As hundreds of fans filled the area in front of the historic Roosevelt Hotel, with hundreds more gathered on the sidewalk across the street on Hollywood Blvd. on Monday night, actors Mickey Rourke and Mark Wahlberg made their way down the red carpet.
This was no Hollywood premiere, but a news conference for the highly anticipated junior welterweight fight between Ricky Hatton of England and Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines on May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
It was an affair befitting two fighters with fanatical rooting interests.
"I mean, this is fun," said Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter. "It's over and above the usual press conference."
Minutes earlier, Arum had climbed under the velvet rope to talk to a group of screaming fans who were trying to get his attention. A hotel employee said, "Oh, that's cool," of Arum's move.
"They're my fans, they're my customers," Arum said. "You gotta say hello to your customers."
Richard Schaefer stood on the red carpet doing interviews and exchanging pleasantries with fans.
"This is great," said Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Hatton. "You have the two most popular fighters in the world fighting each other and to do a red carpet on Hollywood Blvd., I think they deserve it. They've earned it."
And just think, if Coach Ben Howland's UCLA basketball team hadn't been eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Howland might not have been able to attend.
But Howland was there, taking it all in at the hotel that hosted the first Academy Awards 80 years ago.
"Yeah, I love boxing," Howland said. "I'm very excited about this fight. And I'm looking forward to attending, hopefully, in May."
Howland marveled at the tremendously animated crowd.
"It's unbelievable," he said. "I mean, look at the amount of attention and interest for this fight. It's spectacular."
It was all that.
Even Pacquiao, who is swarmed just about everywhere he goes, had that deer-in-the-headlights look as he turned the final corner of the red carpet before heading into the hotel.
"You know, I understand that there are a lot of fans coming here tonight because there is a Hatton and Pacquiao conference," Pacquiao said. "I understand they are rooting for me."
Most of them were. But once this event hits Vegas, it will be difficult to tell which fighter has brought along the stronger following. Pacquiao's fans seem to make more noise than any other group. They are ultra-passionate.
But Hatton's might be the most tireless. When some 35,000 of them ventured across the pond for Hatton's Dec. 2007 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas, many didn't even have rooms, let alone tickets. They just stayed up all night drinking and filling the casinos with one rendition after another of "Walking in a Hatton Wonderland."
"It's going to be electric, really electric," Arum said. "And one prediction I can make, which I can guarantee 100 percent - they will sell more beer at the MGM Grand Garden than in any night in years."
Shoot, try ever.
There also was a bit of boxing talk at Monday's gala. Some of it centered on the speed advantage of Pacquiao and the size edge Hatton will bring into the ring.
Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) has said, since this fight was made, that he doesn't put much stock in Pacquiao's welterweight victory over Oscar De La Hoya last December because
De La Hoya appeared spent from the opening bell.
"He looked a shell of the Oscar we know, and I don't want to put Manny down a bit too much, but I don't think it was hard to beat Oscar that night," Hatton said.
Before then, Pacquiao had never fought at higher than the 135-pound lightweight limit. Even though he and Hatton are virtually the same height, Hatton has fought most of his career at the 140-pound junior welterweight limit.
And, he's fought a couple of times at welterweight (147).
Furthermore, even though Hatton said Monday that he weighed 150, he claims he will weigh 154 pounds on the night of the fight, which would be a gain of 14 pounds from the weigh-in.
"I think size will play a big factor," Hatton said. "I've beaten bigger men, like (welterweight) Luis Collazo, a strong, fast, massive southpaw. I made Kostya Tszyu quit on his stool (after the 11th round). Manny's nowhere near as big or strong as these guys. Obviously, he's dangerous in other areas, like his speed, his footwork and the southpaw (stance). But I'm boxing a lot cuter than I was maybe a few fights ago."
But Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he believes his fighter is going to overpower Hatton.
"In studying Hatton for the last two months, I mean, his chin's up in the air, he swings from outside, he's so hittable," Roach said. "If Manny just punches down the middle, he's going to kill Hatton."
Whatever transpires, it should thrilling.
"It's going to be crazy," Pacquiao said. "If you look at the style of Hatton and my style, it's kind of similar styles. So we expect a lot of action."
It will be available on HBO pay-per-view for $49.95.
Who's really the best junior welterweight?
The May 2 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton is the junior welterweight fight everybody is looking forward to. But Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt want to eventually have something to say about who is the best in the division.
Neither Hatton nor Pacquiao hold one of the four major belts, but Bradley and Holt have one each, and they will square off tonight in a title unification fight in Montreal (on Showtime).
During Thursday's final news conference, both Bradley and Holt made reference to Pacquiao and Hatton.
"I consider us the best fighters in the division," Bradley said of he and Holt. "I want to fight the best in boxing and that is exactly what Kendall and I are doing here. We are at the top of the division."
The winner will face the stars.
"Pacquiao is moving up to 140 and he is the best pound-for-pound fighter," Holt said. "Hatton is a star at 140 as well, but we are the champions and these stars are going to have to face us."
Holt also talked about what the future might hold.
"After I win, if Hatton wins, then I'd like to fight him," he said. "Pacquiao is pound-for-pound the best, but he hasn't fought at 140, so we'll see what he can do."
It might seem like Bradley and Holt have forgotten they have a fight with each other. That is somewhat understandable because Hatton and Pacquiao are where the money's at in the division.
But Bradley (23-0, 11 KOs) is one of the most focused fighters out there. And it's doubtful he is looking ahead.
"I respect every fighter I fight," Bradley said. "But going into this fight, it is plain and simple: I just think that I am better.
I'm going home with both belts. I'm hungry for this victory."
To which Holt (25-2, 13 KOs) replied, "Tim said he is hungry. Well, (tonight) I'm going to give him a lot of leather to eat."
Souce: dailynews.com
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