March 11--Like many boxing promoters, Bob Arum's job is to ... well, promote his fighters and their fights. And in doing so, facts sometimes get lost in hyperbole.
But Arum really didn't need to go over the top Wednesday, when he was among those playing host to the first major media event for the May 2 superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas.
More than 700 media credentials were issued for event at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Both fighters strode, Hollywood-style, down a long red-carpet, passing dozens of TV cameras and many more still photographers. Just near the theater entrance CNN, ESPN and Univision broadcast live from quickly erected studios.
It was a setting more appropriate to the Academy Awards.
"I've never been through anything like this," said Arum, who has handled some of the sport's most iconic bouts including the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
Mayweather, 38, heads into the fight unbeaten at 47-0 with 26 knockouts. Pacquiao, two years younger, is 57-5-2 with 38 knockouts. The fight is expected to break records for the live gate and pay-for-view. Cost of the broadcast was to be announced later Wednesday but estimates are the fight will go for nearly $100.
