Kia Sorento: Adrien Broner Shawn Porter Weekend Review

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Floyd Mayweather Shawn Porter Adrien BronerI have been to Vegas for big fights, but the Shawn Porter-Adrien Broner fight week was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had covering a fight. The weekend was a complete success, and we were able to get unbelievable coverage from almost every aspect of the fight week.

We introduced Thaboxingvoice supporters to Periscope in a major way, and while they may have had an idea of what it was and how it worked. We were able to utilize the live broadcasting app in the form of boxing coverage by giving a firsthand look to all things media related.

With the access granted to us by the Porter camp, we were able to keep everyone up to date on Shawn Porter’s weight as it pertained to the catch-weight stipulation. Plus, we showed boxing fans what life is like for a fighter and his camp in the moments leading up to a huge fight. When you consider all of these things it is easy to call the weekend a success, but the TBV team accomplished so much more in many different ways.


Thanks to Kia, I can honestly say that I was able to experience Vegas in a real way for the first time working an event. When you’re trying to get from location to location with time a constant issue, and when you’re responsible for multiple videographers, writers, and other TBV personnel getting to several different events at once, it can distract you from the actual experience. But our relationship with Kia completely changed all of that.

The city was never more accessible in the Kia Sorento. I remember having to pick up our editor, Ryan O’Hara, from the airport with James, and then getting a call from another writer asking if we could give him a lift to the weigh in. To my surprise, this TBV writer had a small entourage with him. I thought to myself as we hurried along to get Ryan that we would have to cram in the best we could.

But the room in the Kia Sorento made everything so comfortable. We were able to fit everyone in no problem, not to mention the hordes of equipment that everyone had with them. It was a spacious and comfortable ride, and navigating through the vehicle’s navigational system was so easy I was able to overhear the conversation between the guys in the backseat, talking about how they felt like I was their chauffeur. They actually felt like they were getting the comfort of a luxury cruise, like they were in a limo cruising through the strip as opposed to the reality of a group of guys being carpooled to work.

Thank you to you the listeners of our #podcast and @Kia for supporting us #PBConNBC #ShawnPorter #AdrienBroner #KiaSorento

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And with the huge sunroof in the Kia Sorento I got to see the city in a completely different way than I ever have before, and I am including the times I’ve taken cabs and wasn’t driving myself. It is actually unfair to call the sunroof a sunroof; it is more like T-tops, really. I mean we were basically driving down the Strip in a convertible. By the time, we arrived at the event you could already feel the excitement of fight week. The atmosphere was really incredible, and everyone was anxious to get to fight night, but the energy was so intense that I wanted to soak it in a little longer. We hit the streets hard a delivered great coverage for the fight, but for the first time in a long time I didn’t just feel like I was working an event, I felt like I was a part of the atmosphere. The TBV team wasn’t cheering or booing with the fans, but we got swept up in the energy of the crowd and the atmosphere that comes with a PBC event. It was incredible.


As soon as the weigh in finished, we checked in with Team Porter, who allowed us into their hotel for further coverage. But it didn’t feel like we were outsiders documenting the pre-fight rituals of a world contender. Instead, it felt like we were given the chance to get a firsthand experience and the inside world of a fighter, something I will never forget.

After everything had begun to settle down, the TBV team decided to get dinner and get back to work at the hotel. As hard as these guys work, they also know how to have fun. We got to cruising in the Sorento and James used the Bluetooth to connect his iPhone. I found out that he was a huge Hip-Hop fan and that he has a playlist that would get the approval of any rap legend, past or present.

The sound system was incredible, and the backlights in the Kia really set the mood. It wasn’t long before James started a rapping a little, but with the infectious base and mood setting lighting we all started to rap along with the jams. All I’m going to say is that you’d be surprised which of the TBV guys got the freestyle skills.

The next day, we got to the fight and I quickly realized that I had forgotten my backup battery kit and lenses, but the worst part is I forgot them at a restaurant we ate at before getting to the arena. Luckily we got to the arena early, and so the dinner crowd wasn’t at the restaurant to snatch my gear.

The problem was I couldn’t remember exactly where the restaurant was, but thanks to the Sorento’s awesome navigation memory and advanced routing technology I was able to easily track my route and made it back to the arena only 25 minutes after realizing my mistake.

The fight card was exciting, and we put in some real work. We covered every angle of the fight.

So, after uploading and putting the finishing touches on the night, I met up with James, who had been with our first ever PBC contest winners. These guys were the best. Thaboxingvoice hooked them up with free tickets to the PBC and the chance to hang with Team Porter. They really enjoyed themselves.

But it wasn’t until later in the night when we all got the chance to just hang out as a group. We piled in the spacious vehicle and ran into some pretty thick traffic. It was crazy how this car felt so big on the inside but was so easy to navigate when driving. It was like an SUV on the inside, but a small car behind the wheel. The rearview camera made it easy to get around as well.

 

The whole crew was together, and even though we all had different ideas of what to do it didn’t matter because everyone was willing to just hit the strip in a major way. TBV was definitely all over Vegas, and we made our presence felt.

We must’ve hit half a dozen spots all over the strip, but we kept the money where it needed to be, which was easy with the mileage on the Sorento being very generous and allowed us to keep the party going without having to worry about stopping for fuel.

I have been fortunate to be able to be in Vegas for several big fights, but this one was different because we actually got to enjoy the festivities and it did not affect our coverage or work rate.  

#KiaSorento getting back to hotel in style #ThaBoxingVoice #Boxing #BoxingLife #ThatVegasLife #Vegas #Kia
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