Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao: Pac-Man Skips MGM Grand Arrivals By Sneaking Into Las Vegas
With less than four days left until Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, sports news is abuzz with the latest about the dream match. The Inquisitr reported on the latest about the updated betting odds for both fighters. Prior to that, there were issues with the dream match because contracts haven’t been signed mere weeks before the fight date. The situation was rectified, which allowed tickets to go on sale, but only 500 of them. Such a limited number would have accounted to an influx of attendees at the weigh-in, ergo that event will now have an admission fee.
Now, the fighters are arriving in Las Vegas for the MGM Grand Arrivals. However, Manny Pacquiao never attended the event, opting to skip it to “avoid the hoopla.”
According to MMA Mania, Manny Pacquiao avoided the pomp and circumstance of the MGM Grand Arrivals because he needs to do things in a calm and orderly manner, as stated by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. Another major reason why Pacquiao isn’t attending the MGM Grand Arrivals is that he isn’t even staying there.
During an interview with ESPN, Bob Arum gave the facts on Manny Pacquiao’s accommodations. Apparently, Pacquiao arrived in Las Vegas on Monday, April 27, by private bus from Los Angeles.
“We don’t need a show for his arrival and we can do without all the hoopla. We’ll keep it calm for Manny. We’ll get a big room downstairs at Mandalay Bay, and Manny will talk to the press there in an orderly way and in a comfortable environment. I think that’s a lot better for Manny and, frankly, it’s better for the press. Why does he need a grand arrival when he’s not even staying at that place?”
Even though Manny Pacquiao wasn’t part of the MGM Grand Arrivals, he will appear at the MGM Grand on Wednesday, April 29, for the event’s final news conference. This, of course, is followed with the weigh-in on Friday, May 1, then of course the unification bout with Floyd Mayweather. Though both fighters are past their prime, this dream match is the most anticipated in years. It is also widely considered that it is a lock-in to break the all-time pay-per-view buy record. For those who do not know, the record thus far is 2.5 million buys for Mayweather’s junior middleweight championship fight against Oscar De la Hoya back in 2007.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao will take place on Saturday, May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, starting at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST. It will be available for pay-per-view purchase on HBO and Showtime.
[Image via Jeff Gross/Getty]
