Fight Music: Mayweather & Pacquiao Talk Ring Entrances
The boxing superstars will rely on different sounds to make a grand entrance at their marquee matchup
Floyd Mayweather stood prancing in his dressing room at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, long after his cue to enter the arena for the fight against Oscar de la Hoya on May 5, 2007. When his handler propped a Mexican sombrero on his head, Mayweather adjusted it with his gloves and walked out stone-faced, adorned in a robe with the colors of the Mexican flag, while superstar 50 Cent walked alongside him rapping “Straight to the Bank.”► Mayweather then proceeded to make taco meat out of De la Hoya during the fight.
The sombrero was an idea inspired by his uncle, Roger Mayweather, who used it during ring entrances against Mexican fighters in his heyday as a boxer.
“I want to be as original as possible with my ring walks,” Floyd told Cuepoint recently, as he prepared for his marquee matchup with Manny Pacquio on Saturday, May 2.
“Sometimes I’ll pick up something I’ve seen in the past, like wearing the sombrero for the De la Hoya fight because my Uncle Roger wore one when he fought Julio Cesar Chavez. He used it as a psychological weapon against his opponent. But I always create a special moment that I can remember and so can the fans.”
Manny Pacquiao is a genuinely good-natured person. He laughs hysterically as he watches a video on his cellphone of Drake doing a spot-on Manny imitation at the ESPY awards ceremony. Drake is singing “Let It Go”► from the movie Frozen. As Drake, dressed like Manny, turns his “F’s” into “B’s” to replicate Manny’s Filipino accent, he gets Manny’s mannerisms, his accent and his affect down pat.
“You worried about Mayweather?”
“Well, to me, it’s warmer in July, so I’m not really worried about the May weather,” Drake, imitating Manny, answers.
Nothing exemplifies what Manny means to the Philippines more than his ability to straddle many fields: professional singer, boxer and politician, soon to be running for president of the Philippines. He continues to live in his hometown of General Santos City, South Cotabato, despite the fact that his wealth affords him options to live anywhere. Filipinos have rewarded him with unbridled loyalty. His handlers go so far as to tuck him in at night.
The “singer” part of his professional trifecta has been recently abandoned, amidst criticism of his singing abilities. “I love to sing, but singing doesn’t seem to love me,” he told Cuepoint in a recent chat about why he stopped recording professionally. But still, his two recorded albums have gone platinum.
Music is very serious in the Philippines. Not following the proper protocol in karaoke in Manny’s country might get you murdered. When Manny winds down from training, he listens to Shakira, he says, because the rhythm of her songs are upbeat. He loves the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Dan Hill, Survivor and church hymns. He told a GQ reporter that he doesn’t feel nervous in the hours leading up to the fight, because he sings — sometimes it’s “La Bamba”► or one of his own recorded songs like “Sometimes When We Touch.”►
Pacquiao recently ended his hiatus from the music industry to record a personal entrance song and video for this week’s headline fight. The song, “Lalaban Ako Para sa Filipino”► (Translation: “I Am Going to Fight for Filipinos”) recorded with composer Lito Camo includes lyrics about his commitment to the Filipino people.
(Translated) I am a PINOY. We are PINOY
I will fight the world with my life at stake/I will fight for all Filipinos.
I will fight for all Filipinos
I will fight for my country
“When I enter an arena, I get overwhelmed by the sheer joy of entertaining my fans,” he said.
Jimmy Kimmel attempted to perform Manny’s new entrance song, making fun of him, on his show a few days ago. He joked to the audience: “Translated that means, ‘I’m gonna beat Floyd Mayweather’s face in.’”
The always affable Manny, after watching Kimmel, recorded a video thanking him for practicing his song.
Like Manny, Floyd Mayweather’s career has been inextricably linked with music. He appeared on the ABC series, Dancing with the Stars in 2007. During training, he listens to hip-hop, soul and funk. He has had close friendships with music industry insiders and started his own record label. From his partnership and eventual falling out with 50 Cent, to his live ring entrance performances featuring Justin Bieber and Rick Ross, Mayweather keeps it entertaining.
In the November 2003 fight against Phillip N’dou, Mayweather came out in an extravagant coat outlined with fur and letters on his back that spelled “Philthy Rich Records” — Floyd’s Las Vegas-based record label at the time. It was a label that existed for over 10 years with many signed rappers, including Dirt Bomb and Poster Boy, but it never released an album.
The entrance song for the fight against N’dou was 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death).”► N’dou, a South African fighter, had been advised by Nelson Mandela to keep “Mayweather on the outside with the jab.” Floyd toyed with N’dou throughout the fight, and it was clear N’dou was outmatched early. Floyd beat him by technical knockout in the 7th round.
“I never know what I am going to do for the entrance until it gets closer to the fight,” Floyd said recently. He has used an eclectic variety of songs, including “Hector’s Death”► from the movie Troy and “Another One Bites the Dust”► when he was carried in on a chariot against Arturo Gatti.
“I have oldies, some known favorites and then live entrances with a song by the artist leading me into the ring. I know what my fans like,” Floyd said. “Whether it’s a ring walk or weigh-in entrance, I can get a great recording artist like Lil’ Wayne, Justin Bieber or Rick Ross to perform, and I know my fans will love that even more.”
Mayweather will make his grand arrival on Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will skip the hoopla and settle into the Mandalay Bay, his usual Las Vegas residence. They’ll meet face-to-face at the formal press conference set for 1 p.m. local time Wednesday with the weigh-in on Friday. The PPV telecast begins at 6 p.m. PT on Saturday, and the custom ring entrances for the main event should begin around 8 p.m. PT.
Past Ring Entrances from Floyd and Manny
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