Kidding aside, Manny Pacquiao will fight Mexican Antonio Margarito on Nov. 14 (RP Time) in Arlington, Texas.
It is not really a major! major! news in boxing, Margarito not being a marquee fighter in the first place.
But why Margarito is the one, ask Bob Arum.
Oops, no need.
What Bob Arum wills, he gets.
A stinker or not, he?ll go for it with all heart and mind.
He?ll even parade the fight as though it will again be a sure global blockbuster.
Take the Pacquiao-Clottey fight last March that Arum had cooked against all odds.
Wasn?t that a smash at the gates despite pre-fight criticisms Clottey was a patsy?
Which he was, really, as all Clottey did was fight a frightened fight, literally transforming his hands useless when he merely used them to cover his face for 12 rounds to lose unanimously in shame.
But boxing spectators take no heed all the time. They were suckers before, are suckers today, will be suckers tomorrow.
And yes, that fraud in March drew 51,000 spectators at the Cowboys Stadium to the delight of Jerry Jones, the owner of the $1.8-B edifice that, when it opened in May 2009, became the world?s biggest domed arena.
In the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, Arum and Jones will aim for 70,000 to break the all-time high crowd of 63,000 generated in the Ali-Spinks II at the Superdome in News Orleans, Louisiana, in 1978.
I bet you, they can do it; and why not?
At 78, Bob Arum can still hack it.
With Jones?s massive wealth alone, nothing seems impossible to achieve.
Even if Margarito?s no match?this early, he is a 6-1 underdog?against Pacquiao, the bout may yet hit its crowd target.
Never mind that Margarito is 5?11?. To one and all, that is his only advantage.
Alas, even that is on paper only.
At 5?6,? Pacquiao has defeated all those taller than him, including 5?8? David Diaz and 5?10? Oscar De La Hoya, both of whom had been stopped by Pacman.
Isn?t a sucker born every minute?
So, they?ll come in droves yet again and watch Pacman claim his 39th knockout in 62 fights.
Business as usual.
