LAS VEGAS – There's no doubt it was a Manny Pacquiao crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday afternoon for the weigh-in for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title fight Saturday night against undefeated Timothy Bradley (HBO pay-per-view, 9 p.m. ET).
By Julie Jacobson, AP
Manny Pacquiao, left, and Timothy Bradley face off after weighing in Friday for Saturday's WBO welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
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Yet the crowd, which, at around 4,000 was considerably smaller than the weigh-in for Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 154-pound battle against Miguel Cotto last month, was somewhat subdued, perhaps a nod to Pacquiao's religious rebirth.
Pacquiao, the Filipino congressman who divested himself last year of his casino in Manila and his vast cockfighting operation, and has stopped drinking and womanizing in favor of daily Bible study, weighed in at 147 pounds, right at the welterweight limit. It was the heaviest Pacquiao, a 4-1 favorite, has weighed in for a fight.
Even for his light middleweight fight at a 150-pound catchweight against Antonio Margarito— who retired from the ring Thursday — Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) weighed 144.6 pounds.
Asked what it meant that Pacquiao was at his heaviest weight, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum smiled and said, "It means that he ate breakfast and lunch before he weighed in today. That's it."
Bradley, 28, who at 5-6 is a half-inch shorter than Pacquiao, tipped the scales at 146. Bradley drew plenty of boos from the crowd but didn't seem bothered by it.
During their staredown, Bradley scowled and took a completely serious approach. Pacquaio, who will earn a guaranteed $26 million plus part of the pay-per-view revenue, stayed serious for a few seconds, then broke into a smile.
Asked by HBO's Max Kellerman why he was smiling, Pacquaio said, "I'm so happy. I want to thank all the fans for their prayers, I want to thank God and all the fans who came here to show their support. See you at the fight."
Bradley is guaranteed $5 million, by far the most he has earned for a fight.
"I'm ready for war. I'm ready for war," Bradley said. "Don't matter these boos, I been here before."
When Kellerman reminded him he had never been in this big a situation before, Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs) said, "None of these people are going to be in the ring. It's just going to be me and Manny at the end of the night."
Bradley said all the attention "doesn't bother me at all. The more the merrier, baby. I'm gonna prove everybody wrong, baby."
When Kellerman said upset is in the air among some boxing insiders, Bradley, who looked a bit nervous in by far his biggest weigh-in, said, "They know how hungry and determined I am, baby. Look at my physique, baby. I trained very hard for this fight. They're going to see a war, baby."
Those who buy the PPV package will be able to watch the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, too, before the fight begins. Arum said they would wait for the NBA game to end before starting the fight.
He also said they were expecting between 15,000 and 16,000 fans for Saturday's fight card. The capacity at the Grand Garden Arena is 16,300.
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