Mayweather vs Pacquiao–Saturday May 2–richest fight in history
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Welterweight champions Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will go head to head at 9pm EST on May 2, 2015 in a fight that has been anticipated as the “world’s richest” since 2009. The major issues keeping the ticket dark for some six years including drug testing, purse split, and location have finally been settled. It is impossible to tune to nearly any media without hearing something about the what has variously been billed as The Battle for Greatness or The Fight of the Century.
Scalpers are asking upwards of $100,000 for tickets to the MGM Grand Garden Arena bout. An anticipated 3 million Pay Per View buys at $100 each could tip each of the fighters over the $1 billion mark for career PPV earnings. The PPV purse will be split 60/40 in Mayweather’s favor.
Las Vegas local, “Money” Mayweather holds a record of 47–0 (26 KO) and Filipino fighter, Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao comes to the battle with a record of 57–5–2 (38 KO). International sportbook Bovada (Bodog) is offering bettors odds that heavily favor Mayweather and predict that the fight will not go the distance.
Reports of $500,000 bets on Pacquiao, with bigger bets expected before showtime, show just how rich this fight promises to be for bookies. Many predict it will be the biggest fight ever on the books of the Las Vegas Strip with a handle falling somewhere between $60-80 million.
The first weekend in May also features the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs – the first leg of the Triple Crown of American Thoroughbred horse racing.
