Manny ‘excited and nervous’
‘IT WAS 10 YEARS BACK WHEN WE SPOKE OF A MAYWEATHER BOUT’
Filipino legend relaxes with friends and family in Los Angeles before heading to Las Vegas for Mayweather bout
The Pacman mania continues to gain momentum as the countdown to Manny Pacquiao’s fight against undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr draws near. A day before he departed for Las Vegas yesterday afternoon (yesterday night UAE time), Pacquiao looked relaxed — having lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame area and visiting the church.
Hundreds of fans gathered around Pacquiao to get autographs and pose for selfies as the Filipino boxer went inside the restaurant. Some Filipino celebrities such as actor Richard Gutierrez and his partner Sarah Labhati were also part of his entourage.
A select group of media, including Gulf News, were invited at the lunch. Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud, a close friend and adviser of Pacquiao, told Gulf News that he and other Team Pacquiao supporters are both excited and nervous as the fight draws near. “We are quite nervous now since the fight is just a few more days away. We’re eagerly waiting the result of the May 2 fight. I really hope he will win,” said Salud.
“He has already realised all his dreams. I still recall it was about 10 years ago when Manny and I talked about the possibility of facing Mayweather in the boxing arena. He waited long for this fight to happen and it’s really his destiny,” he said.
Ingrid Cabrera, a Pacquiao fan, is confident Pacquiao will win. “I always watch Manny’s fights and I know with his boxing abilities and talent he can beat Mayweather.”
Pacquiao headed for his mansion to rest after lunch, where he played chess and entertained some guests’ requests for some selfies. He also hosted a darts tournament for the guests.
Countdown on
Meanwhile, the countdown is on to Saturday’s showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the $400 million (Dh1.47 billion) “fight of the century” with a place in boxing’s pantheon of greats on the line.
More than five years in the making, it’s an epic clash of styles and personalities, pitting the craftsmanship and defensive savvy of “Money” Mayweather against explosive southpaw Pacquiao
Precious tickets
— an iconic figure in his native Philippines.
The welterweight world title unification bout looks set to smash boxing records for worldwide viewership and revenue, with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum predicting it could generate as much as $400 million.
With a 60-40 purse split in favour of Mayweather, the unbeaten American stands to make an eye-watering $150 million and Pacquiao $100 million.
Fanned by instant internet publicity and social media, global interest in the contest has skyrocketed.
The precious 500 tickets for seats at the 16,800-capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that were put on sale directly to the public at face values ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 sold out in minutes.
Promoters are even selling 10,000 tickets to Friday’s weighin, at $10 a pop. The audience on fight night will read like a who’s who of A-list celebrities, casino high-rollers and others with the wherewithal to snaffle tickets that are going at secondary sales outlets such as Stub Hub for as much as $100,000.
The staggering financial figures and celebrity sideshows have only boosted the fight’s crossover appeal.
The build-up has focused on such minutiae as Mayweather’s custom-made mouth guard, infused with diamonds and gold, and the $2 million-plus Pacquiao will rake in for advertising on his trunks.
But once all that is stripped away, it will be up to the two men in the ring to deliver on the hype, in a duel that many feel has passed its sell-by date.