ARLINGTON, Tex. – It’s all about the building. Cowboys Stadium is the main event. It sits there, below a flight path to a Dallas-Fort Worth runway, rising toward the Texas sky like a giant tent. It’s the big top, a technical marvel that sometimes sounds as if it could be a ride at Disney World.

Next stop:

Manny Pacquiao-versus-Joshua Clottey.

How a Filipino, Pacquiao and an African, Clottey, wound up in the featured event at a state-of-the-art home for America’s Team is either baffling, or just another American import, or a terrific story about diversity. Take your pick. But the fight Saturday night in a ring on the 50-yard-line is unmistakably about location, location, location for a lost sport always trying to find its way back into the mainstream.

For one night at least, Cowboys Stadium looms as a symbol of boxing’s aspirations. Promoter Bob Arum, who has seen just about everything, hasn’t witnessed anything quite like it in the many years since Muhammad Ali’s victory over Cleveland Williams in 1966 at Houston’s space-age Astrodome.

“Since the Astrodome, I have never been in a situation when the venue plays as big a role as the fighters,’’ Arum said.

If Pacquiao wins as predicted, the stadium could become the star.

“Whatever works,’’ Arum said.

What’s at work in the Dallas Metroplex is a potential shift in how boxing markets itself. Over at least the last decade, it has become a casino sport. That means Las Vegas and high-rollers in ringside seats. The rest of the crowd is in the anonymous pay-per-view audience, unheard and known only by a number.

In Dallas, there’s not much talk about the pay-per-view numbers for Pacquiao-Clottey. The guess is between 750,000 and 1,000,000 for the HBO telecast. Good, but not great and probably a long way from the pay-per-view audience expected for the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley showdown on May 1 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.
But who’s counting. Only one thing matters here: In moving a bout
with the sport’s biggest international star in Pacquiao from Vegas to an untapped boxing market, it looks as if Arum is reaching out to a new audience with some old-fashioned salesmanship. He’s beginning to go door-to-door, or at least town-to-town.

“Bringing fights to the people,’’ said Arum, who in Pacquiao has a candidate for the Filipino Congress in a campaign that started with a party called the People’s Champ Movement.

The idea is as old as any entertainer hitting the road. If a live crowd likes what it hears or sees, there’s a good chance many in the audience will buy a CD or T-shirt or poster. With a big Mexican and Mexican-American population, Dallas is a good place to find some new pay-per-view customers. After Dallas, Arum moves on to Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman at the new Yankee Stadium in New York where he hopes to re-awaken some of history’s legends, including Joe Louis’ rematch victory over Max Schmeling at old Yankee Stadium in a 1938 bout that has become part of the American fabric. Then, the itinerary could include a stop in south Florida at Land Shark Stadium, the Miami Dolphins home.

“You get stale, doing the same thing over and over, going back to casinos to put on these big events,’’ Arum said.

Stale would have been just fine if the showdown had been Pacquiao-Mayweather at the MGM Grand. In fact, a poll probably would have shown a public overwhelmingly in favor of stale. But the Pacquiao-Mayweather possibility fell apart over Mayweather’s demands for Olympic-style blood-testing. Arum traded in stale for intriguing. Will it work? Maybe not.

If Pacquiao is somehow upset by, say, a Clottey head butt and suffers his first loss since a head butt bloodied him in 2005 against Erik Morales, Arum might get nostalgic about stale old days. If Pacquiao prevails, however, there is an opportunity for boxing to re-invent itself all over again.

In Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Arum appears to have found a kindred spirit. Jones knows that atmosphere is a key to the entertainment art form. If the customers have a good time, they will either be back in line for a ticket or buy the next pay-per-view. It’s no secret that the best advertising is word of mouth. Jones says that only seven percent of NFL fans have ever seen a game in an NFL stadium. But the rest of the country has heard from that seven percent. They have tuned in and turned the NFL into the modern American pastime.

Jones, who says he boxed as an amateur as a 10-year-old at the Boys Club in Little Rock, Ark., is a longtime fan. He remembers days when Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard fought in Montreal and then in New Orleans. He traveled to Las Vegas to watch Leonard and Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns.

“I’ve always thought boxing needs more exposure,’’ Jones said.

In Las Vegas, Jones entry into the sport must looks like a threat, a hostile takeover. Jones bid $25 million, which would have been a record site fee, for Mayweather-Pacquiao. But that possibility was headed to Vegas’ MGM Grand even before talks unraveled

“I wanted that fight, between those two guys, worse than my next breath,’’ Jones said.

Up and down the Vegas Strip, casino executives are holding their breath at what he might try next, especially if Pacquiao-Clottey is a success.

“But I think this is good and not a negative for Las Vegas to have a great fight in front of thousands of people,’’ Jones said in what might prove to be a new look at Sin City’s best-known marketing campaign.

What stays in Vegas isn’t always good for Vegas.

Or boxing.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

This Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao will put his streak of brilliance on the line in one of the world’s most remarkable buildings. Four months ago the Dallas Cowboys’ brand new billion dollar stadium was poised to hold the long awaited showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather, but it was not to be. While boxing fans from all four corners of the globe were dejected when the fight was scrapped, Joshua Clottey was gleaming from ear to ear. The Ghana native steps into an opportunity of a lifetime on one of the biggest stages imaginable, and presents Manny Pacquiao with what some say will be his most demanding physical challenge to date.

Manny Pacquiao

Record: 50-3-2 (38 KO’s)

Former Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Junior Lightweight, Lightweight, Junior Welterweight and current WBO Welterweight champion. Currently recognized as the number one fighter in the world pound for pound.

Age: 31

Home: General Santos City, Philippines

Notable wins: Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera

Notable losses: Erik Morales

Joshua Clottey

Record: 35-3 (20 KO’s)

Former WBO Welterweight champion

Home: Bronx, NY via Accra, Ghana

Age: 32

Notable wins: Diego Corrales, Zab Judah

Notable losses: Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Carlos Baldomir

Speed/Athletecism

Weighing the athleticism variable in a Pacquiao fight is almost a formality. There is only one man in boxing that can match the Pac Man’s athleticism and that’s Floyd Mayweather. Clottey is a strong, formidable opponent but as far as speed and athleticism will go this will be a mismatch. If Clottey is going to beat Manny Pacquiao it’s going to have to be by doing something other than trying to outwork the Pac Man. Pacquiao is in a different stratosphere and I see his athletic skill set as the gamebreaker in this fight.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Matt’s Take: Pacquiao has tremendous athleticism and in terms of putting combinations together, his hand speed is second to none. They are essentially his bread and butter. Clottey has decent athleticism and average speed at best, but doesn’t heavily rely on either to help him emerge victorious. Many of the shots he landed in his fight against Miguel Cotto were due to terrific timing, not quick hands.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Power

This one is a bit trickier. Do you look at knock out percentages or brute strength? One would imagine Clottey is the stronger man, but Pacquiao has knocked more welterweights lately than Clottey, who has recorded one stoppage since 2004. I’d lean with Pacquiao here as well. I firmly believe the brunt of Pacquiao’s power is in his killer instinct. It was hard to find a those instincts in the Joshua Clottey that fought Cotto, and that could be his downfall in this bout. Where Clottey slips up, Pacquiao will capitalize.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Matt’s Take: It’s no secret that Manny Pacquiao has true pound for pound punching power ala Thomas Hearns; just ask naturally bigger opponents in Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya. In his two fights at welterweight (where he meets Clottey), Pacquiao has used fast, hard combinations to batter the aforementioned Cotto and De La Hoya, making him a heavy handed fighter even as an undersized 147 pounder.

Clottey’s power has always been underrated in my book. Clottey, easily the biggest active welterweight, has tremendous physical strength and the ability to throw noteworthy punches at any given time. He hurt former world champion Zab Judah and also made things quite uncomfortable for Cotto in their June 2009 match up. He possesses a unique punching style, which I have always been a fan of, which includes body-head combinations and double hooks up top. While the man known as “Hitter” can definitely do damage if he connects, Pac Man’s other alias is “The Destroyer” for a reason.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Defense/Chin

If Clottey has a shot at knocking off Pacquiao it lies in his defense. Clottey survived twelve rounds with Antonio Margarito, and I hate to go there, but who knows what was in Margarito’s gloves at that time. Clottey’s defensive success may be a testament to his refusal to take risks, but that flaw nudges him ahead of Pacquiao in this category.

Pacquiao hasn’t hit the canvas in years, but he has hit the canvas nonetheless. If I see one scenario that has Clottey winning this bout it’s a product of him using his strength and defense to control the pace of the bout. Clottey won’t make himself as presentable a target like Pacquiao’s most recent opponents and that may be the one thing that could propel him to a decision victory.

Advantage: Clottey

Matt’s Take: Pacquiao has had a good chin since day one. Although he was twice knocked out as a severely weight drained youngster, he has consistently shown the ability to take a punch. The best proof of his proficient chin is something he once was; a poor defensive fighter. The old, lighter Pacquiao had no problem trading punches with anybody at any time, but the 140-147 lb version boxes and moves a lot more effectively. Moving up in weight gave him the opportunity to build up his legs, thus he avoids punches far better than in years prior. On the contrary, he had trouble avoiding Cotto’s jab in their November super fight and against a strong fighter like Clottey that could be a problem.

Like many African fighters, Clottey has an effective high guard defense and a good beard. His defensive style is very effective and he rarely gets hit with flush shots. Basic or not, Clottey’s defensive abilities are frustrating for opponents. His chin isn’t an easy target to find, but even when he was hit, Clottey weathered the storm. The rugged Ghanaian has never been seriously hurt and his only trip to the canvas (against Cotto) was due to him being off balance.

Advantage: Clottey

Heart

Yet another category that is hard to pick against Manny in. On top of being arguably the fighter of the decade, Pac Man has taken part in several fight of the decade candidates. Surprisingly, I saw more heart from Manny in his first bout with Marquez than I have seen in a long time. After putting his man down three times in the first round only to have him claw back into the fight, Manny stayed with it despite giving up the draw.

Clottey will come into Cowboy’s stadium with a world of desire behind him, but heart is something that either you have or you don’t. I believe Joshua Clottey does to an extent, but anyone who lets a defeated Miguel Cotto survive, and throw enough punches to steal the bout from him will have trouble matching the heart, desire and killer instinct of Manny Pacquiao.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Matt’s Take: Pacquiao is as gutsy as they come. He’s a number of times and never had any issue adopting to take on a bigger fighter (see above). His willingness to exclusively mix it up when he fought the world’s best in lower weight classes simply can not be overlooked, even if he has changed his style a bit. Manny has also taken the heart of many of his opponents, such as De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto and Barrera.

Manny may very well take exactly that from Clottey, since this is perhaps his biggest weakness. The late, great Arturo Gatti and even a more fragile fighter like Floyd Mayweather have fought multiple times with hand injuries and other distractions, proving when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Unfortunately this isn’t the case for former WBO Welterweight champion.

Clottey went into a shell after injuring his hand against Margarito in 06, squandering a good start en route to losing a decision. Against Cotto, he didn’t fare much better, electing to cover up on the ropes rather than throw back consistent combinations when the rugged Puerto Rican applied heavy pressure. Unless his questionable antics change, he is in for a rough night against an opponent who has snatched the heart out of some of boxing’s best.

Advantage: Clottey

Experience

Joshua Clottey will take part in a fight that draws the eyes of the sports world onto him, and it will be the first time that he has done so. Pacquiao meanwhile has been to this dance before. Pac Man has captured titles at a number of weight classes, stared down boxing legends, and had the morale of an entire country on his shoulders.

Clottey is by no means a wide eyed kid in over his head, the 32 year old has fought all over the world against different breeds of boxers, but it’s hard to find a resume` that measures up to Pacquiao’s. It’s been reported that ticket sales are around 45,000, a far bigger audience than either fighter is accustomed too. I don’t know that either man has a case of stage fright but on a scale this big I’d have to give the edge to Pacquiao.

Advantage: Pacquiao

Matt’s Take: When I say Pacquiao has fought everyone, I mean Pacquiao has fought everyone. Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera (twice each) and Erik Morales (three times) among others, there are very few noteworthy opponents he missed along the way. In addition, Pacquiao fought all of the aforementioned opponents on pay per view and has delivered masterpieces when the most eyes were on him.

Whether it is an asset to how dangerous of an opponent he is or the fact his inability to capitalize under the bright lights, Clottey is lacking in experience compared to Pacquiao. His most notable opponents were Cotto, Margarito, Judah, the late, great Diego Corrales and Carlos Baldomir. Outside of those five, three of whom have beaten him, Clottey’s fought mostly gate keeper type opponents.

Advantage: Pacquiao

The Verdict:

I have a shot for shot screenplay of this bout playing out in my head. It’s of an aggressive Manny Pacquiao overwhelming Joshua Clottey with a high volume of punches. Clottey is game, but careful. He knows that taking a risk of any kind will land him into deep trouble so he finishes the fight by kicking it into safety mode. Pacquiao doesn’t walk through Clottey the way he did Hatton and Cotto, but walks away with an impressive decision.

Verdict: Pacquiao UD

Matt’s Take: Clottey is regularly criticized for not throwing enough punches. His loss to Cotto serves perfect example of why he is a fighter that can do far more on the offensive end, but for one reason or another, chooses not to. Rather than going to take the title from the champion by making sure his hands were consistently busy, Clottey had too many Punchless spurts and cost himself the fight; as he did against Margarito.

Pacquiao throws terrific combinations and moves well enough to avoid return shots from his much slower opponent on Saturday night. The Filipino icon’s busy hands and Clottey’s inability to get going on a steady basis will spell trouble for the latter. Clottey’s natural size advantage, good chin and defense will likely help him make it to the final bell, albeit as a loser in the majority of the rounds.

Verdict: Pacquiao UD

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, seven-time world champion and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao(L) and challenger Joshua Clottey(R) pose during the final press conference Wednesday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

— A standing-room-only crowd of media and fans showed up to see seven-time world champion and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao shadow box during training for his upcoming World Welterweight championship against challenger Joshua Clottey on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank

Seven-time world champion and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao takes a morning run with his dog ‘Pacman’ Tuesday morning for his upcoming World Welterweight championship against challenger Joshua Clottey on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Seven-time world champion and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao arrives in Dallas with his wife Jinkee on Monday night for his upcoming World Welterweight championship against challenger Joshua Clottey on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

On the cusp of boxing’s super-season the world’s focus remains on Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. While we await their hopeful showdown both men have tall tasks in front of them this spring. Mayweather will face Shane Mosley on May 1, a bout that will be touched off on in the coming weeks, while Pacquiao dukes it out with the upset minded Joshua Clottey. I have compiled the thoughts of a number of boxers, and am lucky enough to be able to put together an amazing list of predictions. I consulted fighters from lightweight to heavyweight, male and female, amateur prospect to world champion, from America to Australia to see how they see this event playing out. Some were elaborative, while some kept it short and sweet. See how their predictions match up with mine and your own, and tune in March 13 to see who’s vision plays out.

I think Pac will overwhelm Clottey with a lot of activity, I look for a late stoppage or unanimous decision. I also see very game and tough Clottey throughout. – Steve Forbes, former super featherweight world champion

Manny is too fast and elusive for Clottey. Clottey is Strong, stronger than Cotto but he doesn’t throw enough punches. Pacquiao’s speed will be too much. –Bobby Gunn, cruiserweight world title challenger

Pac is too fast and too strong for Clottey, too awkward to be honest. I love Josh but he had Cotto and let him get away, if he doesn’t have the killer instinct with Pac he is done. It will be a great fight but I give Pac the edge. –Ishe Smith, junior middleweight contender

I pick Manny by decision because Clottey fights safe enough not to be ko’ed but too safe to win the fight.- Jeff Mayweather, world class trainer, former lightweight contender

This is a much more difficult fight for manny than people think. It will be a hard fought bout with pac winning on points. –Billy Dib, featherweight contender

I like Clottey by a twelve round decision. He’d have to be able to take the punishment then work. –A.K. Laleye Contender Season 4 participant

It will go the distance and it will go to Pac-Man. – Jason Litzau, NABF super featherweight champion

I like Clottey’s relentless pressure. I think Pac-Man’s fire is going to ignite Clottey, it will be a close fight but Clottey comes out with the decision. –Hasim Rahman Jr. world class amateur fighter.

I’m Going with Pacquiao by U.D. 🙂 – Mia St. John former female lightweight world champion

A dangerous fight for Pac-Man because of Clottey’s size and strength but I think the speed will be too much for Clottey to overcome. I’m going with Pac Man and I will be VERY impressed if he wins by stoppage. – Caleb Truax, WBF International super middleweight champion.

Mmmm, I don’t know, this is a pick ‘em – Nate Campbell, former undisputed lightweight champion

My only thoughts are do I get to fight the winner? – Emanuel Augustus, former IBA champion

This is a tough one. Clottey is such a physical terror for any welterweight to handle and he boasts an iron jaw. Still, I think Pacquaio will get by him. Not because of speed, power, or combination punching, but because he’s got too much riding on a potential showdown with Mayweather/Mosley. Great fighters find a way to win and I think Pacquaio will do just that. –Ryan Coyne, cruiserweight prospect, Contender Season 4 participant.

I said it prior to the Cotto fight, and it proved obsolete but I’ll say it before this one too, Clottey has to knock Pacquiao out. If you think Mayweather-Pacquiao isn’t still in HBO’s fold this fall you’d have to be punch drunk. For Clottey to derail this event he’s going to have to stop Pacquiao which I don’t see happening. I thought Oscar, and Cotto would both be too big for Pac-Man but I’m not making that mistake again, Pacquiao at his best is not too small for anyone. It will come down to aggression and Pacquiao will win that war every time, I’ll take Manny via wide UD. – Brett Mauren, 15rounds, Phantom Punch Productions

Final Tally

Pacquiao : Mauren, Forbes, Gunn, Smith, Mayweather, Dib, Litzau, St. John, Truax, Coyne

Clottey: Laleye, Rahman Jr.

Neutral: Campbell, Augustus

With as many different viewpoints as we have just seen, someone’s call is bound to play out, and we will find out which one on March 13. Please support these exciting fighters as their careers unfold and stay tuned for the Mayweather-Mosley prediction piece in the coming weeks.

It’s hard to know when Manny Pacquiao got interested in politics. Maybe, it happened at about the time he added a right to his left. It’s also hard to understand why. But Pacquiao is serious, even after he lost by a reported 37,000-to-38,000 votes in his last and only run in 2007 for an anonymous seat in the Filipino Congress.

Maybe, Pacquiao just hates to lose. Ask Eric Morales, who discovered just how much he detests defeat after Morales’ initial victory was followed by two devastating losses to the motivated Filipino. Three years ago, Pacquiao’s political ambitions looked like a lark. Between fights, politics was like shooting hoops and singing. It was something to do. But by now, we know he’ll never be in the NBA or play Carnegie Hall.

But Congress is beginning to look about as good as a victory over Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in the Dallas metroplex.

Thirteen days after Pacquiao is expected to sack Clottey like a linebacker in a blitz of a poorly-defended quarterback, he will be back on the campaign trail. He is running in a different district, Sarangani instead of General Santos City. There is different opponent. By all accounts, there also will a different result.

This time, Pacquiao is expected to prevail against Roy Chiongbian. I’m tempted to send Chiongbian a campaign contribution, although he apparently doesn’t need one. Chiongbian is reported to be a billionaire, which makes him even richer than Pacquiao, who has become a multi-millionaire in a string of rich fights, including a 2008 upset of Oscar De La Hoya.

Let’s just say that I’m a member of the Filipino party that reportedly cheered when Pacquiao lost in 2007 to incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

Memo to would-be Congressman Pacquiao: The Philippines need another politician about as much as Imelda Marcos needed another pair of shoes. A Congressional seat will always be there. A chance at enduring stardom as a fighter will not.

Yet, the quixotic seriousness of Pacquiao’s political pursuit is unmistakable, both in a conference call and in subsequent media reports. If a congressional seat forces him out of the ring and eliminates any renewed possibility of a showdown with Floyd Mayweather, Jr, Pacquiao seemed to say:

So be it.

“I don’t need to fight him,’’ Pacquiao said in a conference call when asked about negotiations that failed when Mayweather demanded Olympic-style blood testing. “What I believe is Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me. That’s why he makes the reasons to cancel the fight. I feel bad and disappointment because he is accusing me of using drugs or whatever and trying to ruin my name in boxing. People know I have been successful through God and hard work.

““I don’t really need Floyd Mayweather because what I have achieved in boxing is good enough for me and people know that by comparing my achievements in boxing to his achievements.’’

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach are skeptical that the Filipino whirlwind will leave one ring and enter another. But neither rules it out either.

In the gym, Roach said he has witnessed some ferocious flashes of anger at Mayweather. The frustration is rare for Pacquiao, who walks into the ring with a shy, somewhat enigmatic smile on a face that always seems to say he doesn’t dislike anybody. But Mayweather altered that with demands that imply Pacquiao abuses performance-enhancers.

“Sometimes, when Manny is shadowboxing, he will show me how Mayweather fights and how he will take care of the problem,’’ Roach said. “ I’ve never seen Manny do that before. He was trying to ruin our reputation with those allegations, so we do want to fight him and we do want to knock him out.’’

But, yeah, Roach says, the Clottey fight could be his last if Mayweather continues to make the drug-testing demands without an approved process from a state Commission, or if Shane Mosley upsets Mayweather on May 1, or if a victory at the ballot box takes Pacquiao out of the gym and into office for good.

If, if and if.

The biggest one could be what Pacquiao might have been. Arum, Roach and much of the media have been saying that Pacquiao is poised to become something special, meaning he is about to occupy the same orbit as Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. But as an active Congressman and a retired fighter, anything special would be speculative. Pacquiao is good. Make that great. He will be in the Hall of Fame. But he is still a fight with Mayweather, or maybe a Mosley, from being special

Then, there is the potential for cynicism. If Pacquiao leaves boxing for politics, I can already hear the Mayweathers — Floyd Jr., Floyd Sr. and Roger. All together now:

“See, I told you so.”

Pacquiao has undergone and passed every required drug test. If a Commission tells him there are new rules, I believe he will agree to a more rigorous process. Fair or not, it is the only way he can definitively answer a question that the Mayweather chorus raised. There are a variety of interpretations as to the motivation for the Mayweather demand. Maybe, he was trying to bully Pacquiao by trying to dictate terms. Maybe, Mayweather was trying to get out of the fight. Maybe, it was gamesmanship.

But there’s only way to answer and it’s not from a seat in the Filipino Congress.

WHAT PROBLEM?
Vic Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) is sick of hearing about a rematch of his loss to Nonito Donaire. Still, he was asked about it repeatedly this week before the defense of super-flyweight titles on Showtime Saturday against Mexican Rodrigo Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs) at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Darchinyan, knocked out by a Donaire three years ago, has dismissed the rematch possibility by saying he is moving up in weight.

Funny, but that’s the same thing Donaire said last month before his third-round stoppage of Manuel Vargas in Las Vegas. Then, Donaire said it was “now or never,” because he was moving up to bantam and featherweight.

On the scale, Darchinyan and Donaire are heading in the same direction, which should also include a rematch.

NOTES, QUOTES FROM THE SUPER SIX
· Arthur Abraham almost made it sound as if Jamaican sprinter Usian Bolt was a sparring partner in training for Andre Dirrell at Detroit in a Super Six Classic bout on March 27, which was rescheduled from March 6 because of a back injury suffered by Dirrell. “I have sparring partners who run,’’ Abraham said from Germany during a conference call Thursday.

· Dirrell is out of the tournament if he loses because of a controversial loss by split decision to Carl Froch in his last bout. “I call it a do-or-die situation,’’ said Dirrell, who believes he was robbed on the scorecards against Froch. He also said Froch engaged in “dirty tactics” that took him out of his fight plan.

· Promoter Gary Shaw predicts that Dirrell will be the first to beat Abraham, an Armenian who speaks German and hopes to become an American star. Shaw said that Abraham, the tournament’s leader in points with three, is more comfortable at middleweight, 160 pounds. That, Shaw said, is one reason he beat Jermain Taylor, also more comfortable at 160. At 168 pounds, Dirrell has an advantage, he said. “The bigger and faster man always wins,’’ Shaw said. “In this fight — although I have a world of respect for Arthur Abraham for his record, his style, his abilities and his demeanor — I believe Andre Dirrell will win and possibly stop Abraham.’’

Photo by Chris Cozzone/ Top Rank

Seven-time world champion and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao,General Santos,Philippines works out during media day at the Wildcard Boxing Club Wednesday as he winds down his training camp for his upcoming World Welterweight championship against challenger Joshua Clottey of Ghana. Top Rank’s “The Event”, will be held on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas,Texas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View

Photos by Chris Cozzone/ Top Rank

Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao’s 2009 was one for the ages. With dominant victories over Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (who was previously unbeaten at 140 lbs) and WBO Welterweight kingpin Miguel Cotto (considered by many an undefeated fighter due to the Antonio Margarito hand wraps controversy), Pacquiao was a unanimous pick for Fighter of the Year.

Fight of the year: Juan Manuel Marquez TKO9 Juan Diaz

Marquez-Diaz was a sensational action bout from start to finish. The two mixed it up from the opening bell, with the naturally bigger Diaz getting the better of the exchanges early on. Marquez, who refused to back down, continued to slug it out with Diaz before turning the tides in fashion. The technically proficient Marquez badly cut Diaz in round 8 and dropped him hard with a two punch combo in round nine. Marquez then tagged the badly hurt Diaz with a vicious uppercut, leaving him flat on his back, forcing Referee Rafael Ramos to halt the most exciting fight of 2009.

Hottest Division: Welterweight

With the inclusion of Pacquiao, the hottest division got hotter. The sport’s biggest fight in recent memory will occur at 147-pounds when Pacquiao eventually meets Floyd Mayweather Jr. Though they are one and two on the pound-for-pound list, neither will be able to claim they are the clear welterweight king until they beat Shane Mosley. The ranks 4-7 at 1-4-7 are as good as in any other division, with Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Andre Berto and Luis Collazo competing in a ridiculously stacked weight class.

Weakest division: Heavyweight

Just about enough has been said about the dearth of talent at heavyweight. No one can argue that the brothers Klitschko, Wladimir and Vitali, are not a highly talented duo. But the drop-off after them is unlike anything we have seen in decades. Not only is the top ten a limited lot, but there are scarcely any prospects to get excited about. Once upon a time, not that long ago, the World Heavyweight champion was the most recognizable man in the United States, if not the world, and the most prestigious position in all of sports.

Prospect of the Year: Fernando Guerrero

Guerrero (17-0, 14 KOs) has the look of a future champion and made great strides in 2009. There are several criteria for choosing a Prospect of the Year, and Guerrero seemed to get check marks for each one. Guerrero kept a busy schedule, as a prospect should, fighting five times, scoring three knockouts and winning two decisions. Guerrero took a step-up in competition, winning a majority decision over fringe contender Ossie Duran and stopping tough journeyman Brian Norman, who had gone ten full with Jean Pascal.

Guerrero has the benefit of fighting at the high-profile middleweight class, which is ripe with opportunities for rapid advancement. The former amateur star is still young at 23-years-old, and has a fight of some significance scheduled in 2010 against former prospect Jesus Gonzales. Lastly, what gives Guerrero a huge edge over every other U.S. based prospect, is his massive drawing power in his hometown of Salisbury, Maryland, where he has fought in front of 8,000 people.

Worst Decision of the Year: Ali Funeka D12 Joan Guzman

For the better part of twelve rounds, Funeka hammered the unbeaten Guzman. Guzman, a quick and slick Dominican, was bloodied and rocked on a number of occasions by his taller opponent. Funeka had everything going his way. From a strong jab and big power punches, the South African clearly had the fight in control, winning at the absolute worst 8 of the 12 rounds (the score Joseph Pasquale had of 116-112).

The vacant IBF Lightweight title appeared to be his. This was until Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel unexplainably scored the contest 114-114, disgustingly robbing Funeka of the title. This created a major out roar in the boxing community and further solidified why judges should be required to do post fight interviews.

Promoter of the year: Top Rank

The promoter of the year’s biggest fight, Pacquiao-Cotto, and the co-promoter perhaps the second biggest fight, Pacquiao-Hatton, Top Rank earns the nod as best promotional firm of 2009. In addition to those two mega events, Top Rank continues to develop their prospects into champions and stars better than any one in the business. The latest example of which is Juan Manuel Lopez, who has achieved superstardom in Puerto Rico and may be en route to his second world title January 23.

Fight you’d most like to see in 2010: Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather

This appeared to be a given until issues over pre fight drug testing at least temporarily derailed the fight. Pacquiao and Mayweather are unquestionably the top two fighters in the sport. Each brings a style that the other hasn’t faced. With both topping 1,000,000 pay per view buys for a fight in 2009, they are obviously box office kings as well.

Pacquiao and Mayweather appear ready to take on different opponents in their next bout, but an overwhelming public demand makes the fight all the more likely for later in 2010.

Knockout of the Year: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton

There were not that many people outside of England picking Hatton to beat Pacquiao this past May, but could anyone have expected the brutal one-sidedness in which Pac man would end the fight? The left hand Pacquiao landed to put Hatton down in a heap at the end of round two was picture perfect.

Fighter of the Decade: Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao nabbed titles in a record six divisions over the last ten years (super bantamweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight). Pacquiao’s sensational decade included knockout victories over Marco Antonio Barrera (who he would later defeat by decision), Erik Morales (twice), Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton; all multi division world champions that were ranked on the pound for pound list during their careers. Pacquiao also owns a points victory over the great Juan Manuel Marquez, and stopped once-beaten David Diaz among other notable victories. A simply sensational run by one of the best fighters in the last quarter century.

Authors note: Pacquiao’s victories over Barrera in their first fight and Ricky Hatton were for the Ring Magazine title, which is globally recognized as the legitimate championship belt in each weight division.

Fight of the Decade: Diego Corrales TKO10 Jose Luis Castillo

On May, 7 2005, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo battered each other over the duration of an unforgettable fight. Both neglected any kind of defense in this phone booth battle, willingly using their faces as a line of defense. In the opening thirty seconds of round ten, Castillo dropped Corrales hard with a left hook. The dazed Corrales was down just seconds later and his night appeared to be all but over. This was until, the unthinkable happened.

After a brief break and a point deduction for spitting out his mouth piece, trainer Joe Goosen famously quipped Corrales “you have to f****ng get inside on him now. And did he ever. Castillo swarmed Corrales in an attempt to finish the fight, but was rocked by a two punch combo, springing the latter back to life. Corrales then stunned Castillo via a hard left hook and stopped him with a vicious combination (which had Castillo out on his feet) him thirty seconds later. Corrales tragically passed away exactly two years after the fight, but will forever be linked to the most miraculous comeback in one of the greatest slugfests of all time.

Division of the Decade: Welterweight

The 147 lb division, our best of 2009, had a number of terrific pugilists make a mark in it. The list of fighters making major waves at 147 include Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao (since the Cotto bout lifted him to an even higher level), Vernon Forrest, Paul Williams, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey, and current rising star Andre Berto among others. Though featherweight was a very close second, welterweight division had too many top tier fighters to ignore.

Worst Decision of the Decade: Courtney Burton SD10 Emmanuel Augustus

Discounting significance, but just based on sheer disgustingness, Courtney Burton’s 2004 decision over Emanuel Augustus in Michigan was the Worst Decision of the Decade. Their fight, televised on ESPN2 from Burton’s home state, was utterly one-sided. Despite an unnecessary point deduction by the referee, Augustus should have had the verdict running away. Somehow, one judge scored the bout 99-90, while another had it 97-92 for Burton.

The third judge scored the fight 98-94 for Augustus, and even that was a little too close. Making matters worse, when commentator Teddy Atlas approached the Michigan Boxing Commission representative on air, they apparently did not know the difference between a majority decision and a split decision. Augustus gained a small measure of justice, stopping a by-then faded Burton in 2006.

Promoter of the decade: Top Rank

With the reign of Don King Productions winding down, and Golden Boy Promotions rising up as the decade began the clear choice for Promoter of the Decade is Top Rank. Again, Top Rank helped create or elevate three of the decade’s the biggest stars in Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. In addition, Top Rank was largely behind the renaissance of the featherweight division.

Knockout of the decade: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton (see above)

Write ups compiled by Matt Yanofsky and Mario Ortega Jr. Awards voted on by staff.

Photo by Chris Farina of Top rank