Early on, it appeared that the HBO/Showtime broadcast of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao welterweight title fight would sink under a sea of hype and celebrity gazing. The host James Brown sounded overwhelmed by the atmosphere and marketing when, soon after 9 p.m. Eastern, he said, “This is the Super Bowl, the World Series, Final Four, World Cup and Kentucky Derby all rolled into one 12-round fight.”
Then there were the constant sightings of stars at the MGM Grand Garden Arena — including Mary J. Blige, Michael Jordan, Bradley Cooper and Mark Wahlberg — that culminated with a lingering shot of Jay-Z and Beyoncé near ringside and this certification of celebrity by HBO’s Jim Lampley: “Royalty from all walks of life.