By now, it’s nothing new to hear about rappers funding new businesses. But perhaps there isn’t an MC and business that go hand-in-hand better than Akinyele and a strip club. The popular 1990s rapper, who penned the ultra-raunchy “Put It In Your Mouth” track back in 1996, has opened up his very own strip club, LollyPops, which is located in Las Vegas right behind the famed Mandalay Bay.

“It doesn’t suck,” Akinyele told XXLMag.com about the strip joint. “If you love what you do, you’ll feel like you never worked a day in your life. I’m in love with what I do.”Akinyele had a soft opening to Lollypops last month, but had great success with its official opening May 5th, the night of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto fight.

“We’re open 24 hours,” he added about the club based in the heart of Sin City. “We’re making a lot of money. It’s a lot of fun.” Akinyele long made a career, spitting sexually-charged rhymes and frequenting strip clubs, so it makes sense for him to open his own adult club.

Sexually-explicit lyrics aside, Akinyele was known as a serious MC, one who was heavy on metaphors and slick with wordplay, having held his own alongside Nas, Joe Fatal and Large Professor on Main Source’s classic cut, “Live at the Barbeque.”“They always used to tell me, ‘Ak, you’re such a good rapper, such a metaphorical rapper…it’s a shame that you only talk about sex,” Ak continued. “But that’s what I love to do. And look at me now…I’m making money.”Akinyele dropped his first album, Vagina Diner, back in 1993. His last album, Anakonda, was released in 2001.—Mark Lelinwalla

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Mayor Rob Ford and at least two major casino developers are eyeing Exhibition Place as a potential site for a casino resort in Toronto. But can The Ex accommodate the kind of colossal entertainment megaplex that’s being proposed?

Councillor Mark Grimes, chair of the board and a Ford ally, says there are certainly “obstacles.” A lack of parking is one. A soon-to-be-built hotel from New York’s HKHotels is another.

Councillor Adam Vaughan says a casino resort would mean closing the Canadian National Exhibition, and tearing out the annual fair “would break a lot of people’s hearts.”

And while Vaughan is a vehement opponent of any casino coming to Toronto, let alone in his ward, the councillor said that even if MGM dropped the slot machines he still wouldn’t support any Las Vegas-style resort moving onto the western waterfront.

“I’m interested in building a city for Torontonians. I’m not interested in building a city for tourists. Other places like Las Vegas and Macau can become destination sites, and they are what they are. But nobody built Paris for tourists,” Vaughan said.

On Monday, the mayor’s executive committee asked staff to conduct a detailed study of potential benefits and costs of a casino. The study, to be completed by October, will look at possible sites — such as Exhibition Place and the Port Lands — and the impact on jobs, tourism, businesses and crime.

Ford initially was pushing for a Woodbine location, but developers say they want to be downtown. At Monday’s meeting, Ford seemed to get behind Exhibition Place.

It’s estimated the city could collect $50 million to $75 million in annual lease payments if a resort was built on this city-owned land.

“We’ll get a lot of money on that. Am I saying that’s the right thing to do? Right now, I’m not quite sure,” Ford said.

Exhibition Place is 192 acres and home to more than a dozen venues and attractions. Among them is the Allstream Centre, Direct Energy Centre, Queen Elizabeth Building, BMO soccer field, Gossip Restaurant, Medieval Times, Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, Muzik nightclub and Ricoh Coliseum.

Grimes said he will wait for the staff report before deciding. “We still don’t know what we’re talking about here. MGM said they want to spend $4 billion and a casino is only 5 per cent (of the floor space). Well what’s the rest?” he said. “I don’t know if it will fit until we know what we’re talking about here.”

Some might suggest ripping up the large parking lot as one option to accommodate the development, but Grimes said those spots are needed for many events, such as the annual Boat Show and Sportsmen’s Show.

MGM is just one of the companies that have expressed interest in potential casino sites, including Caesars Entertainment and Canada’s Onex Corp.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. is the latest casino developer to scout this city. Officials from the company, which owns resorts in Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Macao and Singapore, recently checked out waterfront sites, including Exhibition Place, but were turned away from the closed Ontario Place grounds.

Ontario Place has also been suggested as an option, but the provincially appointed panel that will recommend this summer how to revamp the site isn’t expected to include a casino in its discussions.

“There has been little interest in the casino matter; they’re busy looking at other ways to finance the renewal of Ontario Place,” especially “residential opportunities,” said a source familiar with the panel’s discussions.

Contacted Tuesday, Adele Gutman, vice president of sales and marketing and revenue with HKHotels, said the company has no concerns about a possible casino-resort moving into the area.

“We absolutely, wholeheartedly welcome any investments into the neighbourhood that would enhance Exhibition Place and make it a more exciting destination for tourists and for the locals,” she said.

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Summerlin is one of the best selling master planned sections in LasVegas; it is in huge demand for the people who are looking forward for investing in the properties in LasVegas. Summerlin real estate consist of the section like Paseos which is a small village and in developed in around 375 acres. Summerlin consist of such small village which is home for number of people. In Paseos of Summerlin the development provides incredible views like red rock canyon. This makes some of the places unique in their own way. It is a place people opt for spending their vacation while viewing the amazing LasVegas.

When we talk about Summerlin the usual picture that comes to our mind is of single family homes in the suburbs of Vegas, however Summerlin real estate or Summerlin NV real estate also consists of some of the unique and luxurious places and residencies of Vegas that are worth viewing once atleast. The uniqueness of the place can be seen in the decor structure and building of residencies and homes. The places are the example of the magnificent and luxurious life style that can be provided in Vegas, the place of multimillion dollar residencies and homes.

Summerlin Las Vegas was originally developed by the corporation named Howard Hughes and it was named after the corporation owner's grandmother Jean Amelia Summerlin. The initial purchase of Summerlin took place in around 1950 and so on. It never stopped than, the idea of the original Summerlin was soon adopted by the small villages of Vegas and it became famous in its own way. Summerlin is the tradition of LasVegas and people visiting LasVegas look forward to experience of spending time at the place with fun around the corners in the pubs and casinos of Vegas.

If any individual is ever interested in buying homes in Las Vegas, Summerlin Las Vegas can provide the best of the deals at the place and that too as per the budget of the buyer. In spite of the development some parts of Summerlin are still in the midst of expansion, therefore it is advisable for the individuals to hire an agent possessing full knowledge of Summerlin NV real estate or Summerlin real estate and who can help in finding the place as per the budget of the buyer.LasVegas is considered the place of fun and leisure and if someone is planning to spend a life in LasVegas the place welcomes him/her with open arms and provide the best possible home.These places can bring cheer to anyone's life and the person demand for nothing else, a good home at such places, a happy family, bread and butter of two times and more and more of nature's beauty. Summerlin provide with every possible comfort a person requires for living, all an individual is required to do is to earn those comforts. Fun, Leisure, Home In LasVegas can be dream of many and this dream can be achieved with just few calls and few research and all one will have to do is to make the payment for the dream home in Vegas.

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Staying at the Grandview, Las Vegas can be fully enjoyed in comfort and class; amenities include spectacular simulated volcanic eruptions and pirate battle reenactments, spacious and luxurious suites, access to the world famous Strip including the neighboring South Point Casino and entertainment complex, and tropically inspired pool area and spa. These combined with the fact that the Grandview is one of the newest and largest hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada makes a stay at this facility a truly unique and exciting experience.

This hotel is billed as a vacation village resort and rests on almost thirty acres of prime property at the southern end of the world renowned Strip. Modeled after a tropical island resort and designed to resemble an exclusive island getaway, a first time visitor will be spell bounded by the lagoon-like atmosphere and the full sized functioning volcano. This volcano erupts several times a day in dramatic fashion. Adding to the earth shaking eruptions are reenactments of pirate battles complete with cannons, full customs, and ships.

The lagoon-like ambiance is continued to the pool area. This area includes two pools separated by a fantastic, double sided waterfall. Both pools combined offer a guest over four thousand square feet of water. Poolside amenities include a deli shop, coffee shop, and bar. Also nearby are two world class spas and fitness center equipped with treadmills, free weights, and cycling machines. Added to all this luxury and convenience is a sense of technology. The pool area boasts a state of the art music system that allows every guest to listen to personalized music poolside or while working out in the fitness center.

Once you have finished exploring the dramatic and exciting grounds that surround the Grandview, Las Vegas, you may want to freshen up in your luxurious suite. All of the nearly one thousand rooms at the hotel are suites with a full kitchen including a dishwasher, range, full-sized refrigerator, microwave oven, and coffee maker, a washer and dryer, wireless internet access, entertainment center with a surround sound thirty six inch television, and walk-in shower and Jacuzzi bathing tubs. The suites are professionally decorated in a desert motif with ceramic tile throughout the living areas. The bedroom is adorned with a king sized bed and a twenty-seven inch television. A world class menu is available twenty-four hours a day through room service.

Even though the suites are one of a kind, the real excitement resides next door at the newest casino on the Strip. This casino offers the typical slot machines, gaming tables, and sports booking services. However, it can also brag about an eighteen screen state of the art movie theater, bowling alleys, a half dozen restaurants that cater to any culinary palette, a live concert venue, and even a forty-four thousand seat equestrian center where world case horses and jockeys compete and race.

Taken all into account, these amenities, entertainment options, and luxurious details make the Grandview Las Vegas a unique experience in the already dramatic and spectacular surroundings of Las Vegas, Nevada.

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The 2012 AMA Supercross Championship concluded Saturday evening at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.

And before a sold-out crowd of 39,500 spectators, Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey took his fourth win of 2012. When the 20-lap event was complete, the SX-F 450 rider would take the win by over eight seconds ahead of JGRMX/Toyota Yamaha's Davi Millsaps and Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton.

Taking the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot was MotoConcept Suzuki's Mike Alessi, who was followed closely by Dungey. But on the third corner, Dungey made an inside pass on Alessi for the lead, and went on to lead the rest of the race. At one point, Dungey had a 15-second lead over the field.

Behind, Yoshimura Suzuki's Brett Metcalfe took second from Alessi. And on lap three, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Jake Weimer also made a pass on Alessi for third. Weimer than passed Alessi on the sixth lap, and got into second. Meanwhile Millsaps charged through the field, getting into second on the 10th lap. He remained there to finish second. Brayton also charged through the field to take the final podium position.

As for Dungey, who won last week's round in Salt Lake City, his team reports he's 100-percent fit now following his recent shoulder surgery.

Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM SX-F 450) says: "It feels great to end the season with two wins. This was a tough season for me. I am glad to end it on a positive note. I am so happy to be a part of the Red Bull/KTM Team and am grateful for all their support. We are turning our focus to outdoors now with a goal of winning the championship."

Dungey will now return to California where he will train for outdoors over the next two weeks before heading to Sacramento, Calif., for the opening round of the AMA Motocross Series on May 19, 2012.

After leading wire-to-wire, GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia won the final stop of the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship. Barcia's teammate Eli Tomac also led all 15 laps of the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Main Event, winning his fifth race of the season, Feld Motor Sports reports.

Barcia capped off his championship-winning Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class season by winning the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award before leading all 15 laps of the Main Event en route to his sixth victory of the season. Barcia clinched the championship earlier this year at the New Orleans stop.

Behind Barcia, Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen assumed the second-place position with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Blake Baggett in tow, where they would finish.

Feld Motor Sports says following Barcia's win, he made the announcement that he will ride for the Team Honda Muscle Milk squad next year, and the first time he will race for the new team will be at the Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium on Oct. 20.

Justin Barcia (GEICO Honda CRF250R Supercross) says: "This is a dream come true, and I am looking forward to racing for Team Honda Muscle Milk. I am happy to close out the season with a win; the track was difficult for me out there, but I was able to keep it together."

Tomac opened the Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Main Event by placing his GEICO Honda across the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot line with Rockstar Energy Racing Suzuki's Martin Davalos and his teammate Jason Anderson following in second and third, respectively, Feld Motor Sports says.

On Lap 3, Anderson moved into third place, passing Davalos, but moments later made a mistake that allowed Davalos to take back second place and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Dean Wilson to move into third. Wilson passed Davalos on Lap 5 to take over the number-two position. GIECO Honda's Wil Hahn moved around Davalos on Lap 11. Wilson finished second and Hahn finished third.

Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250R Supercross) says: "This shows that GEICO Honda has done a great job this year with us winning both Supercross Lites Class titles and Wil [Hahn] finishing third tonight."

The dominant performance by the GEICO Honda team set the stage for the 10 lap Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout. Once again, Barcia won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award, and he was trailed by Davalos and Tomac.

On Lap 3 Davalos took advantage of a mistake by Barcia to move into the lead. Two laps later, both Barcia and Tomac moved around Davalos. Barcia was able to hold off the hard charging Tomac for the win. Tomac finished second and Davalos was third.

Team Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Brayton won the second annual Brett Michaels Rock Hard-Ride Hard Award and received a $10,000 bonus.

2012 AMA Supercross Class Results: Las Vegas
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
Joshua Grant, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki
Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki
Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Yamaha
Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
Nick Wey, DeWitt, Mich., Kawasaki
 
2012 AMA Supercross Final Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 323
Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 266
Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM, 257
Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Honda, 257
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 229
Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Fla., Suzuki, 206
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha, 178
Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki, 177
Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Kawasaki, 171
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 166
 
2012 AMA Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Las Vegas
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Georgia, Suzuki
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki
Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha
Scott Champion, Sun City, Calif., Honda
Landen Powell, South Jordan, UT, Honda
 
2012 AMA Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 184
Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki, 154
Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 142
Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 119
Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 111
Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 106
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha, 96
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Georgia, Suzuki, 89
Billy Laninovich, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 85
Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha, 78
 
2012 AMA Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Las Vegas
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha
Hunter Hewitt, Corona, Calif., Suzuki
Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda
Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki
Kyle Peters, Greensboro, NC, Yamaha
 
2012 AMA Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda - 210
Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 165
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki - 158
Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki - 148
Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki - 143
Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda - 131
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda - 117
Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha - 85
Matthew Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki - 78
Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda - 77
 
2012 AMA Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout
Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Georgia, Suzuki
Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
Ryan Sipes, Ekron, Ky., Yamaha
Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki
Matt Moss, Murrieta, Calif., KTM

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The Fitzgerald, Las Vegas is the perfect blend of comfort, glamour, and cost.  While other hotels and casinos may be impressive in their size and stature, their grandeur can be intimidating, not to mention expensive, to the first time visitor.  The Fitzgerald, originally opened under the name Sundance Hotel in 1979, operates under an appropriate "luck of the Irish" theme complete with shamrocks and leprechauns.   Known throughout Las Vegas for its loose slot machines, cheap poker tables, and affordable accommodations, this hotel is the perfect way for a person to ease their way into the glitzy gambling scene without spending their life savings in the process.

With over six hundred and thirty rooms stretched onto thirty-four stories, there is plenty of space available even in the busy season of spring and fall.  The rooms, while not of the standard of millionaires and movie stars, are comfortable and clean.  While not on the scale of the five thousand square foot suites available in many of the famous strip hotels, these rooms are spacious and efficiently organized usually offering a king sized bed, a very nice bathroom, and extended media service through an in-room office space.  The average size of the room is six hundred and fifty square feet.  Stretching thirty-four stories into the air, the upper ten stories offer fantastic vistas of the Las Vegas night life.  Bottom line is that the average room rate is sixty-five dollars per night; far lower than most other hotels in the city.

Another great feature of the Fitzgerald is its central location.  Placed on the famous Freemont Street, the hotel is within a five minute walk of the brightly lit road known as "the Strip", and the airport is less than a twenty minute drive.  Therefore, and guest can experience all the amenities of the more expensive, more glamorous hotels and casinos, without the cost associated with a stay at these locations.

The most talked about section of the hotel is the large and spacious casino floor.  According to a popular slots magazine, the Fitzgerald hotel Las Vegas is rated number one in Reel slots, Progressive slots, and Penny slots.  This fact only reinforces that fact that this casino is both popular and cheap.  At forty-two thousand square feet it is also one of the largest casino floors in Las Vegas.  Other than the popular slot machines that line the floor, there are also thirty-two table games offered ranging from blackjack to roulette to craps.  Poker is also offered in special and private, smoke free gaming room on the second floor of the casino.

Free training classes are available every morning that are led by experienced Fitzgerald dealers.  Many visitors boast how easy it is to learn the basics from these classes.  A great way to experience Las Vegas is to begin with the lesser expensive games from the Fitzgerald, and then, when you feel comfortable, to move onto the higher buy in tables at the more expensive casinos.

Many tourists are intimidated by the bright lights and high rollers of Las Vegas.  However, the Fitzgerald offers a more affordable  and less intimidating atmosphere while still having the comforts and amenities of the larger hotels and casinos.

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COSTA MESA — Councilmen Steve Mensinger and Jim Righeimer will serve as ambassadors for Costa Mesa at a Las Vegas economic development conference later this month. Mensinger and Righeimer will drive to Las Vegas for Costa Mesa's first showing at the International Conference of Shopping Center's RECon, a global shopping center convention held May 20-23. Several city staff members — including Economic Development Director Peter Naghavi — will also attend.

The Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor's Bureau will pay for half of the trip's cost — that's non-city money. The other $1,514 will come from the city general contingency fund. The City Council unanimously approved the stipend in its meeting Tuesday night, despite some trepidation from one council member.
The goal is to attract new businesses from national and international markets to "The City of Arts," such as sit-down restaurants on Harbor Boulevard, and other development, retail and entertainment businesses, according to a city staff report.

The city now relies on South Coast Plaza, Metro Pointe and Harbor Boulevard of Cars for its sales tax dollars, city Chief Executive Officer Tom Hatch said in the meeting. "To combat that, we have to ... compete," Hatch said. Since public funds will help pay for the trip, Mensinger and Righeimer will make a briefing to the rest of the council after the conference.

Costa Mesa representatives will work a booth at the convention to network with business owners and make a pitch to set up shop in the city. The attendees will also look for feedback from business owners to hear what they would need to move to the city. At Tuesday's council meeting, most of the residents who spoke said attending the conference would be a good idea for Costa Mesa. Councilwoman Wendy Leece asked that Mensinger and Righeimer come back with a detailed report — a list of appointments, contacts made and future follow-ups — a request the other council members thought was asking too much.

"I think the residents today, when we go on junkets ... require accountability," Leece said. Mayor Eric Bever, Councilman Gary Monahan and Mensinger disagreed. Righeimer was absent.
"I think this is something we should have done a long time ago, but city staff has never gotten around to it," Monahan said. Mensinger and Righeimer, both developers, would have the ability to communicate effectively with the business developers at the conference, Monahan said.

"These gentlemen are going on their own time. ... They're taking their skills and knowledge to communicate with the development community," Bever said. "I think your point about a report is fine ... but for somebody to take their volunteer time and make an onerous request ... Are we going to ask what they had for lunch and when they had their bowel movements?"

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The owners of the Sahara Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (SPCSLV) obtained $300 million in funding to redevelop the landmark property into a resort that will be called SLS Las Vegas. The 1,600-room hotel, located on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, will be renovated by the Gensler architecture firm with interior design by Philippe Starck, said Sam Nazarian, founder and chairman of SBE Entertainment Group LLC, which owns the property with Stockbridge Real Estate Funds of San Francisco. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)’s J.P. Morgan Securities LLC raised the funds, SBE said in a statement today.

“Our plan will be to deliver a product that is affordable and approachable,” Nazarian said in a telephone interview. New restaurants and nightclubs and 40,000 square feet (3,700 square meters) of convention space are planned for the hotel, he said. “We are going back to the roots of Las Vegas.”

SBE plans to open the resort in 2014. The Los Angeles-based company owns the SLS luxury-hotel chain, Katsuya and Cleo restaurant brands, and Hyde nightclubs. It’s working on a new Hyde location at AmericanAirlines Arena, home to the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat, and is in talks with New York’s Madison Square Garden, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, among other sports facilities, according to Nazarian.

The casino at SLS Las Vegas will be on a single floor, unlike other new developments on the Strip, which have multiple gaming levels, Nazarian said. SBE will be able to capitalize on its database of past customers and its visibility in Los Angeles, the biggest feeder market for Las Vegas, he said.

Celebrities who performed at the Sahara, which was featured in the 1960 heist film “Ocean’s Eleven” and closed in May 2011, include Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Wayne Newton, Don Rickles, Dean Martin, Jack Benny and Buddy Hackett, according to SBE. In 1956, comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello appeared at the Sahara for their last performance together.

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Asian Boxing Council president Pol Gen Kovid Bhakdibhumi will fly to Las Vegas on Tuesday to officially supervise Saturday's fight between undefeated welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr and Puerto Rican boxing idol Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Arena.

Unofficially the Thai senator, who is also WBC vice president, is flying on a mission to break the impasse that has blocked the richest boxing contest of all time _ the pound-for-pound championship match-up of America's Mayweather against Asia's boxing hero Manny Pacquiao.

Philippine congressman Pacquiao is seen by many as the living icon of Southeast Asia's rise in sporting prowess and the fighting symbol that represents the economic wealth of Asia.

Since taking over the leadership of WBC in Asia, Pol Gen Kovid has forged a special bond with both Mayweather and Pacquiao. He supervised the mega fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya and hosted Pacquiao on his last visit to Thailand.

"Both Thailand and the Philippines have had some great boxing champions," said Pol Gen Kovid. "But Pacquiao has been a special boxer for the region _ he's the pride of Asia."

While Mayweather faces Cotto next Saturday, a month later on June 9 Pacquiao takes on Timothy Bradley who is undefeated in 28 professional fights. After that the boxing world is hopeful that Mayweather and Pacquiao will come together for one of the most anticipated boxing events of all time.

Prior to leaving for Vegas, Pol Gen Kovid was cautiously optimistic that the two star attractions would finally reach an agreement.

"In boxing, there's a lot of details to agree on, but in the case of Mayweather and Pacquiao the issue that can't be forgotten is that the world wants to see Mayweather and Pacquiao do what they're best at doing. They're the two greatest fighters in the world today and they can fight for the biggest purse in history. There would be something awfully amiss if this epic encounter was lost to the world," he said.

Getting Mayweather and Pacquiao into a mindset to sort out their differences is complicated by the enormity of the stakes. The winner will go down in history as the greatest every pound-for-pound boxer while the loser will most likely retire and settle for second best.

Already Pacquiao is talking about retiring sooner rather than later, and his time as a professional fighter isn't likely to extend beyond 2012. But that being said no-one should underestimate the great pride Pacquiao has for his boxing career, and he's always mindful of the way he rose up from the poverty of Filipino village life, firstly becoming a youth boxing champion then an international champion and finally, against all the odds, the undisputed champion of the world in several weight classes.

On the other hand, Mayweather, despite his at-times nasty misbehaviour outside the ring, has been proudly holding the baton for Afro/American fighters for more than a decade _ and beating Pacquio would be the crowning glory for his brilliant boxing career.

Whether Pol Gen Kovid's association with Mayweather and friendship with Pacquiao can influence the world's two most wanted and valuable boxers to get into the ring for the ultimate boxing championship remains to be seen.

But as Pol Gen Kovid sees it _ from his big arena perspective _ what the world demands in sport, the world usually gets. The biggest boxing event in the 21st century draws the best two boxers together, said Pol Gen Kovid. And the best boxers in the world are Mayweather and Pacquiao.

Yet despite the forces drawing the boxing stars together, Mayweather outwardly remains recalcitrant on his offer of a US$40 million guaranteed purse for Pacquiao _ even though Pacquiao won't budge on a 50-50 split.

Negotiations have failed three times to make the fight happen. In the meantime, Mayweather (42-0, 26KOs) will start a strong favourite to beat Cotto while Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs), who whipped Cotto in 2009, has warned his nemesis not to underestimate Cotto.

"He's taking a big chance. I hope he wins, but the fight is not easy," Pacquiao said. Uncharacteristically, Mayweather has refrained from his usual banter that he's in the "hurtin' business", and says he has found a softer side to life that includes the practice of yoga in his training for the first time.

Evidently, Mayweather has been interested in yoga for the last five years, but only recently has he felt inclined to come out and tell the world that he does yoga-style full body stretching reportedly to enhance his performance in the ring. Boxing fans are hoping that the American's drift into yoga may enable him to see the greater good of putting the world of boxing ahead of his own hurtin' ways.

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Shares of the following companies may have unusual moves in U.S. trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses.

Ancestry.com Inc. (ACOM) (ACOM) : The world’s largest online provider of family histories reported first-quarter earnings of 30 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate of 23 cents.

Arris Group Inc. (ARRS) (ARRS) : The maker of Internet equipment forecast second-quarter revenue of at least $330 million, exceeding the average analyst estimate of $313.6 million.

Cadence Design Systems Inc. (CDNS) (CDNS) : The provider of software for creating computer chips reported first-quarter sales were $315.8 million, topping the average analyst estimate of $309.7 million.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) (CVX) : The second-largest U.S. energy company boosted its quarterly dividend to 90 cents a share from 81 cents.

Cirrus Logic Inc. (CRUS) (CRUS) : The supplier of parts for Apple’s iPhone and iPad posted fourth-quarter profit of 36 cents a share, beating the 34-cent earnings estimate by analysts on average.

Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) (CTXS) : The software maker forecast earnings in 2012 will be at least $2.75 a share, topping the average analyst estimate of $2.72.

Crocs Inc. (CROX) (CROX) : The plastic-clogs maker projected second-quarter adjusted earnings of no more than 63 cents a share, falling short of the 65-cent profit estimated by analysts on average.

Emulex Corp. (ELX) (ELX) : The chipmaker forecast fourth- quarter earnings of at least 21 cents a share, exceeding the average analyst estimate by 1 cent.

H&R Block Inc. (HRB) (HRB) : The biggest U.S. tax preparer plans to cut 350 jobs and close about 200 company-owned offices as part of a realignment. The Kansas City, Missouri-based company also forecast sales in 2012 will be about $2.9 billion, missing the average analyst estimate of $3.11 billion.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) (LVS) : The U.S. casino company posted a first-quarter profit of 70 cents a share, exceeding the average analyst estimate by 10 cents.

Netgear Inc. (NTGR) (NTGR) : The maker of modems and routers posted first-quarter sales of $325.6 million compared with the average analyst estimate of $317.3 million.

Skechers U.S.A. Inc. (SKX) (SKX) : The maker of Shape-ups toning shoes reported a first-quarter loss of 7 cents a share, narrower than the 27-cent loss predicted by analysts on average.

TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. (TQNT) (TQNT) : The chipmaker forecast a second-quarter loss of at least 10 cents a share, compared with the 4-cent profit estimated by analysts on average.

Varian Medical Systems Inc. (VAR) (VAR) : The maker of radiation equipment forecast third-quarter profit of no more than 95 cents a share, missing the average analyst estimate of $1.02.

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (WPI) (WPI) : The Parsippany, New Jersey-based generic-drug maker said it will acquire closely held Actavis Group HF for 4.25 billion euros ($5.62 billion).

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