• by Karl Greenberg , November 13, 2010

Boxing sells in Texas. Cowboys Stadium is packed to the gills. I'll wager there are some 60,000 people in here to see Manny Pacquiao take on Antonio Margarito. Through the evening the video screens have panned the audience with a duel between Mexicans and Filipinos. But, true to boxing cutting off its nose to spite its face it seems the fight is on the verge of being scuttled by back and forth allegations: Freddy Roach (Paman's trainer) saying Margarito has been taking ephedrin, and Margarito's camp claiming Roach has been padding Margarito's gloves. Only in boxing. So, on the press row people are murmuring about whether or not this thing is really going to happen.

Clearly there's a fan base, and the fights have been good. As I write this, some fourteen rows from the ring, under the biggest video screen I have ever seen, which I think is also the biggest indoor/arena screen on Earth, or thereabouts, the audience is on its feet waiting for the Great Ones to enter.

Unlike any sport except for soccer, this is a sport that brings out nationalist passions. Almost every fight has its parade of national flags. But there are real questions out here about whether this thing will actually happen.