Mayweather VS Pacquiao....Do You Care?

[Mitch Henessey]

I know I'm kind of late on this, but it's official. Floyd Mayweather VS Manny Pacquiao will happen on May 2 in Las Vegas, and the numbers for the expected pay per per view prices were released a few days ago:

Pay-per-views: The HD version of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will cost around $100. (ESPN.com reported the standard version is expected to cost a record $89.95.) So 4 million buys of the HD version will generate $200 million for the fighters after cable operators and HBO and Showtime get their cuts.

If you think that's outrageous, you should read this article about the rumored ticket prices:

Boxing fans have waited six long years to see the two greatest fighters of this generation square off in the ring. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally got a deal done last week to meet on May 2 in Las Vegas, and the intense demand to see the latest “fight of the century” is producing historical pricing levels for those that want to secure tickets.

Tickets have not gone on sale to the public yet, but they are expected to start at $1,000 with ringside seats fetching a face value of $5,000. This will result in a total gate of around $40 million for the 16,800-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena. It would double the previous biggest gate in boxing history, which was $20 million for the Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez fight billed as “The One” in September 2013.

The reality is that few tickets will wind up available to the public with the MGM Grand, sponsors, promoters and the fighters snapping up many of the ducats before they go on sale. You can purchase tickets on the secondary market through online sellers like SeatGeek, which already has 422 seats for sale via ticket brokers who for the most part have relationships with the venue or other sources where they know they will have access to tickets.

Early pricing is through the roof, but it is not clear if it is realistic, as no tickets have been sold yet through SeatGeek, according to Connor Gregoire, an analyst with the company. The cheapest seat listed for the fight is $4,116 with a median price of $9,218. Floor seats start at $22,441. This compares to an average secondary price of $2,168 for Mayweather-Alvarez. Gregoire expects tickets for Mayweather-Pacquiao to eventual settle in at least twice as high The One.

Celebrities like Jack Nicholson, 50 Cent, Will Smith and Leo DiCaprio are used to getting comped tickets when they attend a big fight, but Bob Arum who runs Top Rank, which is co-promoting Mayweather-Pacquiao, says not this time. “Nobody is going to get these tickets without paying for them,” Arum told ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas Monday. When he gets a celebrity call, Arum says he is routing them to the MGM which has the biggest block of tickets.

Ringside seats will be even harder to come by. “Because of the price of the tickets, MGM, for example, will only give ringside tickets to its customers who have a $250,000 line of credit,” said Arum. Gamblers are expected to use their $250K credit line that weekend and not sit on it either.

The MGM sold out the hotel for May 2 minutes after the fight was announced on Friday night. Surrounding nights are going quickly too with May 1 also now sold out. Gamblers and fight fans will flock to Vegas to be part of the richest fight in boxing history even without a ticket. The fight will be broadcast in casinos up and down the strip with a closed circuit audience of more than 25,000 putting up $100+ to view the event in a crowd (Mayweather-Alvarez had 26,000 closed circuit buys).

Mayweather and Pacquiao both have massive followings and there are plenty of others, celebrities and the non-famous, who will view the fight as a bucket list event, cost be damned. It is going to be one pricey ticket for those that want to get in the MGM Grand on May 2.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbad...ther-vs-pacquiao-ticket-pricing-goes-berserk/

I'm not a boxing expert or a boxing enthusiast, but you just get the feeling the spectacle and the hoopla surrounding Mayweather VS Pacquiao is overshadowing the actual fight.

As a causal fan (I might sit back and watch boxing on Showtime or HBO once in a while), I can't say I'm too excited about Mayweather VS Pacquiao after the long wait. I know the fight is supposed to be a once in a lifetime extravaganza, and if I have a chance to watch, I'll watch, but that's about it.

Are you interested in Floyd Mayweather VS Manny Pacquiao?

 

[L@RISANO]

I have never watched boxing beyond mere highlights, etc... maybe some sort of Olympic boxing perhaps.


However, this match is just something that interests me based on as you pointed out,"the Hoopla" surrounding the 2 guys more than anything.


Perhaps, the match has come when both guys are past their primes, but it is still a boxing fan's dream match-up in terms of being possible, and I am sure the hardcore boxing fans will eat it up big time and it does have the potential of putting some arguments to rest.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Oh totally. I'm not a boxing fan in the slightest but I will be watching this. Granted there's no way I'm going to pay for it.

Those numbers are fucking ridiculous but hey, the money's there for the taking.

 

[Dave]

This fight is all about money, it always has been. And that's why I was so against it happening in the first place. Boxing is a thing of the past. They are saying that this fight is the last big fight in boxing and they are 100% correct in that assumption. Boxing's time in the limelight has come and gone and it is because of fights like this, people suiting themselves and money talking more than potential quality.

Honestly, at this point, boxing is just a massive circle jel with everyone just trying to get the best deal for themselves. I don't have anything against that really but it has become so boring as the same names fight the same names over and over again, with no regard to what would be interesting. Lets be honest, Mayweather is going to win this fight with ease. But both guys are going to get a massive pay day, so what's the downside right? Oh wait, everyone is going to get shafted with ticket prices and PPV rates. What a joke boxing has become. Good riddance.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

I'm not a big follower of boxing outside of Mike Tysons autobiography (Which is most certainly worth the read may I add). Over the years all I've heard in regards to boxing is Manny And Floyd need to fight.

The ticket prices and cable prices are absolutely mind blowing. I've always been very wary about paying big PPV prices for a boxing match or a UFC fight because I would feel very short changed if the Main Event was over in a matter of minutes.

I will definitely be going to watch this in a local bar though as, like they say, this is the fight of the century.

 

[Khalifa]

Like Brockie, I am not a big fan of boxing. I like the history and I will watch it but I will watch any sport so yeah. I wasn't old enough to watch Tyson or Ali so this is going to be a must watch for me. Although I have already seen Manny fight live (funny story). This matchup is just mouth watering really. It's fight of the century. I think people should look at this fight and say "wow we are going to witness history" and be excited for that alone, not even what's going to happen in the fight, which by the way is going to be insane. Manny hates Floyd with a passion and Floyd is a showman and obviously has the skill to back it up. I really don't think Manny has been so motivated for a fight for maybe a decade now. He's won titles in so many weight divisons and won so many country war titles so he has only really been doing it for love I think. Now though he wants to knock Floyd out like no other person, he knows Floyd is about the talk.

In saying that though I do see a Floyd win. Think Manny maybe a little out of his prime to hang with Floyd but the fight is going to be awesome regardless of the result.