WHILE Manny Pacquiao staged a rival rally of his own at the Mandalay Bay further down the strip in the morning, Floyd Mayweather conducted his arrival today (April 28) at the MGM Grand Arena, where their mega-fight will take place on Saturday.
If Pacquiao’s event followed the formula of a traditional Filipino celebration, Floyd Mayweather’s was an all American affair. The marching band from Southern University played him in and, taking to the stage, Mayweather thanked one and all, notably the loud collection of supporters who had turned out.
“Everybody that’s in this arena is the Money Team,” he told them.
For the Grand Arrival entry was free and open to the public. Tickets for the fight are a precious commodity and the weigh-in, which will be in the same arena on Friday, will be ticketed. That is probably a necessary measure, given the volume of demand for that event alone, and the proceeds from the weigh-in are going to charity.
Mayweather himself will make a staggering fortune from the fight itself.
“Of course I make a lot of money but also I like to give back,” hw declared at his ‘grand arrival’.
Noticeable by his absence, not only from the MGM today, but in Mayweather’s comments was Manny Pacquiao. He did not mention the Filipino’s name, nor did he dwell on the magnitude of the occasion.
While for onlookers this is the fight of the century, the finest two fighters of their generation, finally facing off in the ring, perhaps Floyd Mayweather is deliberating treating it like any other fight. That could be a sign of how focused he is and how seriously he is taking Pacquiao. The pressure on both though will only mount over the coming days.
