This Saturday, June 28th, at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Manny Pacquiao attempts to wrest the WBC Lightweight title from underdog champion David Diaz. The Vegas fight weekend will be kicked off tonight at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, as Anthony Peterson takes on Fernando Trejo in the headlining bout to be televised by Versus.
Introduction As I cover the big fight weekend in Vegas, I plan to give occasional updates and blurbs in the space to clue in fans what is going on in the sport?s capital city. To be completely honest, I have never really been the most avid reader of the boxing writer journal stories that are occasionally written. But there are readers that are, and I see this as a great opportunity to formally introduce myself to our 15rounds.com readers, as well as chronicle my first trip to Vegas as a boxing writer.
Fight Night at the Mansion
For me, Pacquiao-Diaz week begins in Beverly Hills, California on Wednesday night, where I was privileged enough to cover a Sycuan Ringside Promotions? card from the world famous Playboy Mansion. While I did miss Pacquiao and Diaz? grand entrance on Wednesday, it is a tradeoff I?d make any day of the week.
4:30 PM: After a brisk five hour drive from my Northern California home, I arrive at the lobby of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. It is there that I meet our very own columnist and Playboy Mansion frequenter Gary Herman. Oddly enough, Gary is the first 15rounds colleague I have met in person since joining the site last summer. Gary has done great work for us for a long time, especially with his coverage of MMA, and it was a pleasure to cover the rare event with him.
5:30 PM: After arriving at the Mansion, Gary and I take the mini tour of Hugh Hefner?s front yard, taking a minute or two to enjoy the scenery. A women?s bout opens the card shortly before ESPN2 goes on air at 8 PM, and Gary and I get into boxing writer mode. It is a very entertaining card. For a full report, check out the fight report on our main page. Amongst my intermittent mingling I get to meet one of my favorite boxing writers, David Avila, as well as other Southern California boxing regulars I do not see when covering the majority of my events up north.
Around 10:30 PM: The boxing event ends, as Santos Soto III of San Francisco, California is successful in his professional debut. Soto?s bout is a pleasant surprise for me, as I have followed his long amateur career from a far. His father was the driving force behind the revival of the San Francisco Golden Gloves a few years back, and Soto III has been a top Bay Area amateur for some time. I formally introduce myself to Soto, who is obviously on the natural high that comes with winning your pro debut (at the Playboy Mansion no less) and gives me a hug. While I do not root for fighters because I am of course a professional, it is good to see our locals do well. Hopefully some promoter will find a way to package them together and bring a pro show back to the main Bay Area cities again. But that is a soapbox for another day. I have covered many exciting boxing cards, in often great locations, but nothing compares to boxing at the Mansion. It is a totally different experience and I recommend it to anyone that has the opportunity.
10:30 – ?: As the boxing comes to an end, and Hugh and his girlfriends are safely behind the Mansion doors, things get a little loose outside. A naked man swimming, a female lifting her skirt and flashing any guy with a camera and all the alcohol you could imagine make for an interesting environment to say the least. The shuttle ride back to the hotel is one big party in and of itself.
11:30: I arrive back at the hotel and decided to write my report of the card in the lobby. The ?Guest of Hugh Hefner? tag I have taped to the back of my laptop spurs questions from others in the lobby sitting area. Two of guys turn out to be familiar boxing figures Bobby Hitz, a former fighter and current promoter, and trainer/actor Jeff Langton. Hitz and Langton are both friendly and seem genuinely interested in my writing. Hitz is shocked that I viewed his short-lived boxing program that aired on Comcast SportsNet Chicago a few years back, especially since I am from California. Hitz will be heading to Vegas as well, as he is the promoter of Angel Hernandez, who fights Vanes Martirosyan on the Orleans undercard. Langton, too turns out an interesting conversation. If the name doesn?t immediately ring a bell, his face would, as he has co-starred alongside Jimmy Smits, Jean-Claude Van Damm and Lorenzo Llamas, among others. His highlight video on his web site LangtonBoxing.com is a blast. He is currently training unbeaten prospect, Johnny ?The Bulldog? Suarez (2-0-1, 1 KO), who is fighting TBA on the Tavoris Cloud-Julio Gonzalez undercard in August. Other Mansion partiers turn out to be friendly as well, but I file my report and it is time for me to get on the road to Vegas.
