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One of the vital thrilling boxing combat bulletins this 12 months was made lately when Manny Pacquiao confirmed he would problem WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in a conflict pitting certainly one of immediately’s undefeated and all-conquering elite fighters towards one of many biggest welterweights of all time and the one eight-weight world champion in historical past.
The combat takes place on August 21 in Las Vegas, and a Saturday combat night time in ‘Sin Metropolis’ is par for the course for a top-line boxing attraction. Nevertheless that information was adopted by a extra curious improvement.
Skilled wrestling juggernaut World Wrestling Leisure confirmed their annual summer time spectacular occasion ‘Summerslam’, initially pegged for Sunday Aug. 22 as per their long-running custom of staging main occasions on Sunday evenings, would in actual fact happen on the twenty first as nicely.
Not solely that, however Summerslam had lengthy been reported to be headed to Las Vegas. Many initially assumed the Saturday date would imply WWE had been on the lookout for one other venue in one other metropolis, however it’s going to in actual fact happen a stone’s throw away from Pacquiao vs. Spence on the identical night.
So, how precisely are we anticipating this to work?
How shut are Pacquiao vs. Spence and Summerslam’s venues?
The boxing superfight has been introduced for the MGM Grand Backyard Area, dwelling of many immortal boxing encounters through the years, together with his loss to Floyd Mayweather, three of his 4 wars with Juan Manuel Marquez, his trilogy towards Timothy Bradley and his two most up-to-date outings vs. Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman.
In the meantime, Summerslam 2021 will emanate from the newly-built Allegiant Stadium, dwelling of the NFL’s recently-relocated Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas strip is in fact fairly large, and Google Maps has the 1.4 mile distance between the 2 arenas as a 30-minute stroll or a six minute drive/taxi trip, which in fact will depend on visitors. On a Saturday night time on one of many greatest vacationer locations on this planet, six minutes could also be a tad optimistic.
Will the 2 occasions occur on the similar time?
Each are slated for the night, so it is virtually assured there shall be not less than part of Summerslam that’s airing reside concurrently a part of the Pacquiao vs. Spence card. The important thing query, nonetheless, is will the boxing fundamental occasion — the combat everybody desires to see — run unopposed.
Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported lately: “We’re instructed WWE’s plan is to conclude Summerslam with sufficient time for followers to have the ability to attend the Pacquiao combat in the identical metropolis in the event that they select or to be capable to watch Pacquiao’s combat on PPV after WWE’s broadcast concludes.”
Main WWE occasions usually start at 7pm or 8pm ET, which is 4pm or 5pm PT in Vegas and midnight or 1am within the UK. Wrestlemania and Summerslam have previously run so long as six or seven hours (!), however within the COVID-19 period there was a extra frequent return to the three- or four-hour runtimes of previous.
Important occasion ringwalks in Vegas often land round 11pm to midnight ET/8pm to 9pm PT/4am to 5am UK, so if WWE kicked off Summerslam at 4pm native time in Vegas and stored issues to a three-hour present, attendees may certainly make an 8pm ringwalk for Pacquiao vs. Spence reside and in particular person.
If Johnson’s report is to be taken at face worth, then we will relaxation assured that conversations are going down between each events to make sure a clean transition. A shuttle service for many who have bought tickets to each may even be arrange, as an illustration.
What about watching Pacquiao-Spence and Summerslam on TV?
Now this ought to be a lot simpler, if you take away the Las Vegas Strip logistics.
Historical past has proven that there’s a massive proportion of crossover followers who will take into account watching each reside boxing and large wrestling reveals, relying on what’s on supply. With Pacquiao-Spence and Summerslam being up there on the prime of their respective professions’ greatest choices of 2021, there shall be an enormous variety of spectators planning an enormous double-header viewing social gathering — that’s in fact, as long as the wrestling doesn’t conflict with the boxing headliner.
Paul Benson launched Hooked On Wrestling, a reside occasions firm that specialises in screening huge WWE occasions akin to Wrestlemania, Summerslam and the Royal Rumble, in 2013. He has seen first-hand the kind of numbers and environment a wrestling social gathering can appeal to, and after a frantic rush to reschedule his venue bookings for Aug. 22 to Aug. 21, is cautious of the problems the Pacquiao-Spence combat may trigger.
“We’ve not staged our events since January of 2020 for the Rumble, because of the pandemic,” he instructed DAZN. “In fact everyone seems to be determined to get again to occasions and let their hair down after a tough 18 months, so the Summerslam parties should be incredible.
“I actually can not see the Pacquiao undercard being stacked an excessive amount of. Some boxing promoters go for a supercard, however quite a bit will simply concentrate on the primary occasion and put rookies beneath as a result of the constructing will keep half empty or worse till the massive combat, anyway.
“I am quietly optimistic it will likely be Summerslam from most likely midnight within the UK, it’s going to most likely run 4 hours as a result of it is set to be a stacked present with rumours of John Cena returning to face Roman Reigns and extra, then Pacquiao and Spence stroll out for his or her combat at round 5am within the UK. That is midnight in New York, however UFC have had their fundamental occasions previous midnight ET a number of instances.”
That anticipated hour’s hole for Vegas ticket-buyers to drag a double header will give viewers around the globe loads of respiration house, and if Pacquiao-Spence finally ends up with an honest chief help bout, viewers will hopefully be capable to watch all of Summerslam, the co-main and Pacquiao vs. Spence in a single super summer time’s night.
Pacquiao vs. Spence: What number of world titles are at stake?
We all know that Spence shall be defending his WBC and IBF belts within the encounter. So, the combat shall be for 2 world titles on the very least. Nevertheless, Pacquiao’s championship scenario is a bit more complicated.
In his final combat, ‘Pac-Man’ dethroned previously-unbeaten Thurman for the WBA welterweight strap. Nevertheless, that combat passed off pre-pandemic, manner again in July 2019. The WBA then made the choice to declare Pacquiao as “champion in recess” and promote Yordenis Ugas to being recognised as their ‘fundamental’ welterweight champ, of all the assorted variations per division this explicit sanctioning physique dishes out.
Upon listening to of the massive showdown set for Manny’s return, the WBA was then reported as contemplating reversing that call, presumably in order that they’ll get extra concerned within the August superfight that simply so occurs to vow to be very profitable.
For now, two world titles are a lock. But when the WBA resolve to re-recognise Pacquiao heading into the combat, the winner will management 3/4 of the division with solely WBO champion Terence Crawford capable of dispute their rule. And Crawford-Spence or Crawford-Pacquiao for undisputed glory is strictly what followers hope to see the 147lbs ship in 2022.
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