“Knockout” party featuring special unveilings, celeb guests, and more
On the eve of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, there was another marquee event taking place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino: The new Fight Museum Las Vegas held their VIP Grand Opening Party with special guests, exclusive Pac Man collectibles and an up-close look at rare boxing memorabilia. The host was Ronnie Pellizzari, Director and Co-Founder of this one-of-a-kind venue.
The property, which doubles as both a museum and a storefront for fans, first opened their doors this past summer. But the owners chose this huge fight weekend to have their splashiest gala yet. “We opened in July with a ‘soft’ grand opening,” young entrepreneur Pellizzari tells me. “So tonight is really exciting; there’s a lot going on. And at 8 p.m. we’ll be offering exclusive Team Pacquiao merchandise too.”
Attendees were treated to a lively time with models offering tastes of limited-edition tequila, fruit-infused vodka and imported beer, while delicious Chicago steak and fresh fish were served up by gourmet chef Jess LeDesma. For the party-goers who were big fans of sushi, the sashimi was amazing. The authentic Hawaiian-style cuisine by LeDesma, the Executive Chef and Owner of Koa Restaurant, was so good the
line never slowed, as he rushed back and forth to fetch more provisions for the appreciative guests. And the first-class affair had even the tiniest details covered with fruit and cheese hors d’oeuvres carved out with “Pacquiao vs.Cotto” and “Fight Museum” logos.
During the gala, there was also plenty of time between refreshments and party chatter to check out the museum, whose motto is “preserving and honoring both boxing and MMA.”
Now you get an insider’s view as well, as the Fight Museum team gave me an exclusive preview tour of their building. The store’s Theresa Magno Henderson and Co-Founder KC Coleman walked me through with an advanced look before the festivities began. And there was a lot to look at!
From fight apparel to limited-edition framed artwork to tons of collectible items, the store really does offer something for everyone’s tastes–and most importantly, everyone’s budget. Coleman tells me, “What’s great about our store and museum is that we offer everything from high-end items to the lower-end items. That appeals to fans, collectors and the hundreds of tourists who can take something back home with them.”
Both Coleman and Henderson comment that their T-shirts always fly off the shelves. “We have both women and men’s apparel,” explains Theresa, herself a Muay Thai fighter, as she gestures to a full lineup of clothing items against the wall. “Our walkout’ shirts are really popular and a best seller.” Coleman adds, “T-shirts are great; they are recession-proof!” The two explain that most of the items in the museum are for sale, with just a few rarities for show only.
As I toured the facility with the friendly duo, I got an up-close look at Muhammad Ali’s hand wrap used 
during his Floyd Patterson bout, and also saw a rare portrait of Ali by artist Richard T. Slone. It was to be a gift between the feuding friends, Ali and Frazier. The black-and-white rendering (signed to nemesis “Smokin’ Joe”) was never presented to the heavyweight and can now be yours for a cool twelve grand.
Coleman, who lived for a time in the U.K., also tells me that they are the exclusive reseller of SL1, which is the company of world-renowned British artist Richard Slone. The international painter’s work is now synonymous with the sweet science, and it is his art that is on the official fight posters sold at the MGM. There is an onsite Slone art gallery inside the museum as well.
Amidst the flat screens airing fight highlights were rows of autographed boxing gloves, vintage magazines, championship belts and of course, Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto limited-edition poster prints. There was also a miniature version of an octagon cage in the center of the room, as both boxing and mixed martial arts are featured in their museum and store.
Making my way around the area, something extremely bright and sparkly catches my eye. Showcased in glass is a pair of the most sparkling boxing gloves I have laid eyes upon. With ruby-red Swarovski crystals covering the mitts, the elaborate gloves were designed to celebrate the Filipino hero, Pacquiao. With his homeland’s flag etched in the famous crystals, white Austrian jewels spell out “Pac Man,” just in case you forget who the most famous fighter of the Philippines is! It really is a sight to behold and not exactly a cheap bauble.
Before the party, while the tempting beverages and savory food were being prepared for the VIP guests, I also had a chance to meet Don Burns from KO Beverages. He and his associates were going to unveil a very special tequila called Nocaut (like “knock out”). In this case, the bottle (shaped like a boxing glove) could be deemed priceless as Burns allowed that there are only 25 bottles worldwide. What makes this particular tequila so rare? Underneath the silver crests adorning the bottle is the Pacquiao-Cotto Slone painting. So for the lucky guests who sampled the liquid gold, it truly was a priceless experience since the rare beverage is not for sale.
And at last week’s fiesta, some unique, very cool Team Pacquiao T-shirts were offered to fans. The limited-edition run of clothing by Mike Liwanag and Brandon Murio had shoppers lining up outside the museum doors. Schedule to go on sale during the event opening, the two hipsters and masterminds from Mojo-Labs have really created a loyal fan following through their “Fighting Pride of the Philippines” shirts, hoodies and jackets. They told me they create a distinct line of specialty items for each big fight.
For this marquee matchup, the Mojo-Lab guys created shirts showing Manny in a prayer position with his championship belt seen below. These tees were only available on this night, so the line remained long and steady as the evening continued. The marketeers from Mojo-Lab had a long table display with their sought-after products with very reasonable prices, which is why their queue of customers began forming early. Anticipating a sell out, the guys give me a sneak peek at their wares. “We are releasing this royal blue and red design just for the Fight Museum. It’s also in hoodies and track jackets. Once they 
sell out, only the black and white shirts will be available.”
Holding up the prayer shirt, Mike and Brandon explain its origin. “This is ‘The Faith’ shirt, and it touches upon Manny outside the ring,” the business partners said. “This is his spiritual side and shows his pride in his faith, and his country that makes him who he is. We always try to achieve and show who the fighter really is–both as a fighter and as a man.”
Checking in with the boys later in the night, they said it was “killer sales” the whole time as they continued to accommodate all the requests.
During the event, standing out in the crowd was popular fighter and sexy pin-up gal Mia St. John. The Playboy issue with Mia gracing the cover is one of the most-coveted pieces of memorabilia out there. But the gorgeous superstar boxer is also a WBC Champion, best-selling author, and a tireless humanitarian who is in involved with the “El Saber es Poder” charitable foundation and has been honored for donating her time and money to numerous causes. Not just another pretty face, this girl continues to give back to the sport she loves.
On Friday evening, Mia was greeting well-wishers and had a stream of photo requests. The following day, St. John also made an appearance at the Fight Museum to greet the public and sign autographs for the fans.
Across the way, a boxing show also took place at the same time at the House of Blues, so guests would bring back updates as the card progressed. After the fights ended, another famous Filipino face made his way into the celebration.
The “Filipino Flash” himself, Nonito Donaire, came by to visit the museum gathering. One week ago, the consensus was split on who would win the battle between Pacquiao and Cotto. But while chatting with Nonito, he, of course, predicted a convincing victory by his fellow Filipino countryman and as the world knows now, his prediction was spot on.
Donaire, an IBF, IBO and WBA Champ, was raised in General Santos City and attended the same school as Pacquiao. Accompanied by his beautiful wife, Rae, the junior bantamweight (21-1, 14 KOs) will be fighting in early 2010. According to BoxRec, the Northern California couple will be making a return visit to Vegas, as it is listed that Nonito is scheduled to fight on February 13.
Also mingling at the party were several boxing aficionados in their own right. We met Michael Serrano, owner of Lockwood Industries, who is a top Cleto Reyes gloves distributor. Turns out Serrano grew up in the same city I live in so we had fun comparing notes how the town has changed.
I also had an excellent conversation with fellow journalist Gary Todd, who comes out to Vegas by way of Australia. The Scotsman by birth, is an author of “Workouts from Boxing’s Greatest Champs” and is also planning to release a new book next year. He regaled us with several humorous, poignant and shocking stories from his adventures in boxing including anecdotes about Ricky Hatton, Mike Tyson, Nigel Benn, Scottish legend Ken Buchanan and more. Todd, a former boxer himself, has spent over two decades in the fight game and really knows his stuff. And as far as all the revelations I heard, my lips are sealed. You will all have to wait ’til next year when Todd’s book comes out to read about them yourself. 
But if Gary includes just some of the stories he told us, trust me–this new book will really be a barnburner!
Another traveler who came down from Calgary was boxing trainer Louie Raposo. The Alberta, Canada resident loves being in the mix and is a hardcore fight fan too. He showed us a suitcase (literally) packed full of treasures and trinkets he had collected during his stay. The well-regarded Canadian coach also enthusiastically shared a highlight from his trip to Sin City: A special presentation to “Bad” Chad Dawson. On the heels of Dawson’s rematch win over Glen Johnson, the WBC and IBO champ was honored with a portrait of himself, procured by the gregarious Raposo that was hand-delivered by the trainer.
As the guests continued the merriment, the Fight Museum really was the place to be the night before the big fight.
Congratulations again to Ronnie and Kellie, KC , Theresa and the Fight Museum for a great Grand Opening!
Photos by Michele Chong