DEONTAY WILDER-TYSON FURY II on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas represents the biggest bout of the year, and Top Rank COO BRAD JACOBS and his team have been on the ground since Monday working to make sure everything runs smoothly for the highly-anticipated rematch. Jacobs often is on the road this time of year, which makes a relaxing weekend at home in Miami a welcome respite when he gets the opportunity. Jacobs recently took THE DAILY through his weekend agenda, whether that be a typical fight weekend on-site or hanging out at home with his three children.
PREP WORK: The last event that we'll have in the lead-up to the fight is the official weigh-in that will take place Friday at 3:00pm PT. For a mega bout like Wilder-Fury II, we'll have several operational meetings throughout the week in Las Vegas that will be capped off with a 50-plus person staff meeting. We'll go over every detail of the event, from PPV TV production to international production to in-arena production. In addition, every interested party will be on hand for the meeting -- our co-promoters at TGB Promotions, PBC, MGM Grand Garden Arena, ESPN, Fox, foreign broadcasters and security. Following the weigh-in, we'll have a final run-through of the entire production at the arena to make sure we're all set.
Jacobs constantly refers to a 300+ item "Event Execution Plan" during the week prior to a fightTop Rank
PUT UP YOUR DUKES: Over the years, I have developed a 300+ item "Event Execution Plan" that covers every detail of staging our events from day one through the final goodbye from our announcers. This list is constantly referred to and checked and rechecked just to make sure no item is missed. We have an amazing and talented staff that manage all their own departments, so it is my duty to make sure all the departments are working together seamlessly and with the same game plan and goals. The undercard gets underway early Saturday afternoon, which makes for a full day of fights. Once Wilder-Fury ends, we'll have our standard post-fight press conference. I'll usually try to catch a red-eye flight back to Miami on Saturday night after the fight so that I can get back home to Miami early and have the full day to relax before the grind starts again on Monday.
HOME COOKING: Despite our business being a 24/7/365 affair, I always look forward to decompressing on the weekends when I'm free. I make it a point to hang out with my three kids -- 27-year-old ALYX, 25-year-old LEXY and 19-year-old LYNDSEY -- when they are home in Miami and not either working or at school. Movies are a weekend must, either at home or at the theater. I also definitely take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and beaches in Miami when I have the chance.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: The biggest thing that I do on Sunday night to prepare for the week ahead is planning for our weekly Top Rank staff call. During that time, we'll review our agenda for any upcoming events and the details of those shows. We will spend the majority of that call discussing shows happening in the next several weeks and then finish off by talking about events that are 2-3 months down the line. That way, we can operationally start managing those shows way ahead of time and make our job easier. I am also currently finalizing the Fight Week schedule for shows in the next few weeks with our logistics maven CEATTA BOGATAJ.
Know of someone who should be featured in Weekend Plans? Shoot a note over to lsmith@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
