By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum would like nothing better than to match his fighter World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. on November 13th in either Las Vegas, Nevada or Texas. Arum has reportedly reserved the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. Mayweather wants no part of fighting at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which is why Arum has opted to reserve the MGM.
However, Arum would prefer to have the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight take place at the Cowboy Stadium, because with the huge seating capacity of more than 100,000, Arum would make a bundle for a fight in that location. The Cowboy Stadium owner Jerry Jones also is eager to have the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight take place in his stadium. Pacquiao’s recent fight against little known Joshua Clottey sold 50,994 tickets with Pacquiao bringing in virtually all the fans himself.
November 6th and 13th would be good dates for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to take place at the Cowboy Stadium, because the Dallas Cowboy football team will be on the road during those dates and the stadium will be available for use. However, Mayweather, if he does decide on fighting Pacquiao, probably won’t give in about not wanting the fight to take place in Texas. In that case, the fight will take place at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. If the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight doesn’t happen, Arum could try and match Pacquiao up with one of his other Top Rank fighters former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito at the Cowboy Stadium.
Due to his large following in the Mexican community, Margarito would likely be able to draw a lot of Mexican fans into the Cowboy Stadium to see his fight with Pacquiao. The only problem with that fight taking place is Margarito not having his boxing license to fight in the United States. He lost it last year after a plaster like substance was found in his hand wraps before fight with Shane Mosley in January 2009. Arum, however, thinks that he can get Margarito’s boxing license back in Texas.
That may be Arum’s best option, because the chances of putting together a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather are likely slim because of the blood testing that Mayweather wants before he’ll face Pacquiao. This was the issue that prevented the two fighters from stepping in the ring in March, because Mayweather wanted random blood tests and Pacquiao wanted limited testing with a large cut off period of 24 days before the fight. That’s kind of a rarity in professional sports.
The athletes usually have to take the tests with no questions asked and aren’t able to say when they can are can’t take the tests. However, this testing is different because it’s extra testing that Mayweather wants and it’s outside of what the Athletic Commission asks for. Last time, Mayweather attempted to get Pacquiao to agree to have the testing to go forward until 14 days before the fight, but Pacquiao held firm at 24 days. This time, Pacquiao will probably have to give in more to what Mayweather wants because he is the hot fighter right now, and is selling better on pay per view compared to Pacquiao.
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