After what has seemed like an eternity, Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) and Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2) have finally come to an agreement and will square off in the ring May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden. With a no rematch clause, they are throwing everything on the table, these men will hopefully put an end to the discussion of who the better pugilist is once and for all.
However, this fight is more than just the two men, and their seemingly sky high egos. Let’s face it, boxing has been on a sharp decline, mostly due to the rising popularity of MMA. A fight like this could be the shot in the arm that the sport needs. Sure, the majority of casual boxing fans prefer heavyweights and the hard-hitting knockout blows, but there is no denying a fight of this magnitude will draw in the masses, and hopefully serve as a reminder of what they’ve been missing through the previous decade.
The news was broke by Mayweather over a week ago on his Shots social media account, where he said, “What the world has been waiting for has arrived. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, is a done deal. I promised the fans we would get this done and we did. We will make history on May 2nd.”
Pacquiao responded from the Philippines after the breaking news, “I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years. They have waited long enough and they deserve it.” Longtime promoter of Pacquiao Bob Arum is thrilled the fight is finally taking place as well.
“Look, Manny is going to hang up his gloves in 2016 and it would have left a gap in his legacy if he didn’t fight Floyd,” Arum said. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said about Mayweather, “He will prepare like he always does and I have no doubt you’ll see the best of Floyd Mayweather in the ring at the MGM and h will once again be victorious on May 2.”
Upon announcement of the fight, MGM opened up their books with Mayweather as a -240 favorite, which, after less than a week, dipped to as low as -160 in some Vegas books. However, a few days later saw the line go back up to -230. The money this fight will produce is an astronomical figure the sport has never seen.
Mayweather is expected to haul in $120 million while Pacquiao will take home a hefty $80 million himself, in a 60-40 split for what is anticipated to be a $200 million purse. The gate also is expected to cross $40 million, which would double the record of $20.1 million, also from a Mayweather fight, in September 2013 when he fought Canelo Alvarez at the MGM.
That bout also temporarily holds the record for a pay-per-view sales, at $150 million. The record number of pay-per-view buys is 2.5 million, from the Mayweather Oscar De La Hoya bout in 2007 at the same MGM Grand Garden. Both records are expected to be left behind in the dust.
