Bigger-than-life action offered on the 'Cube'

MANILA, Philippines - All seats are expected to be taken at the Araneta Coliseum tomorrow morning when the four-sided “Cube” measuring 30 feet by 30 feet transmits the live satellite feed of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight for the vacant WBC superwelterweight title to be staged at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

It’s the next best thing to being at ringside. There’s no closer view of the action, which will be shown on giant high-definition monitors on each side of the “Cube.” No matter where you sit at the Big Dome, you get an unobstructed image of what’s going on in the ring exactly 13,556.18 kilometers away.

For local boxing fans, the experience is the ultimate. In fact, it might even be better than paying a tidy sum for a ticket to witness the bout at the Cowboys Stadium where the attendance is estimated to hit 70,000. At the Araneta Coliseum, fans will be watching with 15,000 Pacquiao diehards screaming for Margarito’s scalp – the house won’t be divided, it’ll be a 100 percent pro-Pacquiao crowd unlike in Arlington where a huge Hispanic community will turn out to support the “Tijuana Tornado.”

Uniprom director of entertainment and marketing Sienna Maris Olaso said a week ago, ticket sales were more than double the volume for any of the three previous “Cube” fights involving Pacquiao. Araneta Coliseum began airing Pacquiao’s fights on the “Cube” starting with Miguel Cotto then Ricky Hatton and Joshua Clottey. Margarito is the fourth featured Pacquiao opponent on the “Cube.”

Olaso said the Big Dome is ready to fill to capacity. Gates open at 8 a.m. and the HBO card will be shown in its entirety without commercial interruptions. General admission tickets are pegged at P165 each. Other prices are P400 for Upper Box B, P565 for Upper Box A and Lower Box and P460 for patron.

“The best seats are in Upper Box A and Lower Box because you’re situated eye-level with the screens,” said Olaso. “But anywhere you sit, you’ll get a perfect view. You’ll be able to watch every single blow thrown and landed, every drop of perspiration and every twitch of the body like you’re inside the ring. You’ll hear everything magnified – every grunt, every sigh, every taunt. You don’t have to pay for a plane ticket, hotel accommodations and a ticket to the Cowboys Stadium. You’ll experience the same ambiance at the Araneta Coliseum because the projection on the ‘Cube’ is bigger than life.”

Olaso said tickets are still available at Ticketnet (Tel. 911-5555), Gateway Cineplex 10 and Ali Mall Cineplex 4.

 The “Cube” will be installed tonight in time for the showing tomorrow morning. “We’re guaranteeing image clarity from all angles of the coliseum,” said Olaso. “You won’t miss a single blow in the ring. The paying audience is definitely in for a humongous treat as it promises to give them the thrill of watching from ringside.”

What makes the event more significant is it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the coliseum. In 1960, the Big Dome was inaugurated with Flash Elorde taking on Harold Gomes for the world junior lightweight boxing crown. In 1975, it staged the historic “Thrilla In Manila” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. And this year, it will beam the fourth Pacquiao fight on the “Cube” in all high-definition majesty.

“The great part about catching a Pacquiao match at the country’s mecca of sports and entertainment is the sense of history that is palpable all over the place and the real feeling you get when every time Pacquiao makes a move, the audience lets out of a deafening roar,” continued Olaso. “Aside from the ambiance that cannot be matched by any other sporting venue in the country, the Big Dome also offers the utmost in comfort and safety, rain or shine, to both promoters and spectators of unforgettable world-class events throughout the years. It is the centerpiece of the Araneta Center, the metro’s pioneer lifestyle hub which continues to attract nearly a million visitors each day. Indeed, the country’s biggest and grandest sports and entertainment spectacles have but one thing in common – all have graced the grounds of the Araneta Coliseum.”

Olaso said the Araneta showing is a tie-up with Solar TV, which owns the Philippine telecast rights of Pacquiao’s fights. All over the country, Solar has arranged for live satellite transmissions with hotels, bars, restaurants, country clubs, town plazas and private homes on a pay-per-view basis.