Ringside Report 07.02.08: The Manny Pacquiao Experience

Posted by Matt Knowles on 07.02.2008

If you are only able to attend one boxing match in your entire life, make sure that Manny Pacquiao is throwin' down, because it will be an experience like no other in sports!

Within the sport of boxing, you have a number of different types of events. There are small cards at fairgrounds, clubs, and local hotels that showcase up-and-coming talent. There are larger scale events at casinos and arenas that may harbor championship level bouts. Then, on occasion, there are events that warrant a baseball or soccer stadium venue in order to accommodate a huge crowd to support the hometown fighters.

Over the past ten or so years as a fight fan, I've experienced nearly every type of bout at all kinds of venues…or so I thought!

The privilege of witnessing a Manny Pacquiao fight in a Las Vegas casino arena was one of the most sensational things that I've ever taken part in. For any sports fan, whether you like boxing or not, this is an experience that I would recommend to anyone with a hunger for action and suspense.

Here are some tidbits of the events that took place over the weekend:

The Weigh-In, Friday, 2:30pm



- As usual, the weigh-in is running a little late, so Michael Buffer is told to entertain the crowd for a few moments. He begins with: "OK, so a Priest, a Rabbi…."

- as we wait, I stir up a little chit-chat with HBO ringside scorer Harold Lederman (who is easily the coolest boxing-type in the entire room)….we're both hoping for an Andre Berto-Paul Williams showdown this year

2:45pm

- Pacquiao enters the visible portion of the arena from the right side of the temporary stage to a loud applause from the adoring crowd….immediately, a "MANNY, MANNY!" chant begins

- Diaz then enters from the left side of the stage, as his Olympic team-mate Fernando Vargas does his best Flavor Flav imitation as Diaz' official Hype Man

- In a bit of a surprise, about 30-40% of the weigh-in crowd are pro-Diaz, Chicago-based fans

- for the record, Vargas might be in line for a shot at the Klitschko brothers due to his current girth….he's gotta be pushing 220 or so

- each man comes in under the 135 pound limit, which is followed by a Hulkster vs. HHH flex-off between the two combatants



Fight Night, Saturday, 4:30pm



- As I approach the arena, there are a number of children draped in the Pilipino flag, along with foam PacMan masks…easily the most creative costumes on the strip that night (how 10 year olds got into the casino is beyond me, but nonetheless…)

7:05pm

- Luevano-Santiago turns out to be a great back-n-forth duel, with the only negative reaction of the bout being the announcement that the fight was a draw

- As me and my fraternity brothers run to the snack bar, Tye Fields is destroyed in less than a minute by Monte Barrett….I hope I can find a YouTube clip this week

7:30pm

- in the main undercard bout, Francisco Lorenzo is awarded the Montell Griffin Phony Baloney Award for 2008, as he attempts to win a world title off of a foul by faking injury….his actions were a disgrace to the sport, and no promoter should ever pay him another nickel, period

8:00pm

- as the under-card bouts conclude, the Mandalay Bay crowd begins to fill-out in each section….looks to be a near sell-out

- By far, the most popular crew in the building is the Black Eyed Peas, seated exactly one section to the side of us in press row….they have each taken a liking to their ridiculously hot waitress in the referee shirt, as they pose with her for a multitude of pictures

- I make it a point to pound fists with the savior of the night, Monte Barrett, who did the boxing world a favor by destroying Tye Fields…Monte deserves one more good payday due to his sensational performance (Barrett-Arreola anyone?!?!)

- Each time Pacquiao is shown on the big screen, the crowd completely freaks out

- a few Pacquiao posters designed by fans are shown on screen as well…"Manny Pacquiao – The Mexi-Cutioner" is without question the most clever (how did I not think of that before?!?!)

8:15pm

- The national anthems resemble a try-out for Star Search, as each of the singers look to be about 12 years old

- Pac enters the ring first, lead in by a flag man, belt man, and the usual entourage of Pacquiao team members….in a "no surprise" moment, the roof comes off of the building as Manny steps through the ropes

- apparently, the Chicago fans from the weigh-in didn't buy tickets to the fight, as the Diaz ring-walk is met with nothing but negativity (outside of Hype Man Vargas' clapping and hollering, of course)

- Michael Buffer introduces the two world champions, with Pac receiving nothing but cheers, and Diaz getting booed out of the building



- Each progressing round seems to duplicate the others, as the PacMan lands an endless assortment of combinations to the head and body, as Diaz retreats into a defensive shell with no counter punches landing

- whether it's a right jab or a wicked left cross, the corwd ooooos and ahhhhs with each punch that lands to the head of David Diaz

- In round nine, Pacquiao lands one of the most vicious left crosses that these two eyes have ever witnessed…Diaz goes down face first, and the ref doesn't bother to count

- The crowd jumps at once and goes BONKERS due to the Pacquiao KO victory

- Pac shows empathy towards Diaz, then proceeds to kneel in prayer in the neutral corner

- The 4-time champion celebrates with his entourage of I'd say 30-40 hangers-on

- PacMan makes numerous gestures to the crowd in thanks of their overwhelming support



9:30pm

- As the crowd leaves the arena, the buzz of the action takes over the casino floor…there is a glow of admiration on the faces of all the Pacquiao supporters, as they were able to witness their hero win a 4th world title on their 2008 Summer vacation…..

- Frankly, it couldn't have happened to a better, more gracious fighter, and on a personal level, I can't wait until the next Manny Pacquiao Experience!!!

(PACQUIAO-HATTON ANYONE?!?!?!)


SEE YA AT THE FIGHTS!!!