A fabulous Vegas experience
CEBU, Philippines - Since Manny Pacquiao’s phenomenal rise to boxing stardom, it’s a dream of every Filipino sports journalist to cover a live fight of the “Pambansang Kamao,†especially if it takes place in the United States. For boxing writers, it’s a source of pride, a badge of self-fulfillment. I am fortunate enough to have been given such opportunity, to actually witness the fight and deliver a blow-by-blow account of Pacquiao’s most recent ring battle against Tim Bradley – straight from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine to be able to accomplish such thing. Setting foot on U.S. soil alone already seemed impossible for me, much more to be seated at the ringside along with hundreds of foreign journalists covering the fight in a super city widely considered as the gambling and entertainment capital of the world.
It was a dream-come-true for me. And largely responsible for it was the highly esteemed Cebu businessman-sportsman Chester C. Cokaliong. My memorable journey to Uncle Sam started when Cokaliong, himself a prolific 3-point sniper in the local basketball circuit, told me a few days after the Pacquiao-Bradley rematch has been made official that he would sponsor my U.S. trip. He had previously brought me to Macau together with his family to watch the Pacquiao-Rios fight, in November last year.
In this latest Pacquiao fight though, Cokaliong could not with me, as he and his family had earlier scheduled a vacation in Canada. But he made sure everything I needed for my US trip was taken care of, helping me process my U.S. visa, and providing me with roundtrip plane tickets and hotel accommodation in Las Vegas.
Naturally, I immediately worked to process my travel documents and was fortunate, again, to have my U.S. visa application approved. Everything fell in place as my application for media credentials was also approved, making me the lone Cebuano journalist – representing The Freeman, of course – to cover the Pacquiao-Bradley 2.
I was overcome with both excitement and anxiousness on the day I left for the U.S., on April 10. A long, arduous flight took me from Manila to Tokyo, then to Portland and then Salt Lake City in Utah. I finally arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday night (Friday morning Philippine time). From the McCarran International Airport, I proceeded right away to the famed Las Vegas strip and was met with the view of opulent structures scattered around what people call Sin City.
I was hungry and had one large bowl of Ox Tail (their version of our very own “pocheroâ€) at the California Hotel and Casino, and then went straight for a glimpse of the Vegas nightlife before checking in at the Americas Best Value Inn along East Tropicana Avenue, which is just a stone’s throw away from the MGM Grand.
My first order of business the following day was to go to the Old VIP Section of MGM to get my temporary credential, which I needed so I can get to the official weigh-in. On my way, I was quite surprised to see many Filipino fans lining up outside the fight arena as early as 8:00 in the morning, wanting to see their Pinoy sports hero. After securing my pass, I had lunch at Asian Buffet, before touring around some of Vegas tourist spots, the first among them being the much visited area with the marker: “Welcome to the Fabulous Las Vegas.†I then roamed around some more and marveled at the magnificence of Excalibur Hotel, Mandalay Bay, Hard Rock, Wynn and New York, New York, where a colossal replica of the Statue of Liberty stood guard at the hotel’s entrance.
A sumptuous dinner at the classy M Resort Spa and Casino launched my second night of sightseeing. I went to the glitzy Paris Hotel, which features a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, and The Venetian, known for its elegant Italian ambiance. I was amazed by the magical ‘Volcano’ show at the Mirage Hotel, and then went to the equally famous Stratosphere Tower, where I unexpectedly overcame my fear of heights. At 890-feet, I immensely enjoyed a full 360-degree view of the entire Las Vegas.
In the morning of fight day on April 12 (April 13 in the Philippines), I tried to make the most of my limited time by hopping around the other best places in Las Vegas, including the opulent Caesar’s Palace and the ancient Egypt-themed Luxor, where a giant statue of the great Rameses proudly stood at the roof deck. Of all the beautiful sceneries I’ve been, the spectacular water show complete with soothing music and dazzling lights of the Italian-inspired Bellagio mesmerized me most. No wonder it is one of the most watched attractions in Vegas.
Known as the safe haven and party place of the rich and famous, Las Vegas has a lot to offer that cannot be all covered in just a day or two.
With eyes almost grown numbed from all fantastic sights of Vegas – from luxury hotels to nightclubs – it was time for me to do official business: to cover the Pacquiao-Bradley showdown. My media ID made everything go smoothly for me to get in. The arena was already filled to its seating capacity of 15, 200 when I entered. The pro-Filipino crowd gave a deafening roar when Michael Buffer stepped into the ring to announce the protagonists of the night’s main draw - Pacquiao and Bradley.
The Pinoy fans got even wilder when Pacquiao emerged from the locker room and walked to the ring to the tune of Katie Perry’s “Roar.†And the Pinoy crowd just loved it when American Idol star Jessica Sanchez sang the Philippine National Anthem.
It seemed Pacquiao was fighting on homeground, given the multitudes of US-based Filipinos cheering for him to the top of their lungs. And Pacman did not let them down, punching his way to an impressive unanimous-decision victory and reclaimed the WBO welterweight crown that Bradley took away from him during their first bout two years before.
It was a sweet redemption of sorts for Pacquiao, who lost to Bradley in a heavily criticized split decision during their June 2012 encounter at the very same venue. This time, the fighting congressman from Saragani Province put on a great show that had all the three judges unanimously agreeing he won in decisive manner.
After the bout, all members of the international media had to wait for over an hour for Pacquiao to emerge at the post-fight news conference because the eight-division world champion still had to go through 32 stitches to close a cut over his left eyebrow which he sustained midway in the 12th and final round.
After Pacquiao’s hearty remarks, the presscon ended; it was already 1:15 am. Though invited, I did not go to Pacman’s victory party as I had to rush back to my hotel to pack my things. My call time for my ODS (on demand sedan) service was at 4 a.m.
Then, from Las Vegas, I took what would be the longest flight of my life that lasted for 26 hours, including two hours of scary moments at the MacCarran airport, where our plane headed back to the terminal just as we were about to take off — because of engine trouble! At Los Angeles airport, our flight for Tokyo was delayed for another three hours due to cargo problems that needed a thorough check by the U.S. customs. Finally, at 11:30 p.m. on April 14, I arrived in Manila.
To my big dismay, I was told by the staff of Delta Airlines that my luggage was still at the JFK Airport in New York, and that it would take two days before I could get it in Cebu.
Still, I was thankful enough to have arrived home safe and sound.
In those three days and two nights in the U.S., I barely had sleep. I lost track of time because of the great experience I had in Vegas. Some say that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.†But I just couldn’t contain myself — I couldn’t help sharing my fabulous Vegas experience.
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