LAS VEGAS: Manny Pacquiao today vowed to ?do my best for the country and the Filipino people,? while Ricky Hatton told his fans, who descended here in droves from Britain to cheer for him, that ?you won?t go home disappointed.?
There was no thrash talk, only respect for each other, as Pacquiao and Hatton?two of the finest boxers in the world?made weight for the much-awaited match-up between two of the finest boxers in the world.
Pacquiao, PacMan to his legions of fans worldwide, weighed 138 pounds, two pounds lighter than ?The Hitman? who came in exactly at the junior welterweight limit of 140.
Both fighters looked calm and relaxed, waving and smiling at thousands of cheering fans who filled a third of the 18,000-capacity MGM Grand Arena for the official weigh-in ceremony.
Wearing a red, blue and yellow jacket that resembled the Philippine flag, Pacquiao promised a thrilling fight, but predictably shunned making any predictions.
?Only God knows what will happen in this fight,? said the soft-spoken Filipino icon, his hands clasped together, as if in prayer. ?I hope this fight will make boxing fans, especially by my countrymen, happy.?
Hatton thanked the estimated 25,000 British fans who flew in to Sin City to cheer for their idol.
The Filipinos fans, who came with flags and placards, chanted ?Manny! Manny! Manny!?
Not to be outdone, the Brits?some of them holding beer bottles?repeatedly broke into chorus of Ricky Hatton?s entrance song.
?There?s only one Ricky Hatton/ walking along/ singing a song/ walking in a Hatton wonderland!? goes the punchy melody.
Huge turnout at the MGM Grand
Boxing impresario Bob Arum, whose Top Rank Promotions is based here, said the response of the crowd was ?unbelievably awesome.?
Arum said the ethnic Filipinos and some Latino fans outnumbered the British who showed up at the cavernous fight venue.
Venue ushers said hundreds more of fans, most of them Filipinos, watched the proceedings from big TV screens from the hallways to the arena.
?Man, this is crazy,? said local resident Jorge Najera, a veteran sports photographer of Prensa Latina of the exuberant crowd response.
?This guy Pacquiao really enjoys quite a following, including among the Latinos,? said Najera, a Mexican American.
Action-packed fight
Veteran boxing commentator Larry Merchant said he?s expecting an action-packed, frenetic fight because both Pacquiao and Hatton love to fight.
?Manny is the favored man, quick and explosive, but Ricky is a worthy opponent,? said the venerable Merchant, who will be doing the fight analysis and interview with the HBO coverage team.
?If Ricky can gain respect and deal or somehow neutralize Manny?s great left hand early, then he has a chance in a long fight,? Merchant added.
The fight venue was sold out weeks before the fight, Arum said. And a check with MGM showed that the closed-circuit TV venue in the casino resort was already sold out as of 3 p.m. Friday (Saturday in Manila).
RP officials spotted
Apart from the media, Filipino sports and political personalities have been spotted at the Mandalay Bay Casino Resort, where Team Pac?quiao is billeted.
Among them were: Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, a known Pacquiao confidante, who came in with his son Ali; Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, Speaker Prospero Nograles, Bulacan Governor Jonjon Mendoza, Cebu sportsman Wakee Salud, and promoter Johnny Elorde who came with his wife Liza; and showbiz couple Richard and Lucy Torres.
