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Don't get too excited, because it's all preliminary and we all know the roadblocks (Mayweather's ego/fear of challenge, Bob Arum's unwillingness to work with Mayweather, etc.), but Top Rank Promotions has had preliminary talks to stage a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in March at the gigantic, brand-new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Dallas Morning News reports:
Bruce Trampler, vice president for Top Rank, said the company is trying to organize an evening of boxing at the new Arlington stadium that would include championship fights. "Bob Arum (Top Rank president) has spoken directly to Jerry Jones. This would be an impressive site to hold a historical boxing event," Trampler said in a phone interview. ... "Pacquiao is very interested in fighting there (in Cowboys Stadium)," Trampler said. "We would definitely try to schedule a fight with Mayweather in March, which is something fans have been waiting to see for some time." Texas loves its boxing, at least on a local level where Juan Diaz has drawn great houses in Houston, including a Texas-record-breaking gate against Juan Manuel Marquez in February. Mayweather-Pacquiao would draw fans not just in Texas, but from all over the country and indeed the world. Cowboys Stadium itself is a unique venue, plus most people will still have never actually been there. It's nice that they're looking past Vegas -- I'd love to hear an actual crowd of boxing fans behind the rows of celebrities, comped high rollers and hookers cheering this fight on. Cowboys Stadium seats 80,000 for football, but can be expanded with floor seating to go all the way up to 111,000. Now chances are no matter how affordable they make the majority of the tickets, this isn't the fight that's going to do 111,000 in a stadium -- no fight is that fight. If this fight does defy the odds and happen, expect Vegas first. Always expect Vegas first. But here's hoping they'll go outside the box, really try to do this in Arlington or somewhere with a similarly appealing venue. This is the fight boxing needs to go all-out for, and by boxing I mean these particular two fighters and Bob Arum.