LAS VEGAS ? After six years of bad blood, endless bouts of contentious negotiations, accusations of drug use and out-of-court settlements for defamation, the air was thick with tension at Wednesday’s final press conference.
Only, the animosity wasn’t between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, who meet Saturday at the MGM Grand for the recognized welterweight championship in what is expected to be the richest fight in boxing history. It was between the fighter’s representatives, particularly Top Rank boss Bob Arum (Pacquiao’s promoter) and Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe.
After Arum spent minutes taking subtle, yet humorous, digs at a host of adversaries, and then plugging everything HBO ? the network that televises Pacquiao’s fights ? Ellerbe countered that boxing’s biggest star, Mayweather, resided at Showtime.
Later, Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s Executive Vice President of Sports, provided some much-needed perspective.
“Sometimes we forget why we’re here,” said Espinoza, an El Paso native. “This isn’t about a bunch of guys in suits in New York City. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have spent all their lives getting to this precise moment. They are two once-in-a-lifetime athletes who will be meeting in the ring in about 72 hours.”
After the verbal posturing by the camps, Mayweather, 47-0 (26 knockouts), and Pacquiao, 57-5-2 (38 KO’s), the two best fighters of their eras, came face-to-face for only the third time in their careers Wednesday. Mayweather appeared to have his game face on three days before the fight; while Pacquiao stood with a grin and appeared relaxed.
