PACQUIAO OUTSHINES BRADLEY DURING GRAND ARRIVAL AT MGM GRAND (PHOTOS)
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 07 Apr 2016
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- It looks like Manny Pacquiao won the opening round of the final chapter of his trilogy with American Timothy Bradley, which is still four days away on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
If the reception given to the protagonists on Tuesday's Grand Arrival ceremony will be used as gauge, that is.
The 37-year-old fighting Sarangani Congressman definitely outshone the pretender from Palm Springs in California as far as the number of fans and the warm welcome accorded to both were concerned.
While the reception given to the 32-year-old Bradley, known a the "Desert Storm" was relatively tame, the one accorded to the eight division champion was so warm, it came short of chaotic.
In fact, it took Pacquiao short of 30 minutes before he and a battalion of followers could enter the MGM Grand lobby because of hundreds of fans who waited as early 10 a.m. just to meet him and took a glimpse of their idol.
Photos by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Pandemonium nearly broke loose as he and his yellow-shirted supporters entered the lobby which, like outside the hotel was filled with people.
Pacquiao circled the ring waving to the fans, who were shouting and cheering "Manny ... Manny ... Manny ... as if to show to all and sundry that the Filipino icon's popularity has hardly diminished despite the many distractions thrown his way as the same-sex marriage issue, election protest, the foiled attempt to stop his senate candidacy and a futile try to stop the showing of the Pacquiao-Bradley 3 fight on local media.
Both fighters invited their fans to watch the Saturday encounter and promised to give them a great boxing day at the MGM Grand Arena.
"It will be as great day on Saturday because Bradley and myself will be giving all of you a good fight," Pacquiao said.
Bradley, for his part, assured fans the best fight of their three meetings."Saturday will be a fantastic event," Bradley assured. "Both Pacquiao and me will be doing what we are supposed to do."
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