Here in Dallas, nothing is held in higher reverence than our beloved Dallas Cowboys. But this week, even the Cowboys are forced to take a backseat to the sensation that is Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao Fever has officially taken over North Texas as the pound-for-pound king prepares to do battle with the tough-as-hell Joshua Clottey in the billion dollar Cowboys Stadium this Saturday night. In the context of boxing, Manny Pacquiao could very well be considered a global icon. No other fighter, save for maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr., is as wildly known, or lauded for their pugilistic talent quite like the diminutive Pinoy with the engaging smile. Seeing the overwhelming outpouring of fan support from fight fans here in North Texas as they clamored for the briefest of glimpses of the Filipino sensation that is Pacquiao, it’s hard not to consider him the most transcendent fighter of our generation.
Iconic fighters like John L. Sullivan, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson have all enjoyed a level of popularity that not only transcended the sport of boxing, but permanently ingrained them into the consciousness of pop culture. What makes Manny Pacquiao’s ascension to his status as a globally recognized fighter is that unlike the afore mentioned fighters, Pacquiao fights at a weight less than that of the average American middle school aged child. Yet his slight frame, and ever present smile, Pacquiao has managed to capture the hearts and imaginations of fights fans the world over.
I had the unique opportunity to witness the aura of Pacquiao in person this past Tuesday as the Pinoy pug held an open workout to help promote his fight with Clottey this Saturday. There must have been roughly close to two hundred Pacquiao fight fans eagerly waiting to get into the exhibit hall inside the opulent Gaylord Texan just to get a glimpse of the star fighter. The word, “pandemonium” came to mind as the crushing wave of humanity stampeded to the roped off section, desperate to get a spot that offered a unobstructed view of the ring and bag stand. Having covered the fight scene for over three years, I have never seen such a sight, such an incredible turnout for one fighter. Even as Pacquiao’s tardiness delayed the festivities of over an hour, his fans continued to smile, they continued to exhibit the sort of nervous giddiness you might witness a child demonstrating Christmas morning. It was unreal, and judging by the look of satisfaction on the faces of this event’s promoters, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the look of amused amazement spoke volumes.
I have to say that North Texas has never experienced the pomp and fanfare that the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey mega-fight is bringing to the DFW. Monday afternoon, Joshua Clottey held an open workout for a number of Dallas-Fort Worth fight fans and media. Below is video from the event courtesy of Top Rank.
It's fight week here in Dallas, and with arguably the biggest fight to ever hit North Texas, Top Rank is pulling out all the stops. This afternoon, pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao will hold an open workout for the media and public. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against former world welterweight champion and current No. 1 contender Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.
Info below:
MANNY PACQUIAO MEDIA WORKOUT - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Gaylord Texan Hotel Convention Center, Longhorn Exhibit Hall E Tuesday, March 9 - 1:30 P.M. CT
Joshua Clottey and Humberto Soto will hold open workouts this afternoon as they both prepare for their seperate bouts on the mega-promotion entitled, "The Event" taking place this Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.
Information is below:
CLOTTEY/SOTO OPEN WORKOUTS Longhorn Exhibit Hall E,Convention Center Level 1; Gaylord Texan Hotel 1:30 PM Clottey Workout 2:30 PM Soto Workout
WBC & IBF Junior Welterweight Title Unification – Saturday at Uncasville, CT Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs) TKO 8 Juan Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs)
Make no mistake about it, undefeated Timothy Bradley is the man to beat at junior welterweight. Saturday nigh, St. Louis’ Devon Alexander made a resounding case to be considered the number one threat to Bradley’s crown with this impressive stoppage of the never-before-been stopped Juan Urango.
Prior to their Saturday night showdown we were already aware of two things: one, Alexander is supremely gifted, and two, Urango is a mountain of a man with a granite chin. However, what we didn’t know is how dominating a performance Alexander would exhibit against Urango. For all the attempts Urango used to muscle in and impose his will on Alexander, the St. Louis fighter had every answer. Alexander used his jab and boxing ability to pepper Urango with shots, keeping him at bay. As the round went on, Alexander became more and more dominant. Things ended abruptly in the eight round when an uppercut by Alexander floored the iron-chinned Urango. A follow up flurry by Alexander quickly dropped Urango again, prompting the referee to call a halt to the bout.
Next for Alexander: A fight with Bradley for all the marbles at junior welterweight.
WBC & WBA Super Flyweight Title Fight – Saturday at Rancho Mirage, CA Vic Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) UD 12 Rodrigo Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KOs) Scores: 120-108, 118-110, 117-111
Showtime’s ballyhooed ShoBox series was designed to showcase young up and coming fighters. Saturday night were treated to a showcase of a world champion taking on a neophyte challenger. As lopsided as this may have seemed on paper, fight fans were treated to a surprise as unheralded Guerrero showed all the heart and determination of a grizzled veteran.
As many predicted, Darchinyan came out firing, landing bomb after bomb to the chin on the unknown Guerrero. This habit repeated itself throughout the fight, but try as he might, Darchinyan could not knock his challenger out. Guerrero seemed to have steel infused chin, eating every power punch in the book. Hell, you could have hit Guerrero with a sledgehammer and the kid would not fall down. Unfortunately, Guerrero’s talents ended there, and the poor kid was battered from pillar to post in a game, but losing effort.
Next for Darchinyan: Darchinyan has been itching to get a rematch on with former conqueror Nonito Donaire. It’s a rematch that the boxing world seems eager to see, however promotional strife between the two parties may make this harder than it needs to be.
It is hard to quantify just how immensely popular pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is. Pacquiao is a fighter who has the unique ability to light up a room with his presence, and his ever-present grin and humble demeanor have made him a beloved figure in the hearts of fans the world over. After all, what other fighter in modern times has had the distinction of being declared a national treasure by their native country? Pacquiao has, and such an honor perfectly illustrates just how important Pacquiao is to his native country the Philippines.
Due to his unprecedented success in the ring, coupled with his global popularity, Pacquiao has been courted by more and more mainstream American television. Lat night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, was one of the first popular American shows to reach out and feature the Filipino boxer. Last Wednesday, Pacquiao made his second appearance on the popular television show. Dressed with all the flair and pomp of an engineer student at your local university, Pacquiao’s transcendent popularity shown through on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He talked Floyd Mayweather, his upcoming mega-fight here in Dallas on March 13, and even managed to serenade the audience in a rendition of “Nothing’s Going to Change”.
In case you missed it, the clips are below, after the jump.
This weekend will be a busy one for fans looking to catch some fights on the tube. Let’s take a peek at what’s on the schedule shall we?
Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) vs. Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs)
What: Devon Alexander takes on Juan Urango in a junior welterweight title unification bout (WBC and IBF straps on the line).
Where: Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
When: Saturday, 8 PM (HBO)
Why You Should Care: What you have here is an intriguing clash of styles where Alexander is a slick, counterpunching boxer with pop, Urango is a powerful banger with TNT in his hands and a chin made of iron. The big homie Tim Starks did an excellent job of previewing this bout over on the always great Queensberry Rules blog so I will spare you a retread. Just know that this fight may produce some excellent moments of heated action.
What: Vic Darchinyan puts his WBC and WBA super flyweight titles on the line when he takes on the much unheralded Rodrigo Guerrero.
Where: Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage, CA
When: Saturday (Showtime)
Why You Should Care: It’s hard to spin this fight in any direction other than what it truly is, a showcase fight for pound-for-pound little guy Darchinyan. While Guerrero may be a tough Mexican fighter, the fact is that he has fought nobody on the same level as Darchinyan, let alone never fighting outside of his native Mexico. Darchinyan should make this a short night, but hey, we all love knockouts right?
WEC 47
What: “World Extreme Cagefighting 47: Bowles vs. Cruz”
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
When: Saturday, 9 PM CST (Versus)
Why You Should Care: Brian Bowles wants to send the statement that his KO victory over heavy favorite Miguel Torres was no fluke. A win over the always tough Dominick Cruz would go miles in dispelling such notion. Speaking of Torres, Saturday night will also mark the return of Torres when he looks to get his career on track against Joseph Benavidez. Should both Torres and Bowles emerge victorious, which is not guaranteed, a rematch is inevitable.
In just two short years Robert Marroquin, 2009 North Texas Fisticuffs Fighter of the Year, has risen from talented local prospect, to standing on the cusp of mainstream popularity. The undefeated Oak Cliff native has quietly taken the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by storm with his action packed style and humble demeanor. Fortunately for Marroquin, a full time college student, the rest of the boxing world seems to be taking notice as well.
Thursday afternoon, Marroquin held his first ever media day at the Maple Ave Boxing Gym in downtown Dallas. Marroquin is in preparation for his biggest fight to date, a showdown with fellow Dallas native Sammy Sanchez on the undercard of the much anticipated Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey showdown taking place March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
A number of local media and industry insiders were on hand to watch Marroquin do a couple of rounds of bag work and conduct one-on-one interviews. Noticeable former fighters in attendance included former middleweight title challenger “Big Sugar” Ray Phillips, and former featherweight contender James Martinez.
North Texas Fisticuffs had a chance to speak with Marroquin about his big fight March 13 at Cowboys Stadium. Video below:
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Here in Dallas, nothing is held in higher reverence than our beloved Dallas Cowboys. But this week, even the Cowboys are forced to take a backseat to the sensation that is Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao Fever has officially taken over North Texas as the pound-for-pound king prepares to do battle with the tough-as-hell Joshua Clottey in the billion dollar Cowboys Stadium this Saturday night. In the context of boxing, Manny Pacquiao could very well be considered a global icon. No other fighter, save for maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr., is as wildly known, or lauded for their pugilistic talent quite like the diminutive Pinoy with the engaging smile. Seeing the overwhelming outpouring of fan support from fight fans here in North Texas as they clamored for the briefest of glimpses of the Filipino sensation that is Pacquiao, it’s hard not to consider him the most transcendent fighter of our generation. 
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 