The moment was historic, the atmosphere was electric, the crowd was roaring like 11,500 lions, and the stands were shaking and everyone in the MGM Garden Arena seemed to be exhilarated by the occasion except one man — Floyd Mayweather Jr.
When, on February 20, Mayweather announced that this fight would take place, no boxing journalist or analyst, no former boxer gave Manny Pacquiao a chance. But in the last few days, things have changed and journalists from around the world in Vegas are murmuring quietly.
At the official weigh-in, the crowd roared as the MC shouted, “if you’re a Pacquiao fan, make some noise”.
And when the MC shouted the same thing for Mayweather, the crowd booed and suddenly chants of “Manny Manny Manny” broke out in the packed arena.
When Michael Buffer, the legendary HBO announcer, took the microphone to introduce Pacquiao to the weigh-in, the crowd erupted again.
The euphoria surrounding Pacquiao seems to have affected his opponent. The cracks are starting to appear.
ENJOY ALL THE BUILD-UP TO THE ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’ WITH OUR SPECIAL SECTION
Mayweather was greeted with so many jeers and boos that, for the first time in his past 11 fights at his “home” venue, he must have felt like an outsider. He was gesturing with irritation to the crowd and was mostly muted.
Pacquiao weighed-in at 145lbs and Mayweather a pound heavier.
While Mayweather raised his index finger to suggest he’s No 1, the crowed booed even louder. Pacquiao responded by taking out a chocolate biscuit and eating it before the two faced each other for the customary staredown.
What did you see in Floyd’s eyes during the stare down? Pacquiao responded: “I saw a man with a lot of worries”.
Mayweather’s confidence may be softening with the pressure of finally facing the fighter he dodged for five years.
He has altered his training regime, starting to chop tree-trunks, do laps of the swimming pool. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said: “Crazy, you don’t suddenly change what you’ve been doing successfully for years when you come to the biggest fight of your life.”
The implication is that Mayweather is trying to compensate for lost speed by building more strength. Maybe he has no alternative with which to cope with Pacquiao’s blistering foot and hand speed.
To be great is to be accepted by the people, and Mayweather has seen first-hand how Pacquiao has been accepted by the masses. He has more to lose than Pacquiao from this fight.
sports@thenational.ae
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
Ferrari
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THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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