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.

Pacquiao is going to fight another Top Rank fighter, one that was beaten only last year by recent Pacquiao victim Miguel Cotto and we’re supposed to get excited about this fight? I don’t mind watching a mismatch every now and then, but I’m not going to label it as gold. The way I see it, this Pacquiao-Clottey fight is a poor replacement for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and I’m a huge fan of Pacquiao.

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.