By Gareth A Davies
When the 80ft pairs of glass doors of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium slowly eased their way open for the arrival of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey for a windswept weigh-in – the event which has become known officially as ‘The Super Brawl’ truly came alive. Thousands of specatators had gathered on the quad outside this great temple to sport, built at a cost of $1.2 billion dollars. It is staggering in its detail, its levels, and its finishing. It is both gaudy and classy, all at once. The 70ft screens in the arena – they have to be seen to be believed, and are in High Definition – have been lowered by some distance on giant pulleys, and now hover like floating craft above the ring.
Their proximity to the ring enables them to dwarf the taught canvas and ropes where the brutal dance will be enacted in just over 24 hours. The fight is a sell-out. The anticipated chatter has begun. Pacquiao weighed in last.
145 and three quarter pounds. Clottey dead on 147. There is speculation that the African fighter, naturally the bigger man, may be as much as 20lbs heavier when they collide in the ring. Pacquiao will have to throw and run, and plans to trap Clottey, who will unleash upper cuts that may be dangerous for the Filipino who holds the WBO welterweight crown.
The giant canvas of the Cowboys stadium would befit a classic fight. The venue’s 45,000 seats have sold out, Jerry Jones announced through promoter Bob Arum that ‘party tickets’ would be on sale at $35 dollars, which means standing tickets around the flat bowl tiers of this great expanse to sport. Another 10,000 may now come.
No wonder they called it ‘The Event’. And little wonder that Arum, once more, has proven that he is a promotional genius.
Photos by Chris Farina.
Promoter Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
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