Putting Mayweather-Pacquiao outside Nevada is lunacy
They are, by critical acclaim, the two best boxers on the planet.
Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will be in a boxing "Super Bowl" when they finally fight on March 13.
They deserve no less than a level playing field, or more accurately, a square ring with a referee and three judges who are the best available.
Boxing plays with dynamite if it uses a hometown referee like Marlon Wright, the Montreal ref who robbed Libradao Andrade of a title winning KO over Lucian Bute. Or if a Gale Van Hoy (Texas) is allowed to render a competely baseless scorecard like he did in the Paulie Malignaggi-Juan Diaz bout in Houston. Ditto for clueless Pierre Benoist (New Jersey) with his ridiculous 119-110 vote for Paul Williams over Sergio Martinez.
That's why Mayweather-Pacquiao must take place under the auspices of the most stringent boxing commission on the planet.
That's why this mega bout belongs in Nevada, and not in Texas, where both camps know that the best available officials will be chosen to work this historic fight.
Nevada lays claim to the best referee (Kenny Bayless) and to the most active, most well seasoned judges extant.
I don't recall the Mayweather camp ever having any sort of "beef" with Nevada officiating, do you?
Showtime Photo (Tom Casino) Wright prevented Andrade KO victory in Montreal
As for Pacman, yes he had a legit complaint back in 2004 when NSAC judge Bert Clements blew it in not calling him a 10-6 winner of the opening round against Juan Manuel Marquez.
You will recall that Manny floored the Mexican counterpuncher thrice in that frame and the other two judges did mark their cards correctly while Clements made it, 10-7.
Aside from that miscue, Pacquiao has been rendered competent work from judges and referees under the NSAC banner.
Now if someone wants to assure us that four officials picked by Nevada will be used in Jerry Jones football playpen for the Cowboys, that's another story.
But Dickie Cole, who rules the Texas commission with an iron hand but no velvet glove, won't agree to that.
And he will, as a good father should, insist that his son, referee Laurence Cole, be the third man in the ring.
As for Texas picking the judges, well let's not forget the reason there is a Diaz-Malignaggi rematch happening on neutral turf (Chicago) on HBO this Saturday night.
To his credit, Malignaggi predicted he would be be the screwee BEFORE the fight. Mouthy Paulie was entitled to his I told you so's afterwards.
Putting Mayweather-Pacquiao anywhere outside the Nevada state limits is inviting disaster.
If there's one thing I think the Mayweather and Pacman camps can totally agree on, this is it.
Mayweather-Pacquiao must land in Las Vegas.
That way, the world is put on notice that only Manny and Floyd will decide the outcome.
'Nuff said.
