LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 215 Press Conference
"Good afternoon, passengers, this is Jenny, the chief flight attendant on United Airlines Flight UA714. We have safely arrived above London and are in the process of a smooth descent. For your personal safety, please do not get up and move around until the seatbelt sign is turned off. Before opening the cabin door..."
"Mr. Baker, the plane is about to land, and there might be a bit of turbulence, please be careful."
In the business class of the Boeing airplane, a blonde flight attendant in uniform knelt down in front of Link to kindly give him a heads-up.
"Thank you!"
Link nodded, setting aside the travel magazine he was holding.
As the Boeing plane began its descent, Link turned to the window, observing the previously clear blue sky now crowded with thick clouds, which shifted from pure white to grayish-white. As they descended to an altitude of over a thousand meters, what was visible was the thick haze floating in the London sky.
During this process, Link often felt as if he was falling from heaven to hell.
The airplane jolted slightly as it landed at London Heathrow International Airport.
Franco and Simon, Anna, Bob, and Wallace, along with Coach Brooks and members of the logistics medical team from Dynasty Promotion, got up one after another.
"Link, due to publicity needs, after disembarking, the boxing event organizers will hold a press conference at the Sofitel Hotel. After the press conference, we will rest a bit at the hotel before moving to the London Tower International Hotel in the city center in the afternoon," Franco came over and said.
"I'll follow your arrangements."
Link nodded.
The WBA-WBC World Boxing showdown was held at the O2 Arena in the Greenwich District of the City of London.
This arena was built by the British to celebrate the millennium in 2000 and is also known as the 'Millennium Dome.'
The arena, located on the Greenwich Peninsula on the south bank of the Thames in the City of London, is a circular dome-shaped structure.
From the airplane, it looked like a pearl inlaid on the banks of the Thames, also dubbed 'the Pearl of London.'
The interior of the O2 arena is large, with a seating capacity of over 23,000. After its completion, it gradually replaced Wembley and the CTC Arena to become the most famous sports venue in the City of London.
The arena mainly hosts various sports events, entertainment activities, and large-scale concerts, and is also one of the venues for the upcoming London Olympic Games.
The match was jointly hosted by the British Competitor's Room Promotion Company, the WBA Britain Boxing Association, and the WBC Britain Boxing Association.
Link's appearance fee was US$6 million, which he would receive regardless of winning or losing, due to his considerable fame.
The prize money for the match was US$10 million, split 70-30; he and Carl Froch would take the higher share depending on who won.
In terms of box office revenue, Link would receive 15%.
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PPV broadcast fee revenues were split into three segments: 20% from Britain, 50% from North America, and 15% from other countries and regions.
PPV revenue sharing was the major part; if one million households chose to pay to watch the fight between them, his and Dynasty Promotion's earnings from this match would exceed US$40 million.
If he received that money, his total earnings for the year from boxing and music would exceed US$100 million.
With such a hefty sum of U.S. dollars in sight, he maintained high expectations for the match.
"Link! Welcome to London!"
"Link, I love you!"
When Link arrived at the airport with his team, he saw thousands of fans gathered in the square in front of the airport, a dense crowd holding various supporting signs and posters, loudly shouting his name.
Before becoming famous, Link did not quite understand the psychology of fans. After all, everyone is human; what's the point of idolizing stars?
After gaining fame, he seriously read research papers on this subject.
According to the articles, idolizing celebrities is a 'hero-worshipping' phenomenon that exists at all stages of human development and is one of the basic instincts.
Following celebrities is also a form of pop culture, a social activity akin to a group of like-minded people coming together to party and alleviate loneliness.
Besides, idolizing can provide emotional support, such as feeling a sense of achievement when seeing one's favored artist become more successful, which is known in psychology as the Halo Effect.
Link summed it up: following celebrities is a societal activity to meet personal spiritual needs as human material civilization advances to a certain stage.
Becoming a qualified idol and enduring celebrity also poses a significant challenge because idols age, fans age, and everyone's preferences and interests constantly change with time.
No one can remain hugely popular forever—MJ is a prime example.
Before 2003, wherever he appeared, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of fans would run to meet him.
After his death, his memorial only attracted over thirty thousand fans, much less than the media's predictions of several hundred thousand or even millions.
It is said that vendors selling MJ memorabilia outside the Staples Center that day suffered losses due to the lower-than-expected fan turnout.
After becoming a celebrity, Link naturally thought about being famous for a hundred years, but he knew it was impossible.
Therefore, he would do his best within his 'term' to fulfill the responsibilities of an idol, like releasing more quality works, winning more Golden Belts and medals, and making himself more successful.
He would also try to be as close as possible to his fans, leaving them with a good impression.
Seeing that there were many fans onsite and that they were quite excited,
Link willingly approached the barrier area, waved to the fans, signed autographs, and took photos with them.
He arrived at the Sofitel Hotel on the east side of the airport, half an hour later than originally planned, to hold a press conference.