Pacquiao and Mosley Arrive!

LAS VEGAS — Fans came in force for the official arrivals of MANNY “PACMAN” PACQUIAO and “Sugar”SHANE MOSLEY to the MGM Grand – the site of their hotly anticipated May 7^th welterweight championship showdown. If partisans of both fighters bring a comparable level of energy here come fight night, then scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey will be able to measure the rumble on the Richter Scale. OK, it probably won’t be that powerful. But still…

As they awaited the arrivals, fans engaged one another in a friendly war of words. They held aloft dueling signs, chanted the names of their man, cheered, clapped and, yeah, booed. The kind of excitement they brought to what amounts to little more than a photo op astounds. It’s a testament to the loyalty boxers inspire, and the growing popularity of the sport in the era of PacMan.

Then there was the media. Reporters from around the world packed the ring inside the MGM lobby, waiting for an opportunity to snap pictures of, and conduct interviews with, pound-for-pound king Pacquiao and former three-time world champ Mosley. In a way, the frenzy photographers, videographers, and on-air journalists whip themselves into when trying to get the perfect shot or the perfect quote mirrors that of the fans. Each group wants what they want – and they want it now.

Mosley showed first; then Pacquiao followed shortly after. As they made their way into the ring, both fighters and their entourages were mobbed by the media. It was a fun but an intense spectacle.