By William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider special edition notebook for the upcoming Mayweather vs. Pacquiao super bout, set for May 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada. This notebook covers most of the news and notes that have been emerging from their respective camps.
-FanDuel has sponsored Floyd Mayweather for his May 2nd fight against Manny
Pacquiao FanDuel’s logo will appear on Mayweather’s trunks at the beltline on fight night. FanDuel and Mayweather are running a contest billed “The Mayweather Fight
Experience”, where 6 trips and tickets will be awarded to winners through one-day fantasy leagues on FanDuel. The first contest will run tomorrow for baseball – Friday April 24th. It is $2 to enter and awards $135,000 in cash and prizes. First place wins a trip fro two to Vegas, two tickets, a hotel room, and $10,000 cash.
-You can join here:
Tickets will be on sale Shortly!
Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports: “We resolved all of the issues and now we’re waiting for the paperwork, I said on the call that if what we agreed upon is in the paperwork we receive, we will sign it and the tickets will be released.” There will be a small number of tickets made available at a cost of $7,500; $5,000; $3,500; $2,500 and $1,500.
HBO’s Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak Premieres April 25th
Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak will debut on Saturday, April 25th (12:14 a.m. ET/PT), immediately following HBO World Championship Boxing.
The half hour special will feature Jim Lampley sitting down with Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley, who both faced Mayweather and Pacquiao, to talk with them about what they think each fighter will need to do to win the upcoming showdown. HBO also captured interviews with Juan Manuel Marqez, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto.
The segment will close with Max Kellerman anchoring a roundtable discussion with George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, and Bernard Hopkins about the upcoming fight and what it is like to train and excel for a super fight.
Referee and Officials Are Selected>
Veteran referee Kenny Bayless has been selected by the Nevada Athletic Commission to referee the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight. The three judges are Dave Moretti, Burt Clements, and Glenn Feldman.
The list of candidates included twelve referee and thirty judges before the final picks were announced. Bayless is scheduled to make $25,000 for the fight and the three judges will make $20,000 a piece.
Manny Pacquiao’s Conference Call Cancelled
Manny Pacquiao was supposed to have a conference call with reporters on Monday, April 20th, but it was quickly cancelled just as Pacquiao was about to speak.
Top Rank blamed technical difficulties for the cancellation, as the system had so many calls that several reporters were unable to get on the conference call to speak with Pacquiao.
Promoter Bob Arum decided to cancel the conference call when he heard a reporter ask the first question that wasn’t supposed to be the first person in line to ask Pacquiao a question.
Tickets Required for Mayweather/Pacquiao Weigh-In
Fight fans who can’t afford to go to the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight but are hoping to attend the weigh-in will have to do something that is rarely done in professional boxing.
They will have to pay for a ticket for the weigh in.
The MGM Grand will be charging fans $10 a piece to attend the weigh in and the money generated from sales to the weigh-in will be divided equally among two charities—the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The Susan G. Komen Foundation was Mayweather’s choice of charity and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health was Pacquiao’s choice.
Heightened Security Expected at Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that unprecedented security measures will be in place for the May 2nd fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Prior to other big events, such as the NBA All-Star Weekend, over 400 arrests and shootings were related to the showcase event. Hotels and law enforcement are already bracing for the influx of visitors.
The WBC Created a $1 Million Belt for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
The World Boxing Council (WBC) has created a belt that is worth a reported $1 million dollars for the winner of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. The belt is encrusted with more than 3,000 real miniature emeralds and will travel to the MGM Grand from Mexico escorted by the President of the WBC and two private security guards.
More information can be found here.
Pacquiao Selling Advertising Space on his Trunks
It’s not uncommon for boxers to sell the space on their trunks to advertisers when they have a big bout on the horizon. Pacquiao is offering space on his trunks to potential advertisers, at a whopping sum of $300,000 for a simple six inch by four inch path on his trunks.
Smaller logos on the front of his trunks are priced at $150,000 and a logo on the back of his trunks will cost around $100,000.
More information can be found at this link.
Floyd Mayweather Using -220 Degree Cryotherapy Bath for Pacquiao Fight
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is using a -220 degree nitrogen gas Cryotherapy sessions to get ready and heal his body after training as he prepares for his bout with Manny Pacquiao.
The cryo sessions last 90 seconds to 3 minutes and allegedly helps enrich blood and expel toxins.
Radio GMA to Exclusively Broadcast Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight from Las Vegas in the Philippines
GMA Radio stations will have an exclusive right to broadcast the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight live from Las Vegas on May 3rd in the Philippines.
Mike Enriquez, the GMA Vice President, stated,” This is not going to be a delayed broadcast or what and this will be aired not only in Mega Manila but in all our radio stations AM and FM from as far as south of Tuguegarao to as far south of Zamboanga. So even the people in places like Maguindanao and Basilan, they will have a chance to listen to live real-time blow-by-blow fight.”
Pacquiao to Appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live
On Wednesday, April 22nd Manny Pacquiao will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live at 11:35 P.M. ET on ABC. This will be the ninth time that Pacquiao has appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show, dating back to November 3, 2009, a week before his fight with Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao’s last appearance on Jimmy Kimmel occurred after the March 11th press conference announcing the fight between himself and Floyd Mayweather Jr. That appearance can be viewed here.
Raging Babe Soiree fight weekend
The Raging Babe Soiree: Reaching New Heights presented by RAGING BABE will take place on April 29, 2015, just three days before the fight of the century, Mayweather vs Pacquiao.
Over 100 of boxing’s most prestigious and influential women have been invited to attend this exclusive event. The Raging Babe Soiree will be held at Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar, located in The Linq Promenade in Las Vegas. After dinner, the women of boxing will take in the best views of Las Vegas aboard the world’s tallest observation wheel, the High Roller, which features 28 spherical passenger cabins which can accommodate up to 40 passengers each, and is illuminated with dynamic multicolored LED lights nightly.
May Pac store opening up in Las Vegas
With the historic Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao match up just over a week away, fans will have a unique opportunity to engage in the pre-fight excitement at the official “MayPac” pop-up shop opening this Friday, April 24 at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont St.
The 1,700 square foot space will offer a one-of-a-kind fan experience featuring an interactive game, official merchandise and VIP meet and greets. The pop-up shop will remain open to fans through fight night on Saturday, May 2.
The fight simulation experience will give fans the opportunity to step into the ring, as either Mayweather or Pacquiao and take on the other as an opponent. Custom designed to resemble Mayweather and Pacquiao’s own training rings, each game is equipped with a high-impact punching sensor and a video screen over 10 feet tall, delivering an immersive experience like no other.
Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase official fight gear, merchandise and art commemorating the historic matchup in addition to attending celebrity meet and greets.
More information including shop hours and celebrity appearances is available at http://maypacstore.com/
Pacquiao Feels He’s Too Young to be President
There’s been a lot of discussion as to what Manny Pacquiao will do once his political career is over, but as of now he says he’s too young to think about becoming the future president of the Philippines, but that he’s not counting out a run for the senate.
This was in response to earlier comments by Bob Arum in which he believes Pacquiao will one day run for president. Pacquiao also is on a strict no sex plan before the fight.