per View attraction against Mexico City’s proven champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Following the Ledwaba blowout Pacquiao had raised his stock by defending his title four times and later moving up in weight and shocking many by dismantling the great Marco Antonio Barrera.
Marquez himself came into the ring with a 42-2 record while going unbeaten in thirteen fights following his questionable loss to Freddie Norwood in 1999. Pitting Marquez’ precise brilliance against Pacquiao’s relentless attack had many torn on as to how the fight would play itself out.
The fight was nearly over before it got started, however, as Pacquiao seized the initiative by dropping Marquez three times in the first round. Marquez looked dazed but he regrouped and adapted, turning the tide of the fight over the second half of the bout. The fight ended up being a draw and there were many positives and negatives that each man could take away from their encounter.
When putting this contest in perspective, it shows just how far Pacquiao had come from his previous Las Vegas tussle against Ledwaba. In less than three years Pacquiao had gone from an unassuming contender to one of the sports’ pound for pound fighters headlining a huge card from the same venue in which he first emerged.
(For an up close look at Manny Pacquiao’s time in Las Vegas, click HERE)
Recent years
As Las Vegas has taken over and become the new ‘Mecca’ of boxing, it has only been natural that Pacquiao’s associated run of success has seen him fight in Nevada repeatedly in recent years.
Starting with his March 2005 fight against Erik Morales, nine out of Pacquiao’s past twelve fights have been in Las Vegas. His list of opponents has been noteworthy and impressive, as he has battled the aforementioned Morales on three occasions, defeated Marco Antonio Barrera and Marquez in rematch affairs, while also besting the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto in succession.
Starting with Morales’ 47-2 record when he first fought Manny, the combined record of Pacquiao’s opponents in his recent Las Vegas bouts has been 310 wins against 18 losses and 2 draws. Pacquiao has stopped all of his Las Vegas foes before the end of the final bell except for Marquez, Barrera, and Morales in their first fight, when he lost a wild but clear decision.
What has been notable about Pacquiao’s recent time in Las Vegas is that there has been equal progression in terms of both his skills as a fighter and his status in the sport. Pacquiao seems to be improving technically as a fighter with each outing and in turn he has catapulted himself to a standing in the sport that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. For all of this to happen in Las Vegas, the new capital of the sport, is very much profound.
Creating an aura
When Pacquiao fights in Las Vegas it is definitely an event. During fight week the buzz on the streets starts to pick up by mid week as people around town start eyeing the Filipino’s next showcase. Two men who have gotten familiar with Pacquiao’s Las Vegas theatrics in recent years are 411 Mania correspondent Ryan Bates and HBO’s ‘unofficial’ boxing judge Harold Lederman. Bates used to work under Bob Arum at Top Rank and helped coordinate behind the scenes on Pacquiao’s bouts with Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. The California native recalls vividly just how palpable the energy was inside the MGM during the Pacquiao-Hatton contest
“I remember walking towards the arena for that fight,” Bates recalls. “The instant you got inside the MGM you could hear ‘There’s only one Ricky Hatton’ and down the line you could hear people cheering for Manny. Usually when you get into a big event and it’s a dark undercard there is only 10 percent of the people there. Already that place was starting to fill up and it was a madhouse. The roar of the crowd was so loud that you almost couldn’t hear Michael Buffer. It was the wildest fight.”
As HBO’s ringside scorer, Lederman has traveled the world over and covered some of boxing’s biggest events at a myriad of locations. Lederman has covered numerous Pacquiao bouts and was also present at the Hatton fight. Lederman isn’t one to heap unnecessary praise but he was certainly taken back by the electricity in the air.
“To be perfectly frank the Ricky Hatton fight was dynamic,” Lederman says of Pacquiao’s 2nd round destruction of the Manchester fighter at the MGM Grand. “My God the place was just jammed with all the Brits as well as people from the Filipino community. It was just a popular event and there’s no doubt that Manny Pacquiao can really sell tickets. He’s extremely popular in the Philippines as well as Filipino communities all over the world. Big fights like Pacquiao-Hatton draw a lot of interest from everybody and you’ll often see a lot of celebrities at the events. It’s just something that you want to be a part of.”
The future
When Pacquiao faces off with Clottey inside the Dallas Cowboys arena there will be a lot of people watching, both inside the facility and at home on Pay per view. The massive overhead big screen monitor will add another dynamic to the evening’s proceedings as will the stylistic matchup between both men. While it’s hard to see Pacquiao take his show on the road it is equally interesting to see what will happen in a new environment and at the end of the days it’s good for the sport.
As for the future, I have the feeling that Pacquiao will be making a return to Las Vegas before the year is out, or at least I hope. Everyone is still hoping for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to finally come to the surface and if it does take place then Las Vegas will surely be one of the leading candidates to host the fight.
In closing I think it’s safe to say that rise of both Manny Pacquiao and Las Vegas go hand in hand. While some may say that Pacquiao has been lucky to showcase his skills on the biggest of stages in the fight capital of the world it can also be pointed out that Pacquiao has played a huge role in keeping both the sport of boxing and Las Vegas alive through his impact and popularity in the sport. It’s been a tremendous union and I just hope we get to close the chapter on this book with a farewell bout. It would only be fitting.
