Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao

The Fight of the Century
DateMay 2, 2015
LocationMGM Grand Garden Arena
Title(s) on the line Unified WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring welterweight titles
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
Money Pac-Man
Tale of the tape
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. From General Santos, Philippines
47–0 (26 KO) Pre-fight record 57–5–2 (38 KO)
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Height 5 ft 6.5 in (1.69 m)
147 lb (67 kg) Weight 147 lb (67 kg)
Orthodox Style Southpaw
ESPN.com No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound
Unified WBA (Super), WBC, The Ring welterweight and light middleweight champion
5-division world champion 		Recognition ESPN.com No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound
WBO welterweight champion
8-division world champion

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, billed as Battle for Greatness or The Fight of the Century,[1][2] is an upcoming Professional Boxing match between the eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and undefeated, five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. The fight will take place on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite predictions that Mayweather–Pacquiao would be the highest grossing fight in history as early as 2009, disagreements between the two boxers' camps on terms for the fight prevented the bout from coming to fruition until 2015.[3][4] The failure to make the Mayweather–Pacquiao fight was named The Ring magazine Event of the Year for 2010.[5]

However, negotiations for the superfight in 2015 have since been finalized, with all of the major issues that have prevented the fight from happening in the past now resolved, including purse split, drug testing, and location of the bout. On February 20, 2015, Mayweather confirmed on social media that the fight had indeed been signed by himself as Pacquiao already had signed the contract of the fight previously and the contract itself was with Mayweather on that day. The contest was agreed to be held on May 2, 2015.[6]

History

Background

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is, as of February 2015, 38 years old, still undefeated (as of time of fight), with a perfect professional record of 47 wins and 0 losses (although Mayweather lost the Olympic games of 1996).

On June 6, 2008, six months after defeating Ricky Hatton by a tenth-round TKO, Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing. At the time, plans were in motion for a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, which was going to take place September 20, 2008. "This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child," Mayweather said. "However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport."[7] At the time 31-year-old Mayweather registered 39 wins and no losses in his historic career. At the time of his retirement, The Ring magazine had Mayweather ranked as the number 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with Manny Pacquiao at number 2.

During Mayweather's brief retirement, Pacquiao earned superstar status in much of the western world with his eighth-round TKO victory over Óscar de la Hoya, for which he moved up from lightweight to welterweight (135 pounds to 147 pounds).

On May 2, 2009, the day of Pacquiao's fight against Ricky Hatton, Mayweather announced that he was coming out of retirement and would fight Juan Manuel Márquez, The Ring lightweight champion and number 2 pound-for-pound fighter, on July 18, 2009, in a welterweight non-title fight.[8] Marquez had previously fought Pacquiao in two controversial outings: they fought to a twelve-round draw on May 8, 2004, and Pacquiao was awarded a twelve-round split decision win on March 15, 2008.[8] Mayweather played down Pacquiao's newfound stardom at his press conference, stating: "If he wins tonight, don't be all shocked ... Cause guess what? I beat (Hatton) when he was undefeated. Pacquiao beat Oscar, it don't matter. Going down to 147 pounds was too much for (De La Hoya), he was dead after the first round. I also think that Marquez beat him twice. When you talk boxing, you talk Floyd Mayweather."[9]

Pacquiao would go on to defeat Hatton by a second-round knockout to win The Ring junior welterweight title. The win made him the second boxer in history to win titles in six weight divisions, the first being Oscar De La Hoya.[9]

Mayweather vs. Marquez was postponed until September 19, 2009, due to a rib injury suffered by Mayweather. Despite being out of the ring for 21 months, Mayweather looked as sharp as ever and dominated the fight, winning by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision. After the bout, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe stated that a fight with Pacquiao was the "next obvious choice from a marketing standpoint."[10]

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao stopped Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto in twelve rounds to win the WBO welterweight title. Pacquiao's victory sparked a media frenzy and fans were quick to subsequently demand a fight between the two of them,[11] despite the fact that the actual fight itself had not officially been made yet and will not take place for another six years.

First negotiations

On December 5, 2009, ESPN reported that Pacquiao signed a contract to fight Mayweather on March 13, 2010. Shortly afterward, Pacquiao denied ever signing a contract to fight Mayweather, telling FanHouse, "There are still some things that need to be negotiated."[12]

According to Yahoo! Sports, an eight-page contract was sent on December 11 by Golden Boy Promotions on behalf of Mayweather to Top Rank, representing Pacquiao, that proposed a 50-50 financial split between the sides for a fight to take place on March 13, 2010.

The eight-page agreement was so detailed that it indicated which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather). It detailed that the bout would have been on HBO Pay-Per-View at a cost of $59.95. Billing was to be "Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, presented by Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and M-P Promotions in association with [approved sponsors and the site]." The contract also called for both fighters to submit to Olympic-style drug testing.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout at that time was expected to be the largest-grossing fight in history, in which total revenues could reach $300 million. Experts predicted the fight would sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S.[3]

Venues for the fight being discussed were Cowboys Stadium in Irving, TX, the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and the Superdome in New Orleans.[13]

In a video titled "Boxing Legend Freddie Roach Updates Us On Pacquiao" uploaded to YouTube on December 11, 2009, Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, revealed the first hint about Mayweather's request for Olympic-style drug testing, telling roving reporter Elie Seckbach, "I hear negotiations are a little shady. Schaefer and them are unhappy about something. They want Olympic-style drug testing. I said, 'Yeah, no problem.' I said, 'Whatever you want.' Since we accepted that, now they're running scared again."

On December 13, 2009, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said Mayweather's request for Olympic-style drug testing was a laughing matter and they had no concerns whatsoever about it. "Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. And none of this is getting under Manny's skin or anything. I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter," said Koncz.

After reports had surfaced that both parties had agreed to all terms, Golden Boy Promotions released a press release on December 22, 2009, revealing that Pacquiao was unwilling to comply with the Olympic-style drug testing requested by Team Mayweather. The following day, Bob Arum, Top Rank founder and CEO, declared the fight was off and Pacquiao would be facing a different opponent. "We appeased Mayweather by agreeing to a urine analysis at any time, and blood testing before the press conference and after the fight. Mayweather pressed for blood testing even up to the weigh-in. He knew that Manny gets freaked out when his blood gets taken and feels that it weakens him. This is just harassment and, to me, just signaled that he didn't want the fight," Arum told David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press.

Not long after declaring that the fight was off, Arum had a change of heart and offered Mayweather a 24-hour take-it-or-leave-it deadline to accept Team Pacquiao's terms for drug testing. Top Rank sent out a press release explaining their position on Mayweather's request for random Olympic-style drug testing. In it, Arum said Pacquiao was willing to submit to as many random urine tests requested, but as far as random blood tests were concerned, he was only willing to subject himself to 3 tests: one in January, one 30 days from the bout (no later than February 13) and immediately after the fight. "Let's be very clear on the real issues we differ on. It's not about being tested....It's about who does the testing and the scheduling of the procedures....The major issue related to the testing rests with which independent agency will administer these tests. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) cannot do it because they will not amend its procedures to accommodate the blood testing schedule we have outlined. USADA, under its guidelines, would have the right to administer random blood tests as many times as they want up to weigh-in day and that is ludicrous," Arum explained.

Freddie Roach told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times on December 22, 2009, that he would prefer for Pacquiao to give his final blood sample a week before the bout and no later than 72 hours before.

On December 28, 2009, video from an episode of HBO's Pacquiao-Hatton: 24/7 surfaced on the internet showing Pacquiao giving blood in the weeks leading up to his May 2, 2009 bout with Ricky Hatton. Documents confirmed that the video was recorded on April 8, 2009, 24 days prior to the fight and past the 30-day cut-off date that Pacquiao had demanded for a Mayweather fight.[12]

Pacquiao filed suit in U.S. District Court in Nevada on December 30, 2009, against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., Roger Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions executives Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, alleging that they made false and defamatory statements accusing him of taking performance-enhancing drugs.[14]

Both sides agreed to enter into mediation on January 7, 2010, in hopes of coming to an agreement on the blood testing issue. Retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, who successfully resolved a prior dispute between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, would again act as mediator. Two days later, after hours of negotiating during mediation, Arum declared that the fight was officially off after Mayweather refused to agree to a 24-day cut-off date. Mayweather revealed that he offered a 14-day cut-off date to Team Pacquiao, but it was rejected.

Leonard Ellerbe declared on January 18, 2010, that random blood and urine testing will be implemented in all of Mayweather's future fights, regardless of the opponent. On February 13, 2010, in an exclusive interview with David Mayo of The Grand Rapids Press, Mayweather said, "I gave him [Pacquiao] a chance, up to 14 days out. But my new terms are all the way up to the fight. They can come get us whenever, all the way up to the fight, random drug test. That's what it is."[12]

After the failed negotiations, both boxers moved on to other fights. On March 13, 2010, Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey via unanimous decision, and on May 1, 2010, Mayweather beat Shane Mosley by a unanimous decision.

Reported second negotiations

On May 13, 2010, Bob Arum announced that he had penciled in November 13, 2010, as the date of Pacquiao's next fight, possibly against Mayweather.[15]

Pacquiao was quoted by the Manila Bulletin on May 20, 2010, as saying, "As long as they're not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight." On the same day, Mayweather revealed that he would be taking the rest of 2010, and possibly 2011, off.

On June 10, 2010, Oscar De La Hoya said negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight were close to being finalized. Speaking to Spanish-language sport show República Deportiva, De La Hoya briefly talked about the current status of negotiations and, with a grin on his face, said the two sides were extremely close to making the biggest fight in boxing a reality. "These negotiations have been real difficult for various reasons, but we're really close to finalizing the contracts, even though they've been complicated," he commented. "Today, I can't really talk about the negotiations, but we're really close." A week later, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer refuted De La Hoya's comments. "I saw those quotes as well, and I had no idea what Oscar was talking about. And I called him up and asked him about them, and he said that he was misquoted," Schaefer explained to Lem Satterfield of FanHouse.

Arum declared on June 30, 2010, that there were no longer any issues and the decision was up to Mayweather. "That's all been resolved," Arum stated to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports regarding the dispute over random blood and urine drug testing. Arum would also tell the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "There's no longer any issues....The question is whether Mayweather is willing to fight this year." He would reiterate that comment to the Manila Bulletin, stating, "It's now up to Mayweather if he wants to fight."

On July 13, 2010, Arum issued a July 16 midnight deadline for Mayweather. "Mayweather has until the end of the week. He could wait until the last minute. If it's Friday [July 16] and it's 11 p.m., and he says we have a deal, we have a deal," Arum would explain to Dan Rafael of ESPN. On July 15, Top Rank's website unveiled an official countdown to the deadline entitled "Money" Time: Mayweather's Decision.[16]

Denial of second negotiations

As soon as the deadline for Mayweather's response expired, Arum held a conference call. Arum revealed to the media that the negotiations he had been referring to consisted of a series of conversations with HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg. He also revealed that there was no actual direct communication with any representative from Team Mayweather or Golden Boy Promotions. "I had a couple of conversations with Ross [Greenburg] and I laid out all the terms that would be acceptable to our side and I also informed him about the concession that Manny had made regarding drug testing. He got back to me in a couple of weeks and told me that he had had discussions with Al Haymon, representing Floyd Mayweather, and that everything looked good and we were nearing a resolution," Arum explained. "The subsequent conversations with Ross detailed to me conversations he had with Al Haymon. Nowhere was the name Richard Schaefer or Golden Boy mentioned, although I read, as you all did, Oscar's statement that a deal was close, so I assumed from that Haymon was keeping Schaefer and Golden Boy abreast of the situation." During a Q & A session following his opening statement, Arum further explained, "We have never talked to anybody on the Mayweather side and all conversations on our part were through Ross Greenburg and he reported on all conversations on the Mayweather side from Al Haymon."

On July 19, 2010, Ellerbe denied that negotiations ever took place and nothing was ever agreed on. "Here are the facts: Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying," stated Ellerbe. Three days later, Schaefer backed Ellerbe's statement that negotiations never took place.

When asked via e-mail for his response to Ellerbe's denial that negotiations ever took place, Greenburg would respond to ESPN's Dan Rafael with the following reply: "As always we have no comment."

Regarding comments he made suggesting that contracts for the mega-fight were close to being finalized, De La Hoya told BoxingScene.com on July 26, 2010, "I think I said it because I get the question asked so many times that, obviously, I was fed up and tired of it and I just said like, yeah, yeah, it's gonna get made. So it was a quick answer that I should have obviously thought about. But, obviously, negotiations weren't going on. Nothing was going on."

Also on July 26, 2010, Greenburg released a statement saying he had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, 2010. "I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it," Greenburg revealed in a prepared statement sent out to select members of the media.

Schaefer again supported Ellerbe's denial of negotiations, and challenged both Greenburg and Arum to take lie detector tests. "I think it's unfortunate that Ross made that statement. I fully stand behind the statement I made. I have not negotiated with Ross and I am not aware of any negotiations that have taken place," Schaefer told ESPN.[16]

Continued disputes

On September 2, 2010, Mayweather unleashed a profanity-filled racist internet rant against Pacquiao via Ustream. He was misquoted as referring to Pacquiao as "a yellow chump" but he actually called him a "little young chump" and said, "Once I stomp the midget, I’ll make that queer make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice." In addition, he said, "I'm going to cook that [expletive] with cats and dogs. Have some rice with a little barbecue dog."

The following day Mayweather apologized. "I want to apologize to everybody. They felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don't have a racist bone in my body, you know. I love everybody," Mayweather said. "I was just having fun. I didn't really mean it, nothing in a bad way."[17]

On July 8, 2011, ESPN reported that Pacquiao was willing to agree to random drug testing—but not by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). "We have agreed in the Pacquiao camp to unlimited random testing done by a responsible, neutral organization," Arum told Yahoo. "We don't believe USADA is a neutral organization. I don't think anybody's test is as vigorous as the test administered by the Olympic Organization. And we can arrange for the Olympic Organization to handle the test under the supervision of the Athletic commission respective of the state where the fight is going to be held."[18]

However, the following day, Pacquiao's top adviser, Michael Koncz, stated that Pacquiao had never agreed to testing until fight day. "Will we give blood five days, seven days before the fight? You know, that's something I have to talk to Manny about, but we have nothing to hide," Koncz said.

ESPN reported on January 20, 2012, that Mayweather called Pacquiao on the telephone and spoke directly with him in the Philippines. "He ask about a 50/50 split and I told him no that can't happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me then you have made in your career," Mayweather said.[19] Mayweather offered to pay him a flat fee of US$40 million for a proposed fight but would not allow him to share in the revenue. Pacquiao said, "I spoke to Floyd...and he offered me an amount," Pacquiao said. "He didn't talk about the pay-per-views here and that's it. I can't agree with that. I told him I agree with 55 and 45 (split)."[20]

Pacquiao appeared on the ESPN program First Take on September 20, 2012, and said he had no problem with the drug-testing issue. "No problem," Pacquiao said. "Whatever he wants to do." Pacquiao said he was willing to be tested even on the night of the fight. "No problem," he said. "Even the night of the fight. No problem".

On September 25, 2012, Mayweather and Pacquiao reached a confidential settlement in their federal defamation case. In a statement released through the mediator in the case, the Mayweathers said they "wish to make it clear that they never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of any evidence that Manny Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs."[21]

The Telegraph reported on December 20, 2013, that Mayweather said Pacquiao’s association with promoter Bob Arum is the reason why the bout will not happen. "We all know the Pacquiao fight, at this particular time, will never happen, and the reason why the fight won't happen is because I will never do business with Bob Arum again in life, and Pacquiao is Bob Arum's fighter," Mayweather said.[22]

On January 7, 2014, Fighthype.com published an interview with Mayweather in which he called Pacquiao a "desperate dog" who is chasing a megabout due to his tax problems.[23] In response, Pacquiao challenged Mayweather to a fight for charity. "I challenge him to include in our fight contract that both of us will not receive anything out of this fight," Pacquiao said during a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "We will donate all the proceeds from the fight—guaranteed prize, should there be any, gate receipts, pay-per-view and endorsements—to charities around the world." In a final taunt, Pacquiao said, "Floyd, if you’re a real man, fight me. Let’s do it for the love of boxing and for the fans. Let’s do it not for the sake of money. Let’s make the boxing fans happy."[24]

Successful negotiations

On December 12, 2014, Mayweather proposed a May 2, 2015 fight with Pacquiao, citing his indirect frustration at not being able to make the fight happen in the past by stating that Pacquiao had lost to both Marquez and Bradley, and that he (Pacquiao) was "not on his level". He then went on to close his comments with, "Let's make this fight happen for the people and for the fans. Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. May 2nd".[25]

On January 13, 2015, Pacquiao agreed to terms for the fight. Bob Arum claimed that now only Mayweather's camp was holding up an official agreement.[26][27]

On January 27, 2015, Mayweather and Pacquiao finally met each other face to face for the first time during an NBA game between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks in Miami. Pacquiao said they exchanged phone numbers and would communicate with each other. Pacquiao's advisor, Michael Koncz, said that the two future Hall of Famers later met at Pacquiao's hotel for about an hour to discuss the pending superfight and work out the remaining issues. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum expressed optimism that the fight could be finalized by Super Bowl Sunday at the soonest and that there would be no further deadlines for the fight, stating that the negotiations are nearly complete.

On January 30, 2015, TMZ reported that the fight had been agreed upon by both sides and that a formal announcement would be made in the "next couple of days." However, members from both sides, including Bob Arum and Stephen Espinoza, refuted the report, saying that the deal had not been finalized yet and that negotiations on what would be a joint pay-per-view (Showtime-HBO) telecast of the fight were still clearing out the last significant issues before the deal could be finalized.[28]

On February 20, 2015, Mayweather announced that the fight was official and had finally been signed to take place on May 2, 2015. Mayweather and Pacquiao will face off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.[29] The fight is expected to shatter PPV buy records and gross millions of dollars with the ticket prices ranging from $3,500 to $250,000 and the PPV is expected to cost US$89.95 for SD and US$99.95 for HD. Boxing experts say this match could be the richest fight in boxing history and could generate $300 million.[30]

Fight card

Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round Time Notes
Welterweight 147 lbs. United States Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (c) Philippines Manny Pacquiao (c) Note 1
Featherweight 126 lbs. Ukraine Vasyl Lomachenko (c) Puerto Rico Gamalier Rodriguez Note 2
Featherweight 126 lbs. Mexico Léo Santa Cruz France Anthony Settoul
Super Middleweight 168 lbs. United States Jesse Hart United States Mike Jimenez Note 3
Junior Middleweight 154 lbs. United States Chris Pearson Morocco Said El Harrak
Cruiserweight 200 lbs. United States Andrew Tabiti United States Brian Holstein [31]
Junior Middleweight 154 lbs. United States Brad Solomon Mexico Adrian Granados

^Note 1 For WBA (Super), WBC, WBO and The Ring Welterweight titles.
^Note 2 For WBO Featherweight title.
^Note 3 For vacant USBA Super Middleweight title.

Fight details

The fight will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. As per the contract, revenue from the fight will be split 60/40 between the fighters, with Mayweather receiving the larger 60% share. Revenue between $160 million and $180 million will be split 51/49, with the 51% share going to the winner. Both fighters are expected to earn at least $100 million in revenue from their participation.[32] Although the event will be jointly promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank, the contract names Mayweather Promotions as the lead promoter of the fight.[33]

Drug testing

Both fighters have agreed to undergo United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Olympic-style drug testing. This drug-testing program consists of both random blood and urine testing, with the fighters agreeing to let their whereabouts be known at all times during training so that random pre-fight testing can be administered. Both fighters will also be tested directly after the fight.[34]

Neither fighter has failed a drug test during their professional career. If either fighter tests positive for the use of PEDs, that fighter will be banned from the sport of boxing for a minimum of four years.[35]Freddie Roach claimed that Pacquiao has been tested more than 12 times during training, no reports on how much Mayweather was tested.[36]

Broadcast

As both Pacquiao and Mayweather currently have exclusive relationships with the broadcasters, the telecast of the fight will be a joint production between HBO and Showtime, marking the second collaboration between the two premium television services since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002.[37] The ringside announcers for the fight will include Roy Jones, Jr. (HBO), Al Bernstein (Showtime), and Jim Lampley (HBO) providing analysis. Max Kellerman (HBO) and Jim Gray (Showtime) will cover the locker rooms of Pacquiao and Mayweather, respectively. James Brown and Paulie Malignaggi of Showtime will host the pre-fight show.[38]

The broadcast will, in most regions, be distributed as a pay-per-view event. In the United States, the PPV will cost US$89.95, a 40% increase over the PPV price of Mayweather's 2013 fight against Saúl Álvarez—which set a record for PPV buys with $150 million in revenue. Assuming an audience of at least three million households, the PPV telecast is expected to bring in at least $270 million in revenue.[37][32] HBO and Showtime have pre-emptively filed lawsuits against websites advertising plans to illegally stream the telecast.[39]

Both Showtime and HBO announced plans to broadcast documentary specials focusing on the two fighters as part of the lead-up to the fight. Showtime announced a four-part documentary series, Inside Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which would feature three episodes focusing on Mayweather's preparations for the event, and an epilogue airing the week following the fight. Supplemental programming, including encores of Inside Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and past Mayweather fights, live coverage of the weigh-in, special broadcasts of The Doug Gottlieb Show and Boomer and Carton from Las Vegas, and a post-fight show, were announced for CBS Sports Network.[40][41] HBO announced a similar special, Mayweather/Pacquiao: At Last., which would focus on the history of the prospective matchup and Pacquiao's preparations, airing on April 18, 2015, with a second half-hour instalment airing on April 26. HBO also planned to broadcast encores of past Pacquiao fights.[42]

In Pacquiaio's native country of the Philippines, Solar Entertainment will hold broadcast rights to the fight, reportedly paying $10 million (PHP 440 million). The fight will be available via pay-per-view on the television providers Cignal and SkyCable, and at the locations of theatre chain SM Cinema and the Mall of Asia Arena. Unlike previous Pacquiaio fights, whose free-to-air rights were held mainly by GMA Network as part of a sub-licensing arrangement, a "slightly-delayed" telecast of the fight will be simulcast by the networks ABS-CBN, GMA Network, and TV5. Solar Sports president Wilson Tieng explained that Pacquiao personally requested the joint broadcast rather than giving GMA exclusivity due to its historic nature, and that "everybody agreed to set aside all their differences to make sure that this will become the biggest event ever in Philippine television history." GMA will still hold exclusive radio rights to the fight.[43][44]

In Europe, generally, the fight will be broadcast via PPV (Austria, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain). Only few TV holders in Europe decided otherwise - TVP (Poland), Charlton Sport 1 (Israel) , Sport 1 (Czech Republic and Hungary) and Discovery Italy (Deejay TV and DMAX)

International broadcasting

Additional details

Announcers

The fight will be co-announced by Michael Buffer of HBO & Jimmy Lennon Jr. of Showtime.

National anthems

The US national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, will be performed by Academy & Grammy Award winner and avid boxing fan, Jamie Foxx.[48]

The Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang, will be performed by Filipino-American Gail Banawis from New York. She will be joined by a group of singing pastors who flew in from the Philippines for the fight.[49]

Referee

Kenny Bayless will be the in-ring referee, as chosen by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Bayless has previously officiated five of Mayweather's past bouts and seven of Pacquiao's. Bayless will earn a record $25,000 for officiating the fight.

Judges

The judges for the bout are Burt Clements, Dave Moretti, and Glenn Feldman. They will each earn $20,000.[50]

Corners

Mayweather's corner will include: Floyd Mayweather Sr. (Trainer), Rafael Garcia (Cutman), & Roger Mayweather (Assistant).

Pacquiao's corner will include: Freddie Roach (Trainer), Justin Fortune (Cutman), & Buboy Fernandez (Assistant).

Belt

The winner of the fight will receive a newly created belt by the WBC. The belt, valued at $1 million, is an exact replica of the current belt, except it has thousands of emeralds in place of the gold plating for the center logo. The belt also contains the faces of both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, along with the faces of the former WBC president, José Sulaimán, and boxing legend, Muhammad Ali.

Two belts were initially made for the fight. The green emerald belt won the public fan vote over the black onyx belt with a vote of 53% to 47%.[51]

Gloves

Both fighters will wear 8 oz. gloves with brands of their choosing. Mayweather will wear custom Grant gloves with a multicolored paisley pattern, red & purple trim, and the letters TBE on the cuff. Pacquiao will wear standard red Cleto Reyes gloves with black & white trim. This is a very critical detail for both fighters due to past controversies over glove choice.

In Pacquiao's third professional loss, he was forced to use Winning brand gloves during his first bout versus Érik Morales. Pacquiao's complaints were that the gloves felt like "pillows," and they did not give him the same power as his Reyes "puncher's gloves."[52]

More recently, Mayweather had glove issues in his first bout with Marcos Maidana, stating that Maidana's Everlast MX gloves did not provide sufficient padding for the knuckles. The issue was later resolved with Maidana resorting to using Everlast Powerlock type gloves, leaving Maidana's trainer, Robert Garcia, unhappy with the negotiation.[53]

Fighters' gear

Mayweather's trunks are designed by Dapper Dan, hip-hop's fashion godfather from Harlem. Following previous trends, Mayweather's trunks and entrance motorcycle jacket are made of leather. His trunks will also be including the logo of FanDuel across his waistband. Reebok will provide Mayweather's shoes, and The Money Team (TMT), Mayweather's personal brand, will provide his socks and entrance cap.

Pacquiao's gear is fully sponsored by Nike, Inc., under the "MP Fight Night" brand. This includes his trunks, boots, socks, and entrance robe. His trunks and entrance robe are made of 100% recycled polyester. Pacquiao will wear blue and white HyperKO MP boots, incorporated with Nike's latest flywire technology and Philippine design. Following previous trends, Pacquiao's trunks will have a design incorporating his notable "MP" logo, the colors of the Filipino Flag, and six confirmed sponsors. Motolite, one of the Philippines' biggest manufacturing companies, is the sponsor on Pacquiao's entrance headband.

Mouthguards

Mayweather will be wearing a $25,000 mouthguard for the fight, incorporated with diamond dust, gold flakes, and a $100 bill cut-out. The mouthguard is designed and created by Dr. Lee Gause of New York.[54]

Pacquiao's mouthguard is given to him as a gift from Filipino dentist, Dr. Ed Dela Vega of Canoga Park, Los Angeles. Dr. Dela Vega, who has been custom-fitting Pacquiao's mouthguards for the past decade, has put extra layers of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) in the frontal-interior portion of this new guard to give him added protection from blows. The mouthguard has a tie-dye/watercolor inspired design created from the Filipino flag's colors: red, blue, yellow, and white.[55]

Sponsors

The official beer sponsor is Tecate, which beat out Corona with a bid of $5.6 million to Corona's $5.2 million. Tecate's logo will be the ring's center moniker during fight night, and it will also be visible on all of the fight's promotional advertisements.[56]

Pacquiao will reportedly make an extra $2.25 million for selling advertisement space to six companies on his trunks and entrance headband. Four of those companies, Motolite, Nike, Cafe Puro, and Air Asia, have been long time sponsors of Pacquiao. Pacquiao will also be wearing an Organo Gold Coffee T-shirt during his weigh-in. Nike has also announced that it is unveiling a new line of Pacquiao-branded clothing during fight week.

Mayweather will have the logo of FanDuel across his waistband. This sponsorship includes branding on his team's clothing during fight week. FanDuel will also be holding other promotional contests through this time period, with one of the prizes being tickets to the bout on May 2. This is the first time in a while that Mayweather will be wearing a sponsorship logo on his trunks.[57]

Promoting the fight

On March 11, 2015 in Los Angeles the first and only press conference/event was held featuring head promoters Leonard Ellerbe (Mayweather Promotions) & Bob Arum (Top Rank Promotions), HBO and Showtime representatives, the fighters' trainers, and the fighters themselves. This will be the only time before the week of the fight Mayweather and Pacquiao are scheduled to see each other.[58]

Tickets

Tickets for the fight went on sale on April 23 after an agreement had been reached over ticket allocation. Only 500 tickets went on sale to the public priced at $1,500, $2,500, $3,500, $5,000 and 7,500 for the 16,800 capacity MGM Grand.[59][60][61] The tickets that went on sale sold out within a minute.[62][63][64]

Merchandise

From April 24, 2015 up until fight night on May 2, an official pop-up shop for the fight will open in Las Vegas called "MayPac." Described as "a one-of-a-kind fan experience," the space is located on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont St., and feature an interactive game, official merchandise and VIP meet and greets.[65]

See also

Preceded by
vs. Marcos Maidana II		 Floyd Mayweather's bouts
May 2, 2015 		Succeeded by
TBA
Preceded by
vs. Chris Algieri		 Manny Pacquiao's bouts
May 2, 2015 		Succeeded by
TBA

References

  1. ↑ http://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/stars/mannypacquiao/articles/2015-03-26/14370/GMA-ABS-CBN-and-TV5-unite-for-Pacquiao-Mayweather-fight
  2. ↑ Nathanielsz, Ronnie (2015-03-14). "Arum: Pacquiao Will Do a De La Hoya Job on Mayweather". BoxingScene. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Iole, Kevin (1 June 2012). "Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao nearly agreed to a 2010 fight, documents show". Yahoo! Sports.
  4. ↑ "Bob Arum calls Pacquiao-Mayweather fight dead". GMA Network. 25 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "PAST WINNERS OF THE RING'S YEAR-END AWARDS". The Ring. February 24, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Mayweather-Pacquiao set for May 2". ESPN. February 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Mayweather Jr. retires, cancels rematch with De La Hoya". ESPN.com. June 7, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Rafael, Dan (2 May 2009). "Mayweather Jr. to fight again". ESPN.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Okamoto, Brett (3 May 2009). "Mayweather-Pacquiao seems inevitable". Las Vegas Sun.
  10. ↑ Okamoto, Brett (15 November 2009). "Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao: The only fight fans want to see". Las Vegas Sun.
  11. ↑ Anderson, David (18 November 2009). "Why the Mayweather - Pacquiao fight must happen for the sake of boxing". Daily Mirror.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Source:MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO NEGOTIATIONS TIMELINE PART 1". Fighthype.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather promoters set for Dallas meeting". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Pacquiao sues both Mayweathers". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao back on – for November 13. Mirror.co.uk (2010-05-13). Retrieved on 2012-05-19.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Source:MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO NEGOTIATIONS TIMELINE PART 2". Fighthype.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Mayweather apologizes for racist tirade". Yahoo. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Pacquiao 'agrees to Mayweather's demands'". ESPN. July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao talk". ESPN. January 20, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Manny Pacquiao waiting for fight". ESPN. September 21, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Defamation case being settled". ESPN.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Mayweather vs Maidana". Pacquiao vs Bradley Official Blog. December 20, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  23. ↑ "FLOYD MAYWEATHER ON MANNY PACQUIAO: "HE'S GOT 68 MILLION PROBLEMS AND HE WANTS ME TO SOLVE THEM"". Fighthype.com. January 7, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Pacquiao’s dare to Mayweather: Let’s fight for charity". Inquirer.net. January 20, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Mayweather calls out Pacquiao". ESPN.com. January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  26. ↑ Promoter Claims That Manny Pacquiao Has Agreed to Terms For Mayweather Bout January 13, 2015 Complex
  27. ↑ Manny Pacquiao Agrees to Terms for Potential Floyd Mayweather Fight on May 2 January 13, 2015 Bleacher Report
  28. ↑ Rafael, Dan. "ESPN." Boxing Mayweather Calls out Pacquiao -. N.p., Dec.-Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
  29. ↑ "Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2015 in the MGM Hotel". SCME.com.mx. February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Bob Arum says Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Fight Will Be a $300 Million Showdown". PacquiaovsMayweatherP4P.com. March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  31. ↑ http://kissingthecanvas.net/2015/04/local-fighter-brian-holstein-to-fight-andrew-tabiti-on-mayweather-vs-pacquiao-undercard/
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "The Logistics Behind Mayweather and Pacquiao’s 60-40 Split". The New York Times. April 17, 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  33. ↑ "The contract to stage the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight still has not been signed". The Washington Post. April 21, 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  34. ↑ Keating, Steve (March 13, 2015). "Mayweather, Pacquiao agree to USADA drug testing". Yahoo Sports.
  35. ↑ "Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao agree to Olympic-type drug tests". Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2015.
  36. ↑ http://www.boxingscene.com/roach-pacquiao-blood-tested-over-12-times--90457
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Showtime & HBO Charging $90 For Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV — Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  38. ↑ Will Osgood. "Jim Lampley will call Mayweather-Pacquiao fight against Mayweather wishes". Fansided.
  39. ↑ "HBO, Showtime Sue to Block Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight Webcasts". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  40. ↑ "CBS Sports Network: Mayweather-Pacquiao programming schedule". CBS Sports. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  41. ↑ Dan Rafael. "Showtime to produce four-part 'Inside Mayweather vs. Pacquiao'". ESPN. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  42. ↑ Dan Rafael. "'Mayweather/Pacquiao: At Last' on HBO". ESPN. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  43. ↑ "ABS-CBN, GMA, TV5 join hands to air Pacquiao fight: Networks unite for historic broadcast". PhiliStar. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  44. ↑ Ryan Songalia. "Pacquiao vs Mayweather to be televised by GMA, ABS-CBN and TV5". Rappler.
  45. ↑ "Boxing: Mayweather vs Pacquiao-LIVE". Canal Indigo. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  46. ↑ "Pay Per View". Rogers Communications. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  47. ↑ "Sports Packages & Pay-Per-View Events". Bell TV. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  48. ↑ Cindy Boren. "Jamie Foxx will sing national anthem before Mayweather-Pacquiao bout". Washington Post.
  49. ↑ Nick Glonco. "NY sensation, pastors to sing nat’l anthem Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/ny-sensation-pastors-to-sing-natl-anthem/#QmJeMoioW03vzjXg.99". Manila Bulletin.
  50. ↑ Adam Wells. "http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2438017-mayweather-vs-pacquiao-kenny-bayless-named-referee-judges-revealed". Bleacher Report.
  51. ↑ "Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight New WBC Belt Unveiled $1 Million Swag!". TMZ. March 17, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Pacquiao back in glove he loves, but is Morales?". ESPN. January 18, 2006.
  53. ↑ "Mayweather Explains His Position For Rejecting Gloves". May 4, 2014.
  54. ↑ Gareth A Davies. "Floyd Mayweather to wear $25,000 mouthguard with diamonds, gold and $100 bills for Manny Pacquiao fight". The Telegraph.
  55. ↑ Steve Angeles (10 April 2015). "Unlike Mayweather, Pacquiao to use modest mouthguard". ABS-CBN.
  56. ↑ Dan Rafael. "Mayweather-Pacquiao gate soaring". ESPN.
  57. ↑ Dan Rafael. "Companies purchase space on Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao trunks". ESPN.
  58. ↑ Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Freddie Roach backs Pacman to KO rival in $300m superfight
  59. ↑ "Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao tickets FINALLY go on sale nine days before mega-fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas". Daily Mail. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  60. ↑ "Mayweather-Pacquiao tickets to go on sale after deal reached". Sports Illustrated. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  61. ↑ "Mayweather-Pacquiao dispute resolved: 500 tickets will go to public". Los Angeles Times. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  62. ↑ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2441064-mayweather-vs-pacquiao-tickets-sell-out-in-60-seconds
  63. ↑ "Mayweather-Pacquiao: £94,000 asking price for tickets". BBC Sport. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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  65. ↑ ""MayPac" Pop-Up Shop Opening In Las Vegas". BallerStatus.com. April 22, 2015.

External links