By Jackie Kallen
If you don’t already have tickets to the fight (or the MGM close-circuit showing of the fight), you may as well stay home. It was just announced that the city will be on shut-down as far as the fight is concerned. Unless you’re staying at an MGM property, you won’t be able to get the fight in your room, at a bar, or anywhere else for that matter.
This is going to make the town a crazy scene for sure. People who booked expensive suites at other hotels, planning to host screening parties of their own are sh*t out of luck. They can watch reruns of “Forensic Files” but they won’t be ordering the PPV.
Some people got lucky. My friends Gail and Roger Dauer will be sitting in great seats, as guests of Pac Man himself. He just bought the Dauer’s magnificent mansion in Beverly Hills this week. As part of the $12.5+ million deal, the Dauers finagled 4 good seats for themselves. They had other interested buyers, but the coveted fight seats sealed the deal. They are not big fight fans normally, but on May 2 they’ll be screaming their heads off for their new friend.
Some people are going with the hopes that they’ll be able to get scalped seats on the street. There are always shysters on every corner with tickets to sell. But are they real? And even if they are—how much above face value will they be going for? You can be sure that there will be arrests around fight night as law enforcement clamps down on unscrupulous hustlers.
There are always those fans that go to Vegas on fight weekends just for the sightings of celebrities and famous fighters. They hang out in the lobbies and restaurants and snap pictures and get autographs. All they want is the chance to be part of the scene. But it’s a costly spree. The restaurants jack up prices, it’s a nightmare trying to get a taxi, and rooms are triple the price of what they usually cost. And it’s been rumored that no one will be allowed into the MGM hotel without a room key or a fight ticket.
The city will be on fire. It will be a zoo in many ways. You’ll see the whales, the donkeys, and the peacocks. The fashions will be outrageous, the jewelry flashy, and the posing will be out of control. Hopefully someone will film it and put it into a time capsule for future generations to watch.
Gamblers are having a heyday. This is expected to be one of the most highly wagered-on fights in history. As of now, Floyd is a 2-1 favorite. Pacquaio fans are ecstatic about that. They see it as an opportunity to clean up. Even Floyd fans are not complaining. They thought he’d be more like 4-1, so they’re content betting $2,000 to pick up $3,000.
Like all big fights, this one will bring out the usual pickpockets, hookers, and other con men. But in this case the thieves will be craftier, the prostitutes hotter, and the grifters more prolific. It’s going to be quite a scene. If you can’t be there, follow Bovinginsider.com for all the related scoops.