ARLINGTON, TX (January 10, 2010) – The stars will fight, big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!
Jerry Jones and Bob Arum, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and chairman of Top Rank, respectively, announced today that Cowboys Stadium would be the site of the MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY World Welterweight Championship fight taking place on Saturday, March 13 and broadcast Live on Pay-Per-View. Formal news conferences at Cowboys Stadium and in New York next week will provide details on tickets and the pay-per-view broadcast. Pacquiao vs. Clottey will be promoted by Top Rank, in association with the Dallas Cowboys and MP Promotions.
Pacquiao and Clottey boast a combine record of 85-6-2 (59 KOs) — a winning percentage of 91% and a victory by knockout ratio of nearly 70%.
“I have wanted to bring a major boxing event to North Texas for many years, so why not bring in the biggest and the best?” asked Jones. “Manny Pacquiao is boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound attraction and the world champion. Manny defending his title against Joshua Clottey is not just a great fight, it’s a great event, and one we can showcase to the fullest in Cowboys Stadium. We’re going to promote this like it was the Super Bowl.”
Cowboys Stadium will be configured for 40,000 fans for the event.
“Jerry Jones knows exactly how big and important this event is which is why it was so easy to put this deal together,” said Arum. “As a lifelong Giants fan I had to receive special dispensation from Steve Tisch, the Giants’ Chairman and Executive Vice President, to bring this event to Cowboys Stadium and he blessed the deal. If Jerry could sell me on Cowboys Stadium and the North Texas market, you know he is going to have no problems selling out Cowboys Stadium on March 13. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and promote Manny’s debut as World Welterweight Champion. Manny Pacquiao is the lone star of boxing. There isn’t a more appropriate place in the world for him to fight!”
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, will be defending the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title he earned in his last fight, produced by a 12th round knockout of three-time world champion Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao’s victory made him the first man to win seven titles in as many different weight divisions, with his last three world championships coming by way of knockout. The consensus Fighter of the Year for the third time in the past four years, Pacquiao’s resume features victories over future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Lopez and Cotto. His knockout victories over Cotto and Hatton made him the 2009 pay-per-view king, exceeding two million buys combined.
Clottey (35-3, 21 KOs), a native of Accra, Ghana, now fighting out of Bronx, NY, captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title in 2008 by trouncing three-time world champion Zab Judah. His career has been a highlight reel of thrills featuring victories over two-division world champion Diego Corrales and undfeated contender Richard Gutierrez and a close decision losse to world champion Antonio Margarito. In his last fight Clottey lost a controversial split decision to defending WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Clottey is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 4 by the World Boxing Association (WBA).