Two Superstars Meet in L.A.!

The boxing world will stand still on May 2 as boxing’s biggest superstars finally collide in the ring when 11-time world champion Floyd Mayweather faces off against eight-division world champ Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The official Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Press Conference in Los Angeles took place on March 11 as the two men are poised to shatter records in the history books.

On Wednesday afternoon, the two boxing icons met on stage in the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in front of a huge throng of media and fans gathering across from the Staples Center to witness history being made. This was the only time the two icons will meet until they are face to face again in Las Vegas and this event had the boxing world rotating on its axis. Approximately 700 members of the media came from around the globe to see this historic face-off and we were all happy to receive this “Golden Ticket” to attend this epic presser in the City of Angels; it was the sought-after ticket to have.

And this new-fangled “Fight of the Century” will, arguably, break records galore. This unprecedented showdown has been anticipated now for over five years now. Pundits have debated whether or not this duel would ever take place while critics say the two gladiators should’ve met years ago while more in their prime. And the “keyboard warriors” fans from both the “Money” team and “Pac-Man” camps have been typing and texting in overdrive stating why their hero will win.

And we still have seven weeks until that first bell clangs.

The hype will continue to rise. And the millions of revenue will continue to grow. When Floyd and Manny met courtside at the Miami Heat game, this shocking face-to-face meeting set social media on fire. Hashtag Heaven, anyone?

And this May 2 megafight threatens to “Break the Internet” (sorry, Kim Kardashian!). One can only imagine the gate numbers, PPV figures, closed-circuit revenue, merchandise sales, sponsorship money and online ticket bids (with seller’s putting prices multiple times higher than face value). When tickets do go on sale to the public, they will be snatched up in mere seconds. The PPV for this bout may be in the 89.95-99.95 range and will keep the cable companies busy. This bout (a welterweight world championship unification) is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank and will air on HBO PPV and SHOWTIME PPV.

For those fans wanting to catch the action live, it was announced that when tickets do go on sale (no date released yet) the starting cost will be $1,500–with the highest price coming in at $7,500. If you are one of the rare lucky ones to nab a ticket, it’s like winning the lottery. With an estimated 16,000 seats in the arena, tickets will be scarce. So start sockin’ away your money now!

With the May 2 clash on the horizon, yesterday’s official presser brought in worldwide attention. I saw many local boxing associates but I also noticed there were more mainstream media camping out as well. While many still declare “Boxing is dead!” this Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will insure our sport stays alive and well–with the world watching. Before the news conference began, I had the chance to catch up with HBO’s Tony Walker and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame’s Rich Marotta and we chatted about this record-breaking contest. This Mayweather vs. Pacquiao dream match promises to be unprecedented in every way. Walker and Marotta are both veterans of the fight game and both men were in awe of what this uber fight means to the sport and to the world watching. And there is no doubt, the world will be watching.

The Mayweather-Pacquiao press conference was well attended and well organized. Their was a long red carpet for the arrivals and the dramatic, darkened Nokia Theatre for the groundbreaking first-ever staredown between the pair.

As each team took to the microphone, everyone inside the theatre hung on every word. There was no trash talking from either fighter though. Only a quick barb from trainer Freddie Roach promising they will “kick Floyd’s ass” had the spectators wondering if things would get heated. But the statement was met with goodnatured laughter. And the two champs were both civil and calm.

Manny reminisced about how far he’s come from being a dirt-poor boy growing up in the Philippines while the unbeaten Mayweather surmised about the mental aspect of Pacquiao’s defeats and how it could affect a pug’s performance. In their May 2 scrap, the Filipino icon is coming in as the underdog. Standing next to each other, Mayweather is the bigger man in size and risks his undefeated 47-0 record in this marquee matchup between the two future Hall of Famers.

Flanking the duo were trainers Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr., Leonard Ellerbe, Bob Arum, Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza, HBO’s Ken Hershman and MGM’s Richard Sturm. Both Michael Buffer and Jimmy Lennon Jr. were there along with many former champions there to take in the scene including Israel Vazquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Ray Beltran, Francisco Arce and more. I also saw NBA star Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) walking down the aisle in the theatre along with many The Money Team (TMT) members supporting Mayweather (who is billed by them as TBE, The Best Ever). And yes, 21-year-old singer Justin Bieber (clad in a black hat and outfit with mirrored sunglasses) joined the champs for a group photo at the end of the day.

And both teams say “the timing is right” for this gazillion-dollar matchup. On May 2, they will make history. The world has been waiting for five years now. One for the ages? One thing is guaranteed: It will break numerous records and will be trending for a long time.

The timing is right they say. We will see on May 2.

Photos by Michele Chong

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