Las Vegas all hyped up over ‘Con Todo’

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales all over Las Vegas.

From the main lobby to the corridors and basically every major corner of the MGM Grand, framed, lighted posters of their March 19 fight dubbed "Con Todo" (Coming With Everything) are in place to further draw interest for their March 19 bout at the Garden Arena here.

Pacquiao said he’s never experienced this kind of reception before, not even on his first two appearances in this lavish casino-hotel. This will be the first time that Pacquiao will fight at the MGM Grand in the main bout also classified as pay-per-view.

Similar posters can also be seen hanging from the ceiling in some parts of the MGM Grand while giant tarpaulines announcing the fight cover the walls of the main press center. Huge billboards have been set up along the major streets leading to the MGM.

"Hindi ganito noon," said Pacquiao who is greeted by fans, mobbed at times, whenever he goes out of his room for a morning job or a hot meal at the hotel-casino’s "high-cholesterol and tempting" buffet area which is being ran all day.

Boxing fans of different nationalities have continuously sought Pacquiao’s autograph, most of them also asking their pictures taken with the Filipino slugger who has caught the boxing world by storm over the last couple of years.

Easy to say, the fight has been the talk of the town here — and during the wild "Spring Break" and "March Madness."

A Top Rank official said during Wednesday’s press conference that there are only 2,000 seats to go from the 14,500 printed.

"This fight definitely has surreal quality in it," said Bob Arum, owner of top promoter Top Rank. He is also Morales’ promoter.

"If the gate receipts are an indication, then this fight will far exceed the Morales-Barrera fight in November last year," he added.

Arum also announced a slight change in the betting forecasts where Pacquiao remained the favorite. The Filipino is now a -135 favorite (place $135 to win $100) against Morales’ +115 (place $100 to win $115). It went up from Pacquiao’s -130 and Morales +110 two days ago.

"And we’re very excited. It doesn’t have to be heavyweights to be a big fight. This fight will be talked about years after it’s been fought," said Marc Taffet, senior vice president of HBO’s pay-per-view.

A lot of people just can’t wait to get the fight going. — Abac Cordero