LAS VEGAS — The final prefight press conference is normally the best-attended couple of hours of fight week — and also, surely coincidentally, when the best food spread is made available to the media — but is rarely, if ever, the best source of quotes or information. Those come from the quieter gatherings with fighters and trainers that publicists arrange for journalists beforehand.
And yet, once in a while, amid all the blandishments and platitudes, a few noteworthy moments emerge. Excerpts from one scribe’s notes from Wednesday’s Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley presser at the Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand:
? Bob Arum predicts that, by the time “Fight Camp: 360” has run its course on Showtime and CBS, it will have been seen by more than 4 million people, perhaps “three times as much as ever watched HBO’s 24/7.” He hopes (naturally) that this will drive the pay-per-view buys to “extremely high numbers, which will reward both fighters … because they are hard-working, dedicated sportsmen who conduct themselves perfectly. And if anyone merits the money that will be coming from the upside of the pay-per-view for this event, it’s two gentlemen like Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao.”
? Mosley adviser James Prince asserts that on Saturday night “we will pull off the biggest upset in the history of boxing.” We, kemosabe? Are you going to lace them up? Why is it that the ones who run their mouths the most at press conferences are almost always the ones who know they aren’t going to get punched?
Tweet, tweet
Don’t miss a moment of the latest boxing coverage from around the world. Follow us on Twitter and stay informed. Join ?
? Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson focuses instead on defending his fighter against charges that, at 39, he is too old to defeat Manny Pacquiao. “What we have to understand is, as old as Michael Jordan might be now, he can beat most of us here one-on-one. He could probably start right now for any team in the NBA. Sugar Shane Mosley doesn’t have to match Manny Pacquiao, because Mosley brings all sets of weapons to the plate. Don’t count a man out because of his age. Two things you take every time you step in the ring: When you step out of there, you either took punishment or experience.”
? Said Freddie Roach, who on Friday will receive his annual mandatory trainer of the year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America: “I’m really proud of Manny for this training camp. From day one, he told me this is not an easy fight. He’s been training his ass off from day one until now. … This has been the best camp we’ve ever had, and I think Manny’s in the best shape ever.” (I remember Ricky Hatton once saying something to the effect of, “Wouldn’t it be great if one day a fighter stood up here and said, ‘Training camp was [expletive], I’m in [expletive] terrible shape?'”) Freddie continued: “We’re fighting one of the most crafty guys out there.” Crafty? Is that a back-handed compliment? Richardson refers to Mosley’s experience; Roach to his craftiness. Pssst, Shane: I think everyone is telling you you’re old.
? Shane Mosley takes his turn and thanks everyone. I mean, everyone. His team, Manny’s team, the networks, the MGM Grand, “and, of course, I can’t go without thanking Manny Pacquiao.” Come on, man, hit him over the head with a steel folding chair or something. “Maybe a little bit of thanks to [Floyd] Mayweather, too, because if he would have accepted it, maybe Manny would be fighting him instead of me.”
? “I’m so happy for this fight because no trash talking,” said Manny Pacquiao. Guess we’ll put that steel folding chair away then. “This is a good example to the boxing fans, it’s a good example to the children who idolize the fighters. In my experience, the best promotion in my life has been this fight with Mosley, because everybody is friends.” As if to underline his point, Pacquiao spends a minute or two extolling his opponent’s virtues, and even points out that Mosley knocked out Antonio Margarito, whereas he and the Mexican went all 12 rounds.
And then he pivots.
“I have a special message to all of you. All my life, I have had to fight. As a child, I had to fight just to eat. And now when I fight, Filipinos call me a hero. I believe the biggest fight of my life is not in boxing. The biggest fight in my life is how to end poverty in my country.” Pacquiao said he will be wearing yellow gloves on Saturday (yellow being a color that represents unity in the Philippines, and particularly identified with the revolution that toppled Ferdinand Marcos) and invites everyone in attendance to do likewise.
And then, Manny being Manny, he gives a shout-out to Dan Hill, who wrote the ballad “Sometimes When We Touch,” a cover of which Pacquiao just released as a single. He sings a few notes and laughs. He thanks everyone for coming and wishes the media a nice day. The food has gone, the speechifying is done, and the press conference is over.
