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by Cliff Rold - In a boxing world that managed to squeeze in Roberto Duran-Hector Camacho before both were 100% done with the ring, it’s humorous how often the hope to see Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales in the same ring seems dead.
It’s easy to forget: as long as there is room in a cash register, no potential gold mine is ever really off limits to be tapped.
Boxing fans know the 38-year old Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO), in pursuit of yet one more crack at Manny Pacquiao, has a date at Cowboys Stadium on July 14th. For now, the opponent remains TBA.
The real question is HWS.
How many seats?
The two names given as most likely in the last week for the Marquez date are the 35-year old Morales (52-8, 36 KO) and undefeated 24-year old Filipino Jr. Welterweight Mercito Gesta (25-0-1, 13 KO).
Gesta would be an intriguing option in the ring. Boxing needs new blood and Gesta has the look of a comer. The fight has its obvious sale points. Gesta would be a live underdog and his shared ethnicity with Pacquiao would add to the allure. Gesta is unknown to the larger world but fight fans are familiar enough with him to make him viable.
The question is, again, how many seats…as in how many seats in the cavernous Cowboys Stadium could be filled for Marquez-Gesta. Marquez is, despite his age, at his height of popularity. While never a remarkable A-side in terms of pay-per-view, he’s become a great B-side there and a solid ticket seller for red meat fight fans.
Marquez-Gesta could sell fill its share of seats.
Marquez-Morales could sell a lot more.
There are promotional and Mexican television network issues that would need to be ironed out but where’s there’s a (dollar) bill, there’s a way.
In terms of pay-per-view, it’s also the stronger option. There are occasionally matches, long awaited, that appear to have passed their sell-by date only to pop an impressive number with the home viewing public.
Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad was scoffed at when signed in 2008. Briefly the most buzzed about fight in boxing in the early 2000s, Trinidad’s loss to Bernard Hopkins in 2001 and two subsequent retirements scuttled the bout until they didn’t. [Click Here To Read More]
It’s easy to forget: as long as there is room in a cash register, no potential gold mine is ever really off limits to be tapped.
Boxing fans know the 38-year old Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO), in pursuit of yet one more crack at Manny Pacquiao, has a date at Cowboys Stadium on July 14th. For now, the opponent remains TBA.
The real question is HWS.
How many seats?
The two names given as most likely in the last week for the Marquez date are the 35-year old Morales (52-8, 36 KO) and undefeated 24-year old Filipino Jr. Welterweight Mercito Gesta (25-0-1, 13 KO).
Gesta would be an intriguing option in the ring. Boxing needs new blood and Gesta has the look of a comer. The fight has its obvious sale points. Gesta would be a live underdog and his shared ethnicity with Pacquiao would add to the allure. Gesta is unknown to the larger world but fight fans are familiar enough with him to make him viable.
The question is, again, how many seats…as in how many seats in the cavernous Cowboys Stadium could be filled for Marquez-Gesta. Marquez is, despite his age, at his height of popularity. While never a remarkable A-side in terms of pay-per-view, he’s become a great B-side there and a solid ticket seller for red meat fight fans.
Marquez-Gesta could sell fill its share of seats.
Marquez-Morales could sell a lot more.
There are promotional and Mexican television network issues that would need to be ironed out but where’s there’s a (dollar) bill, there’s a way.
In terms of pay-per-view, it’s also the stronger option. There are occasionally matches, long awaited, that appear to have passed their sell-by date only to pop an impressive number with the home viewing public.
Roy Jones-Felix Trinidad was scoffed at when signed in 2008. Briefly the most buzzed about fight in boxing in the early 2000s, Trinidad’s loss to Bernard Hopkins in 2001 and two subsequent retirements scuttled the bout until they didn’t. [Click Here To Read More]
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