Arum looking at Cowboys Stadium, but Margarito still not licensed

by Scott Christ on Aug 10, 2010 12:36 PM EDT in Boxing News Analysis

Promoter Bob Arum had a couple of noteworthy comments to Lem Satterfield at FanHouse today, saying he's discussing Cowboys Stadium as the venue for the November 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, and that May 2011 is the new target date for the by-then-overdue clash between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

Recently, a statement attributed to Pacquiao (likely ghostwritten, but based around Pacquiao's feelings anyway) said that he would still want to fight Mayweather in November. Arum put the kibosh on that:

"It's too late for the fall. So Pacquiao-Mayweather would be something in the spring. Floyd has not signed officially with King, but when he does, I'm sure that Don will talk to me and we'll work it out."

Even though the fighters could probably be ready by November, Arum is right that it's too late to promote that fight properly to guarantee the absolute maximum attention, hype, and thus money. So let's shut that down for now and worry about it later.

The Top Rank chief is also "very optimistic" that he'll be able to strike a deal with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hold the Pacquiao-Margarito fight at Cowboys Stadium. The only catch, and it's not addressed, is that Margarito still is not allowed to fight in the United States of America. He is currently awaiting a date this month to have his case heard before the California State Athletic Commission, which is the governing body that suspended him in early 2009. He was sent there by Nevada, who rejected an application for a license from their AC earlier this year.

What's shady about this is Arum says nothing about California, but that he "does not believe that Margarito will have a problem obtaining a license in Texas." Margarito tried to get a license to fight in Texas earlier on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard in March, and it didn't happen. If California turns him down this month, what do they do? Does the Texas AC then have the guts to just say, "screw California," and license a highly controversial fighter in a hot-button issue? Arum says Abu Dhabi is out of the running, so that would leave Mexico as a realistic possibility. But it's clear he wants to do it at Cowboys Stadium. The Texas AC has in the past been a bit...lenient, let's say, so he may be banking on that. Or he may already know something.

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Comments

Does anyone understand what the Muhammad Ali Act says on this exactly? I know states aren’t supposed to be able to license fighters who are banned in other states, but then Edwin Valero got a license in Texas while he was still banned everyone else.

by taco pal on Aug 10, 2010 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

I might be completely wrong, but I don’t think Edwin Valero was actually banned, more that he wasn’t cleared to fight in those states. Whereas Margarito has committed a crime and has subsequently been banned, Valero was not allowed to fight purely because of his injury. I’m pretty sure there’s a distinction there, and his fighting in Texas did not go against the Muhammad Ali Act.

"The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic"

by Oli Goldstein on Aug 10, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Can't be licensed while suspended by another state

Most states’ suspensions are for a maximum of five years. Valero was suspended by New York because of the brain bleed very early in his career when he was supposed to fight on a MSG undercard. When he found out about it, he moved to Japan for a few years, and after his suspension ended, he reapplied for a license in Texas which has less stringent standards. Had he applied in New York, Nevada, New Jersey or California, he would have been suspended again, thus making him unable to fight in the US. Same thing happened with Holyfield when he was suspended by New York. He received a year long suspension in New York when he tried to reapply there after the Donald fight, and when it expired, he started fighting in states with loose standards like Texas. But if he tried to apply again in New York, he’d end up back on suspension. Same for Joe Mesi.

The applicable text of the Ali Act is:

Each boxing commission shall establish each of the following procedures:

(2) Procedures to ensure that, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no boxer is permitted to box while under suspension from any boxing commission due to—

(A) a recent knockout or series of consecutive losses;

(B) an injury, requirement for a medical procedure, or physician denial of certification;

© failure of a drug test;

(D) the use of false aliases, or falsifying, or attempting to falsify, official identification cards or documents; or

(E) unsportsmanlike conduct or other inappropriate behavior inconsistent with generally accepted methods of competition in a professional boxing match.

(b) Suspension in another State

A boxing commission may allow a boxer who is under suspension in any State to participate in a professional boxing match—

(1) for any reason other than those listed in subsection (a) of this section if such commission notifies in writing and consults with the designated official of the suspending State’s boxing commission prior to the grant of approval for such individual to participate in that professional boxing match; or

(2) if the boxer appeals to the Association of Boxing Commissions, and the Association of Boxing Commissions determines that the suspension of such boxer was without sufficient grounds, for an improper purpose, or not related to the health and safety of the boxer or the purposes of this chapter.

The term "suspension" includes within its meaning the revocation of a boxing license.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 10, 2010 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Got it. So basically Valero wasn’t banned in New York anymore when he fought in Texas. He just wasn’t licensed in New York either.

by taco pal on Aug 10, 2010 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

But if he had applied for a license in New York, he would have been re-suspended.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 10, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Or he may already know something.

I would have to think that the names Jerry Jones and Cowboy Stadium carry a lot of weight in board rooms all over Texas … and the Texas AC is after all just another board made up of regular folk a most of whom feed at the same trough.

In this economy, with states and municipalities starved and competing for revenue, I would not be surprised if Texas uses this opportunity to take what would otherwise be Vegas’ scratch.

by pakinpower on Aug 10, 2010 8:03 PM EDT reply actions