From Arlington to Manila: Pacquiao commemorates historic Texas fight

Museum display honors 2010 Cowboys Stadium title.

By André Averion, Communications Chair

Published March 6th, 2026

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has entrusted some of the most significant artifacts of his career to the Philippine Sports Museum, including a pair of representative fight trunks commemorating his historic 2010 victory over Antonio Margarito at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

The donation, formally received during a ceremony organized by the Philippine Sports Commission in February 2026, adds several of Pacquiao’s most symbolic pieces of memorabilia to the museum’s permanent collection. Among them are trunks from his 2009 fight with Miguel Cotto and the pair representing the Margarito bout that cemented Pacquiao’s legacy as boxing’s only eight-division world champion.

For many boxing fans, particularly in North Texas, the Margarito fight stands as one of the most memorable nights in the region’s sports history.

On Nov. 13, 2010, Pacquiao stepped into the ring against Margarito in front of a massive crowd at Cowboys Stadium, now known as AT&T Stadium. The bout was staged for the World Boxing Council super welterweight championship and marked Pacquiao’s attempt to capture a world title in an unprecedented eighth weight division.

The Filipino champion was already a global superstar by that point, having climbed from flyweight to welterweight titles over the previous decade. Margarito, a physically larger opponent from Mexico, entered the ring with a significant size advantage, weighing more than Pacquiao on fight night.

Yet over 12 rounds, Pacquiao delivered a masterclass performance. Using his trademark speed and relentless combinations, he battered Margarito and dominated the fight en route to a unanimous decision victory.

The win made Pacquiao the first and only boxer in history to win world championships across eight weight divisions — a feat widely considered one of the sport’s most extraordinary accomplishments.

For the Dallas-Fort Worth region, the fight remains one of the biggest boxing events ever hosted in North Texas.

Cowboys Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, was transformed into a massive boxing venue capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators. The event drew fans from across the United States, Mexico and the Philippines, turning Arlington into the center of the boxing world for one night.

The spectacle highlighted the growing role of North Texas as a destination for major international sporting events. The stadium, which opened in 2009, was already known for football and large-scale entertainment shows, but the Pacquiao–Margarito fight demonstrated that it could also host championship boxing on a grand stage.

The night also carried emotional weight for Pacquiao’s supporters. Filipino fans from across Texas, including large communities in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, traveled to Arlington to watch their national hero chase history.

Now, more than a decade later, the representative fight trunks from that bout are being preserved as part of the national sporting heritage of the Philippines.

During the ceremonial handover in Pasig City, Pacquiao entrusted the trunks and other memorabilia to Philippine officials to ensure that future generations could see tangible reminders of the country’s greatest boxing moments.

The artifacts symbolize more than athletic achievement. According to organizers of the ceremony, they represent moments when Filipino pride resonated around the world.

Pacquiao’s collection donated to the museum includes the Margarito fight trunks, the trunks commemorating his 2009 victory over Cotto for the WBO welterweight title, and a World Boxing Council championship belt connected to his record-setting run.

While many of his biggest fights took place in Nevada, the Arlington showdown remains one of the defining moments of his legacy. It was the night he completed boxing’s rarest achievement and did so in front of a massive crowd in the heart of Texas.

Today, the trunks representing that victory serve as a reminder of the night Dallas-area fans witnessed history firsthand.