By Edward Chaykovsky
As previously reported, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, and his promoter Top Rank, are not taking part in the traditional "Grand Arrivals" which usually take place during fight week for major events at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Top Rank and Pacquiao's team have been at odds with the MGM since Pacquiao's April 2014 rematch with Timothy Bradley. Top Rank's CEO, Bob Arum, was furious with the venue because of their abundance of advertising for Floyd Mayweather's fight with Marcos Maidana, which took place a few weeks later.
In recent weeks, tensions between Top Rank and the MGM once again exploded - over tickets. Arum, and Pacquiao's team, believe the MGM has been conspiring with Mayweather's camp to give Mayweather more tickets than allowed under contract.
The arena, under normal ticket prices, is scaled to around $72 million - making every single ticket a hot commodity. The secondary market is selling nosebleed seats for as much as $10,000 and ringside seats for as much as $100,000.
The tickets dispute was not settled until Wednesday of this week.
According to Arum, Pacquiao will only go to the MGM for the final press conference, weigh-in and the fight with Mayweather on May 2nd.
"We're not gonna stay there any more than we have to, because we know the way they've been acting we're not welcome," Arum said to the Associated Press. "We told them we're coming in Monday night and we're going to the Mandalay Bay and we're not doing a grand arrival at the MGM. We'll have the press come over to Mandalay Bay and do an interview with Manny there."
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO for Mayweather Promotions, has a different take on the situation.
He feels Pacquiao is avoiding some of the pre-fight activities, like the final conference call and the grand arrivals, because he's cracking under the pressure of this huge event. Ellerbe also feels that Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is getting overwhelmed as well.
"The spectacle, the magnitude of this event is something Manny has never been through before," Ellerbe said. "He's been in a lot of big fights, but there are big fights and there is a Floyd Mayweather fight. There are obligations you have and things you have to do when you're in an event of this magnitude that he hasn't had to do before. He's not fighting no Chris Algieri now. This is a whole new ballgame," Ellerbe told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.
"Freddie Roach thinks he runs a tight camp, but I know everything that's happening there. I heard it's been a very rough camp. And now, I think it's dawning on Manny Pacquiao exactly what he's up against."