Arum: “This [Pacquiao-Clottey] is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of boxing”
January 10th, 2010
By Chris Williams: To read what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is saying about the March 13th fight between Joshua Clottey vs. Manny Pacquiao fight at the Dallas Cowboy stadium, you would think that Arum found the cure for cancer or something. In an article by Dan Rafael of ESPN, Arum said “This is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of boxing. This is the most incredible stadium setting I have ever seen. It is absolutely unbelievable. This is going to be much, much more than just a boxing match. A lot of things that happen are ordained by God.” Oh brother.
I’m no fan of watching Pacquiao pitted against an opponent like Clottey who was recently beaten by Cotto. It’s nice that Arum was able to line up the Dallas Cowboy stadium for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. That’s something that would only make people who stand to benefit from it happy.
I don’t get anything by the fight taking place in a stadium or a barn. As long as they fight, that’s all I care about. I’m pretty sure boxing fans see it like me. So what if they can squeeze in 20,000 to 30,000 extra fans for the fight. How is that important to me? If they were talking about lowering the price of the Pacquiao-Clottey fight to $25, then I’m good with that.
I’m not excited about paying $49.95 to see Pacquiao fight Clottey. If Clottey was beating everyone in sight, then yeah, I’d pay big money to see the fight, but he’s not.
Arum says “When people see this event and how it will be presented, nothing in the past will ever compare to it.” What is he talking about? We’re still talking about Pacquiao vs. Clottey, right?
What on earth can Arum do to make the fight anything more than what it is, a mismatch in my view. He can hire clowns, jugglers and a live band, but that doesn’t interest me. It’s just going to be more people sitting in seats in the Dallas Cowboy stadium, and that benefit me. So why should I get any more excited about this fight than I would watching any other mismatch?
I frankly don’t care a fig if Pacquiao was fighting Mayweather in the Dallas Cowboy stadium. Why should that mean anything more to me than it would be if they were fighting in a small arena? As long as they’re fighting, that’s all that matters. Boxing fans don’t get anything out of watching a fight that’s being held in a large stadium. It just means more noise and more money for the promoters, the fighters and their training team. I’m not promoter, trainer or fighter, so why should I be excited about the fight taking place in a huge stadium? If they cut the price of the pay-per-view because of this, then we’re talking. Somehow, I doubt they’ll lower the price of this fight on PPV.
Tags: 24 Responses to “Arum: “This [Pacquiao-Clottey] is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of boxing””
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Mayweather is a gifted person. He is very good in debate. I think he will become a great debater. He can always find a good reason even if everything seems to be unreasonable. Go mayweather! Find a debating team.
I want to fight mayweather. This man is a duck. I believe he can swim but He can’t really punch well. I think Mayweather should join in a swimming contest rather than boxing.
i hope pacdroids loses! then mayweather gets K.O by mosley and Cotto will have to rematch Mosley or Clottey!
pavlik to be on under card
i googled clottey and it said “who tf is joshua clottey”
yea sure .. ok bob !! if alot of manny* fans want to see one sided fights , where someone gets beat to a pulp then watch this fight …when manny* wises up and dumps his promoter , THEN maybe we can get the fight most every one that loves sports wants to see !!
@Chris Williams
Ok, we get it! You don`t care where a fight takes place. You repeated yourself at least four times on that point. I disagree. I find that in any sporting event, whether you are actually there or just watching on TV, the atmosphere is essential to the `chemisty` of the event. If Ali had faught Foreman `in a barn` do you really think it would have been the same fight? If the Superbowl were to be held in a schoolyard, would the players give everything they`ve got in the game.
You see, the thing is, irrespective of you view, that the place and the crowd really do have a huge influence on the actual fight itself. A fighter can be inspired to seemingly impossible feats if he feels his moment has come. The atmosphere of an event undeniably effects how a boxer is feeling.
Another point is that because this fight will have more seats for sale, more real boxing fans can actually get to see the fight. So this has got to be good for boxing. The MGM Grand is notoriously expensive, and therefore prohivative to most ordinary fans.
This brings me to the way you so out-of-handedly call this a mismatch. Clottey is a boxer who feels that he has been hard done by, or has been unlucky in all of his losses, and that is at least partially ture. He has just landed himself by far the biggest fight of his life, and has far more than a punchers chance of making up for his past defeats. He will certainly put every last drop of himself into this fight, and may well win.
I do believe that Pacquiao does have the required skills to win, but that is, IMHO, very far from a given.
While I agree you that this is a huge oversell by Arum, I believe that he is truly excited that he has found a fine solution to bringing great fights to more people. I think he `knows` that the lucky people who make to the Dallas stadium for this fight, will go away saying that this was the best way to see a boxing match live. And, as so often in the past, he may well be right. From March 13 on we can expect to see more and more boxing events hosted in stadiums, and this may bring boxing back on top.
If it`s good for boxing, it`s good for boxing fans.
i agree with wowzabean on this 1. well put
roy, you have terrible english. i cant even understand your writing
Bob Arum, your deluded… i dont give a dam about this fight.
Clotty is a nobody, he aint even a champion.
Whos he beat to deserve to be on a global PPV card?
You could fit his fan base in a minicab.
The only decent name on his boxing record is Zab Judah. A past his prime Judah.
He put up a good fight with cotto, but again cotto was not at his best either. He got cut badly too.
Please retire Bob. Promoters are nothing but leaches that stop the fans seeing the big fights we want.
Can someone put together a petition to get Bob Arum to retire.
This fight has great potential. Clottey has never decisively lost a fight. I can almost guarantee that if Pacman wins this fight by KO or TKO, Mayweather will never fight him because he’ll be too damn scared. This is by far Pacman’s first real test at 147.
THERE GO’S ARUM AGAIN DEPERATELY TRYING TO SELL THE FIGHT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO DON’T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT BOXING…TOO BAD HE CANT’ PROMOTE HIS OTHER FIGHTERS LIKE THIS..
Clottey was lucky to beat Judah and had lost both of the big fights he’s been in.
they payed 25 million so they know what they doing…arum said he was amazed by the new stadium, which will initially be configured to seat around 45,000. That figure can increase, he said, if there is sufficient demand. The top ticket will be $700.
The ring will be placed at what would be the 50-yard line.
Jones said attendance at the new facility has been far better than expected, not only for football but for all events it has hosted since opening last year.
“We’ve underestimated the attendance for every event we’ve done, whether it’s been soccer or whatever,” Jones said. “I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we can” draw at least 45,000.
manny will weight 149 to 150lb cottey will be 165 to 175 lb manny giving over 20 +lb looks wise itsbe a no way.pac can win.,manny will defend ww cotto belt at the low min, 147.lb+ its not catch weight fight too.it will be a actions wars.and arum are including a lot of Mexican fighter. and pac does throw 700 to 800 punches a fight,that good enough for me
Hey man, don’t under estimate this Clottey guy. I’m sure thousands of fans out there agree with me that it is better than a Mayweather-Malignagi match..hahhha..2 defensively boxers fighting each other?!Now that will be BORING!! Clottey is still one of the best out there, did you guys remember the fight againts Cotto? It was a close fight and Cotto took a good beating from Clottey, it was evident from Cotto’s face. A lot of people also thinks that Clottey should had win that fight. This isn’t just a walk in the park for the Pacman.
I want to be excited about this i really do, and i think clottey is the best pac could do considering who is available. I just dont know how much of a chance clottey has here, I saw the clottey/cotto fight and that was an incredibly even match, so if those two are as even as that match showed then this really wont be any closer then pac/cotto was and dont get me wrong cotto/pac had some awesome rounds but overall after say the 5th round the fight was incredibly one sided.
that the way the cookie crumble ,fight gone, floyd dont want manny ww cotto belt. you cant be the greatest without the belt ,so stand aside floyd, manny got work to do,, going to show you how to clean up the welter division you dream ,about what a true p4p is all about.
Admittedly, I’m happy to see any Pacquiao fight than nothing at all. The result in my mind is a given, but let’s hope Clottey can make it at least interesting. Hatton gave us a pretty poor effort IMHO.
clottey is not superior he is second tier he proved that against cotto and margarito so stop it. im a true boxing fan and the only way I would watch this fight is free. Bob Arum is trying to psyche ppl into thinking that this is good for boxing its not he needs to retire from promoting and stop acting like he is the main attraction
Over the top promotion, that’s for sure. Bah.
I just love watching PAC fight and I could careless if he’s fighting godzila or micky mouse. Simply because PAC is not boring fighter.
Chris,
Of course I’m sure EVERYONE would rather see the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight, but what’s done is done. We all have to move on. I agree with you that Arum is trying to make this sound like the second coming of Christ, but still Clottey is a good fighter. There’s no one else out there for Pacquiao, aside from Mayweather. At the end of the day, who is Mayweather going to fight in March? Guarantee you he’ll be a hell of a lot worse than Clottey.