Boxing Ain't Dead Yet. In Fact, It's Alive and Well in Arlington.

By Richie Whitt Thu., Nov. 11 2010 at 10:45 AM

Categories: Boxing, While It's Still Around

When's the last time you did something for the first time?

Couple virgin voyages for me this week. Last weekend I went to a motorcycle gang party. (Scary.) And Saturday night I'm going to a championship fight. As in big-time boxing. (Psyched.)

I'm more into UFC these days, but I'm looking forward to Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium. Supposed to be 60,000 screaming fans -- possibly a record for an American indoor fight -- and lots of hits and a winner. In other words, it'll be nothing like a Dallas Cowboys' home game.

Before Pacquiao-Margarito square off, a Dallas kid will also try to win himself some respect.

I've written about Duncanville Olympian Luis Yanez and watched Evander Holyfield at American Airlines Center, but this Roberto Marroquin is supposed to be something special. The 20-year-old from Oak Cliff attends Northwood University in Cedar Hill, wants to get his accounting degree from SMU and, oh by the way, is one of Top Rank Boxing's best rising fighters.

With a record of 16-0 and trained by Pacquiao's man, Freddie Roach, Marroquin will fight on Saturday night's undercard.

But the main event -- more foreplay before the highly anticipated Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight? -- features what many experts believe is the planet's best pound-for-pound fighter against a guy who's banned from fighting almost everywhere except Texas because officials found plaster in his gloves.

Watched Pacquiao-Margarito 24/7 on HBO the other night, and while he's a national hero and even a member of Congress in The Phillipines, Pacquiao's training seems disjointed and distracted while Margarito seems focused and fierce.

But what do I know? I'm a newbie.

Until Saturday.