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| Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, celebrates after defeating Jessie Vargas in their WBO welterweight title boxing match, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas. | AP Photo/Isaac Brekken with Dino Maragay via Associated Press |
LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao said he did not expect his WBO welterweight title conquest to attract a huge crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Speaking to reporters in his suite at Wynn Hotel the day after his victory, Pacquiao expressed satisfaction with the live gate attendance.
“I’m so happy because a lot of people showed up in the fight,” said Pacquiao.
Saturday’s fight (Sunday in Manila) marked Pacquiao’s return at the Thomas & Mack in 10 years. The last time he saw action at the venue was in 2006 when knocked out Erik Morales in their rematch.
He was successful in his return, dominating Vargas to capture his third welterweight championship, in front of a sellout crowd.
“When I looked around there was lot of people. I did not expect that kind of crowd,” Pacquiao added.
When told that the official live attendance was at 16,132, Pacquiao’s eyes lit up.
“That's a lot,” he said.
Indeed, those are solid numbers considering that the capacity of Thomas & Mack, which is located within the UNLV campus, is around 19,000.
In the lead-up the promotion, observers expect the Pacquiao-Vargas fight to be met with lukewarm reception, largely due to the Filipino icon’s perceived dwindling popularity and Vargas’ relative anonymity.
To help drive interest, tickets for the fight were sold at lower prices compared to Pacquiao’s previous bouts in Las Vegas, with the cheapest seats going for $50.
It also helped that Nonito Donaire Jr. fought in the undercard, attracting the Filipino community in Las Vegas. The Filipino-American fighter, however, failed to defend his WBO super bantamweight title against a younger Jessie Magdaleno.
Pacquiao previously said he bought $1 million worth of tickets – translating to about 2,000 pieces – to be given away to his relatives and friends.
Now, he is happy to know he can still draw big crowds.
"God willing, hindi pa naman tayo laos. Kaya pa natin," he said.
Speaking to reporters in his suite at Wynn Hotel the day after his victory, Pacquiao expressed satisfaction with the live gate attendance.
“I’m so happy because a lot of people showed up in the fight,” said Pacquiao.
Saturday’s fight (Sunday in Manila) marked Pacquiao’s return at the Thomas & Mack in 10 years. The last time he saw action at the venue was in 2006 when knocked out Erik Morales in their rematch.
He was successful in his return, dominating Vargas to capture his third welterweight championship, in front of a sellout crowd.
“When I looked around there was lot of people. I did not expect that kind of crowd,” Pacquiao added.
When told that the official live attendance was at 16,132, Pacquiao’s eyes lit up.
“That's a lot,” he said.
Indeed, those are solid numbers considering that the capacity of Thomas & Mack, which is located within the UNLV campus, is around 19,000.
In the lead-up the promotion, observers expect the Pacquiao-Vargas fight to be met with lukewarm reception, largely due to the Filipino icon’s perceived dwindling popularity and Vargas’ relative anonymity.
To help drive interest, tickets for the fight were sold at lower prices compared to Pacquiao’s previous bouts in Las Vegas, with the cheapest seats going for $50.
It also helped that Nonito Donaire Jr. fought in the undercard, attracting the Filipino community in Las Vegas. The Filipino-American fighter, however, failed to defend his WBO super bantamweight title against a younger Jessie Magdaleno.
Pacquiao previously said he bought $1 million worth of tickets – translating to about 2,000 pieces – to be given away to his relatives and friends.
Now, he is happy to know he can still draw big crowds.
"God willing, hindi pa naman tayo laos. Kaya pa natin," he said.
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