LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry West have all committed to attend the most significant heavyweight bout on U.S. soil since Lennox Lewis knocked out Mike Tyson in Memphis in 2002.
Magic Johnson, an ardent fight fan, had yet to request a seat as of Thursday afternoon, but Lakers front-row fan and Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson is expected to be there, along with fellow Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg, Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman.
Beyond monitoring pay-per-view and ticket buys, Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said he expects to remain up until late Friday night to supervise the A-list seating chart.