Signed and Sealed: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13

Jerry Jones may hope that fans don't see it as a consolation prize, but it's hard to see it any other way.

Numerous media outlets reported Sunday that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been finalized for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The bout will be on pay-per-view, though not necessarily distributed through HBO.

Under normal circumstances, this would be heralded by fans and media types alike as a great development. Pacquiao has reached must-see status, and Clottey is a dangerous and talented challenge to face on relatively short notice.

Of course, the circumstances are anything but normal, as everyone with even a remote interest in the sweet science was hoping to see Manny do battle with Floyd Mayweather on that date. Now it appears that the world's two best fighters may only engage each other through dueling broadcasts, as Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather could still end up fighting on March 13 in Las Vegas.

That isn't the kind of intrigue fans were hoping for, and it could actually damage chances of Mayweather-Pacquiao happening later in 2010, something I have long thought would happen. But it's not hard to see this latest development adding another layer of acrimony to any future negotiations, as the man whose fight performs better at the box office could well demand more than 50 percent of the purse.

It will also be interesting to see if there is backlash against both Pacquiao and Mayweather from disillusioned fans. You don't have to have your own boxing blog to see that the mood among folks on the internet is one of intense bitterness.

The big winner in all of this (and possibly the only one outside of Jones, who failed to land Mayweather-Pacquiao for his stadium) is Clottey, who must feel like he hit the jackpot. He's fought some notable names like Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales and Zab Judah, but he's commonly thought of as someone to be avoided because he is tough and deceptively skilled.

After dropping a split decision to Miguel Cotto last June, Clottey probably gave up any hope he had of fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao. Now he stands to make a ton of money, and with all of the attention the fight will get (some of it for negative reasons, granted) he has a chance to put himself on the map with sports fans everywhere if he pulls off the upset.

Posted by The Franchise