Celebrity Fight Night was originally conceived as a charity event with ample doses of humour, where celebrities duelled each other with oversized boxing gloves. It has since evolved to feature live music performances instead, while retaining “Fight Night” from its association with Muhammad Ali, who has been the event’s featured guest for the past 18 years. Over its 20-year history, Celebrity Fight Night has not strayed far from this concept – invited celebrities and professional athletes enjoy live performances and participate in auctions to raise funds for charity. To date, this American charity event has raised nearly $95 million, with the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Centre as a significant beneficiary.
For its 20th edition, the event moved beyond its “hometown” of Phoenix, Arizona, and was held for the first time in Italy instead, from 3 to 8 September. The city of Florence hosted the event, and Panerai was one of the major brands from the city that organised exclusive occasions for guests. Panerai was founded and maintains its headquarters in Florence, where it has two boutiques. The historical boutique lies within the Archbishop’s Palace in Piazza San Giovanni, and is currently undergoing renovations and enlargement. Panerai’s other boutique is at Palazzo della Gherardesca, which is currently the Four Seasons Hotel.
Apart from hosting special events, the brand donated the Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso 47mm (PAM515) that was auctioned off on the evening of 7th September by Sotheby’s during the event’s gala dinner. The gala dinner featured a performance by Andrea Bocelli, who was accompanied by the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with the latter directed by Maestro Zubin Mehta.
Andrea Bocelli’s namesake foundation is also a major beneficiary of this edition of Celebrity Fight Night, and Panerai is donating 5% of every purchase made during the event to it. The tenor himself was presented with the Luminor 1950 10 Day GMT Ceramica 44mm (PAM335).
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