Although tickets have not yet been sold, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have started prepping up for what could be the most epic bout in boxing history since "Thrilla in Manila." Pacquiao had gone on training in a gym in his native General Santos City, while Mayweather went to an interview and talked about his favorite topic - Pacquiao.
Mayweather claimed in an interview that "even if Pacquaio didn't want to fight, he has no choice because his back was against the wall." The five-division world champion, which was also one of the highest paid athletes, was pointing to Pacquiao's tax battles with the IRS and the Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue. Maywether added that "Pacquiao needed the money," while he didn't because he was smart in "investing it in a lot of real estate" and businesses with his "big tycoon buddies." For Floyd Mayweather, "it's just another day."
However, not everyone could say that this would be just another day, especially for those keenly watching the estimated ticket prices soaring above the roof. With a fight this big, it would truly be all about the money. In a survey conducted by TipIQ, the leading sales ticket aggregator, people would be willing to pay more than the average cost of the previous Superbowl tickets to get in to the Mayweather - Pacquiao match on May 2 to be held in Las Vegas.
The estimated highest ticket price, however, could reach up to US$65,000. Meanwhile, even the current "get-in" rate of over US$4,000 was undoubtedly higher compared to the most expensive bouts fought by the two champions. But this was only the tip of the iceberg.
For fans who wished to watch the match on TV, they had to prepare themselves in paying around US$100 for the subscription rate. This was the agreed rate between HBO and Showtime, which would both be covering the fight. The combined coverage was a result of Pacquiao's previously signed agreement with HBO as well as Mayweather's contract with Showtime. Adding the estimated ticket sales as well as the pay-per-view subscriptions, the bout purse could amount to a monumental half a billion dollars.
Meanwhile, as Mayweather busied himself doing PR time and aggregators started counting the money, Pacquiao busied himself with training at a local gym in General Santos City. With all the noise surrounding the most anticipated fight, perhaps of this generation, Pacquiao simply wanted to dedicate this match to all the fans who "willed this fight to happen."
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