Later today Manny Pacquiao will make his grand arrival inside of the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of his clash this Saturday night against Shane Mosley. The fight marks a return to Sin City for Pacquiao, as his previous two contests against Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito were both held in Cowboys Stadium just outside of Dallas, Texas last year.
Fans and insiders alike in Nevada sorely missed Pacquiao’s presence last year, as he seems to bring the kind of buzz and excitement that only the rare superstars can bring. Whenever it is fight week in Las Vegas there is a different kind of buzz in the air, as people slowly start to realize just how close the moment we have been waiting for truly is.
<--- Slideshow: Take a look at photographer Naoki Fukuda's grand arrival photos as he captures the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Bernard Hopkins, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and several others
The fight against Mosley wasn’t received with open arms by everyone involved upon its initial signing, just as was the case with the Margarito bout last November, but with the fight now less than a week away there is already a buzz in the city and it will only continue to grow as Saturday night inches closer.
Soon the city of Vegas will began taking a different shape as journalists, media members, fans, and other people connected to the event will make their landing. By the weigh-in on Friday night things will have reached a boiling point as the fighters and all all the undercard participants will have come face to face for the final moment before their dates with destiny.
The talk of boxing is again overtaking the strip. It’s a pretty special feeling and I’m glad it’s here again.
Anyone in the Vegas area looking to attend Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley’s grand arrival can head to the main lobby of the MGM Grand around Noon on Tuesday…
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
