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| Team Marquez Arrives |
And so it begins. Fight week at the MGM Grand. Pacquiao vs. Marquez. Here we go...
Today we had the first of 2 arrivals. Juan Manuel Marquez arrived almost on time (around 12.10ish) in the signature Top Rank wrapped bus with the fight art and Marquez's name plastered around it 360 degrees.
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| Great public turnout |
As I've mentioned in posts past, the arrivals aren't really a true "arrival." Most times the fighter has already been on site for a day or 2 or isn't even staying at the MGM. (Pacquiao for example loves our sister property, Mandalay Bay so he stays there when he fights in Vegas.) The arrivals are a media event staged for the press & the public to hype the fight. Normally we do both main event fighters in one day but for whatever reason the promoter wanted to split the days: Marquez arriving today, Pacquiao arriving tomorrow. Not a big deal; just a pain in the ass operationally because what we normally do in one day we have to do twice. But such is the life of working under other people's direction.
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| Mariachis! |
I was surprised at the public turnout for Marquez actually. For a Monday we prob had a couple hundred people lined up around the barricade in the lobby of the MGM Grand. Looked great. Nelson Valdez had his Mariachi band set up like clockwork. Those guys are very fun, playful. Hard workers too. Until I came to Vegas & worked the fight game I never knew how in demand mariachi bands were. Who knew? Then again I am from the Twin Cities where our version of Mexican is Taco Bell. (Ok that was harsh but you get the point.)
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| Nacho Beristain doing an interview |
The whole thing didn't take very long, maybe 35 minutes? Marquez did his interviews in the ring with various media outlets. Nacho Beristain, Marquez's trainer did his thing too. He looked more bored than anything. I don't think this kind of hoopla is up his alley.
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| Bob Arum, the Bob-Father |
Then there's the Bob-Father, Bob Arum. Not sure who coined that but it's an awesome nickname. Who knows, he may hate it but if you've read anything about Bob, it's pretty accurate. He's the master of promotion. I don't know Bob personally and although I'm sure he recognizes me as someone who works for the Grand Garden he doesn't know me from Adam. But I've been around this game long enough to know he's one of the smartest men around. Manipulative? Sure but I think that's a skill, a gift. I often consider myself to be pretty good at manipulation too. Certainly not even close to his level but I do ok. In my eyes manipulation is just another way of saying you're good at persuasion, or as my new twitter pal Chris Saldana calls it "Signs of a leader!"
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| Lobby of MGM for Marquez arrival |
All in all a pretty uneventful event. Next up Manny Pacquiao's arrival. Tomorrow. Same time, same bat channel only there will prob be a couple hundred more people there hoping to get an autograph, a photo or a simple glimpse of the Congressman. Hope to see some of you there too!
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