LOS ANGELES ? Floyd Mayweather Jr. said he?s considering his fight with Manny Pacquiao next week as just another day at the office.
So does Rob Peters, the person in charge of ensuring order at the Wild Card Gym, which has seen extraordinarily thick crowds the past few days as the megabout draws near.
Just yesterday, there were singing preachers who hogged the spotlight as they belted out songs of praise at the famous sweatshop?s parking lot.
There were a couple of Fil-Am beauty queens who also did their share of attention grabbing, posing for photos with fans and doing interviews with the media.
Then actor Mark Wahlberg emerged from the gates of the inner parking lot, riding shotgun in a black Toyota AUV that was immediately mobbed.
The crowd continued to swell, and it was just for one day. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
On Friday (Saturday in Manila), the crowd turnout wasn?t that much compared to the previous day, but it still needed to be kept in check.
Local actor Cesar Montano arrived and drew the fans who, as usual, were originally there to get a glimpse of Pacquiao. He obliged requests for photo-ops then headed to nearby Nat?s Thai Restaurant.
Peters is no stranger to scenes like this, having been Wild Card?s head of security for a long time now. Pacquiao?s biggest fight to date comes with the biggest expectations ? and that includes the significantly larger number of fans trooping to the gym with hopes of personally seeing the Pacquiao.
The folks, coming from various places, bring with them various boxing items, hoping they get Pacquiao to sign them. Most of them fail.
As the fight draws near, Peters is prepared for the worse.
?I think it’s gonna get a little more busy, but it’s been really busy from the start. Nothing that we cannot handle, it’s gonna be good,? he told a couple of Filipino scribes who, along with the rest of the Filipino media contingent, were allowed inside the gym when Pacquiao?s workout was over.
Pacquiao himself checked in late ? around 4:00 p.m. ? and had to leave early due to a meeting, leaving the crowd disappointed.
Peters, for his part, isn?t alarmed for what’s about to come in the next couple of days, before Pacquiao departs for Las Vegas.
?It’s just a little bit amplified. Everything’s really good. Freddie and Manny are happy and that’s what matters most. So if they’re happy, I’m happy,? he added.
So has he seen everything imaginable to set foot on the gym?s parking lot?
?Pretty much,? Peters ended.
