Dallas Stadium has moved into the lead as the preferred site for the WBC junior middleweight title match between match between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, held the first boxing event in the stadium in March when Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey. The fight was a big financial success with more than 50,000 fans attending.
Arum expects to improve on that number with Antonio Margarito, who brings a strong Mexican following to his fights. In January 2009, he and Shane Mosley set a boxing attendance record at Los Angeles’ Staples Center with 20, 820 fans.
“I think we could look to do 70,000 people,” Arum said confidently. “Clottey had no fan base. Margarito has a huge fan base of Mexican-Americans.”
The main issue regarding a U.S. site for the fight is Margarito’s boxing license controversy. The former welterweight champion was suspended by the California athletic commission last year for attempting to used illegal handwraps against Shane Mosley. His re-licensing attempt was denied last month. Another hearing is scheduled for August 18.
An attempt to move the fight to Las Vegas with a temporary one-fight license was voted down by that commission. Margarito’s team was informed by the Nevada board that his reinstatement should come from California where he was originally suspended.
It’s unknown if the Texas board will carry the same opinion. In the past, fighters who are considerable financial draws have been able to secure licenses in one states while being suspended others. In 2002, Mike Tyson obtain a boxing license in Tennessee to fight Lennox Lewis after being turned away by Nevada and New Jersey.
Dallas Stadium owner Jerry Jones see this as a similar situation and believes the Texas commission will focus more on the financial benefit of the contest.
“We think we can satisfy any of Texas’ questions. We know there is real enthusiasm for this fight,” Jones said to the Dallas Morning News.
If Margarito is again denied, Arum will again look at site options in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.
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