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Post by espnisgone on Jan 31, 2015 20:44:57 GMT -5
The celebrity gossip website TMZ sent social media into a frenzy on Friday when it erroneously reported that a deal had been reached to pit Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao against each other.
Insiders representing both fighters laughed the TMZ report off. Though progress had been made throughout the week, sources say rather than moving forward on Friday, talks took a backward step. But the most definitive denial came Saturday from Mayweather via his Shots account.
Mayweather used the hash tag "FightNotMadeYet" to deny the TMZ report.
Laying back, relaxing, enjoying good weather, palm trees, and piña coladas. While they continue to lie about making the fight... I'm just going to continue to travel and explore the world on my private jet. #FightNotMadeYet
There are substantial issues to be resolved between Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, and HBO, which has an exclusive deal with Pacquiao. An impasse in those talks is HBO's insistence on being able to show the replay of the pay-per-view, one source said. When the networks worked out a deal in 2002 to broadcast the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight, they agreed to give the replay to the network of the fighter who won. Lewis stopped Tyson and so HBO showed the replay. That issue has yet to be resolved for a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
There also remain issues on the promotional end of the deal.
Much work remains to be done, according to persons involved in the talks on both sides, and the earliest at best an announcement could come would be late next week. More likely, if the fight is made, talks will spill over into the middle of the following week.
Many of the terms have been agreed upon, including a split feed of the bout in which both Showtime and HBO talent would be involved. The fight is being targeted for May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
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Post by espnisgone on Feb 20, 2015 19:52:55 GMT -5
Done deal: Floyd Mayweather will fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2
LAS VEGAS – After years of frustration and disappointment, following many starts and stops, perhaps the most talked about boxing match in history is finally a reality.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced Friday that he's agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao in a welterweight bout May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
The bout is expected to set numerous records, including purse size, live paid gate and pay-per-view sales. The cost of the pay-per-view has yet to be determined and won't be until there are deals with the distributors.
Formal details on the agreement have yet to be announced, but it's expected that Mayweather will have a 60-40 split advantage on revenues, with Mayweather making at least $120 million and Pacquiao $80 million.
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Post by Schmoopy1000 on Feb 20, 2015 20:10:56 GMT -5
I not gonna hold my breath. I will wait til the 2nd to wait & see why someone pulls out or not.
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Post by espnisgone on Apr 3, 2015 13:20:38 GMT -5
The bigger money is beginning to arrive at Las Vegas sportsbooks, a month ahead of the most anticipated fight the town has seen since Mike Tyson's heyday.
Undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather's odds are shrinking for his May 2 welterweight showdown with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. On Tuesday, a customer at the MGM Mirage placed two $50,000 bets on the underdog Pacquiao. The sportsbook responded by dropping Mayweather's odds to minus-180. He was an even smaller favorite at other books. When the fight was finalized in late February, Mayweather was listed as high as minus-275.
MGM assistant sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback said that at his shop three times more money has been wagered on Pacquiao than on Mayweather. Sportsbook operator CG Technology reported overall bets were 6-1 in favor of Pacquiao.
There have been big bets on Mayweather, too. Two weeks ago, at the Westgate SuperBook, a casino guest placed a "large six-figure" wager on Mayweather at minus-190, according to assistant manager Ed Salmons. John Avello of the Wynn sportsbook reported taking a "small six-figure" bet on Mayweather.
Overall, though, Pacquiao is receiving the bulk of the action.
"Public on the 'dog," said Art Manteris, the sportsbook director of Station Casinos and a boxing expert. "Some of the best sports handicappers and guys I respect the most are on the favorite. I'm just not sure I agree with them this time."
The May 2 fight is taking place the same day as the Kentucky Derby on what promises to be an electric Saturday night in Las Vegas. Nearly a million dollars already has been bet on the fight at the MGM.
"For a month away, the handle is astronomical," Stoneback said.
More than $115 million was wagered on this year's Super Bowl at Nevada's sportsbooks. Avello, who has been a Vegas bookmaker for 20-plus years, says the amount wagered on the fight won't reach Super Bowl levels but will likely be the biggest fight he has booked.
"Hearns-Leonard, Tyson-Holyfield, those were big betting fights," Avello said. "It's different now. The whole biz feels different as far as boxing is concerned. But the action on (Mayweather-Pacquiao) is steady, big steady action. This is going to live up to the hype."
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Post by espnisgone on Apr 15, 2015 14:45:39 GMT -5
Manny Pacquiao is a Renaissance man. The prizefighter, who is also a politician in the Philippines, is immersed in training for his upcoming showdown with Floyd Mayweather on May 2 in Las Vegas. The boxer also fancies himself somewhat of a singer and is even recording a new album in commemoration of the upcoming fight.
In an interview with Yahoo global news anchor Katie Couric, Pacquiao talks about the epic event, which is poised to shatter revenue records for a boxing match. The total is expected to reach at least $400 million.
“This fight is really big, really important, especially in my country,” he tells Couric.
Pacquiao grew up in extreme poverty and began boxing early on to make money for his family. He says he would earn $2 for fights if he won, $1 if he lost.
He’s a long way from that now. Pacquiao will make over $100 million fighting Mayweather, though he says it’s about more than a big payday.
“My focus right now isn’t about money. It’s about how I get in shape 100 percent, and you know, do my best in the ring and give the people what they want.”
The father of five is deeply religious and philanthropic, but he says he wasn’t always that way. “I drank, womanizing, gambling, everything. But when I surrendered my life to the Lord, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, I surrendered my whole life.”
He laughs when recalling a viral video of himself singing, “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” but his new song “I Will Fight for the Filipino People” will be played when he enters on fight night, May 2.
Win or lose, Pacquiao says he has no plans to hang up his gloves anytime soon and still feels as fit and strong as ever.
“If I feel something, then I will tell you and say I’m retired.”
As for his political future, when asked by Couric if he will run for president of the Philippines one day, he replies, “I don’t know. It’s in God’s hands.”
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Post by espnisgone on Apr 23, 2015 12:35:52 GMT -5
Some room rates for Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight pack four-figure punch By ALAN SNEL LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
When it comes to hotel room rates in Las Vegas for the fight of the century on May 2, it’s the Wild, Wild West out there.
Some rates for a single night cost as much as your monthly mortgage payment.
“It’s kind of a free-for-all,” said Vanessa Doleshal, Vegas.com business development manager. “There’s nothing holding these hotels back.”
The Floyd Mayweather, Jr.-Manny Pacquiao megaboxing showdown at the MGM Grand Garden 12 days away has created a volatile room rate market for May 1 and 2 because it’s unlike most big events such as the National Finals Rodeo or the Consumer Electronics Show in which blocks of rooms are booked years ahead at a fixed rate.
It’s unbridled supply-and-demand capitalism in its purest form, as a room in Whiskey Pete’s in Primm some 40 miles from the Strip costs $180 per night on May 1 and 2 when it would typically cost $59 a night for the same Saturday night, Doleshal said.
“That weekend is such an anomaly,” Doleshal said. “Surprisingly, people are actually paying those rates and the hotels are selling out.”
She noted a $250-per-night room at Wynn Las Vegas is getting a $700 increase to $950 for May 2, while even modest Circus Circus is charging $284 a night on fight weekend when a room would typically go for $59 a night.
The most expensive hotel room is at MGM Grand for $1,684 a night, with Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace at $1,249 and The Cromwell at $1,052 a night. Aria and Bellagio are $1,049 a night on May 1 and 2.
Most hotels require two-day, Friday-and-Saturday bookings for the weekend, Doleshal said. She added only 19 Las Vegas area hotels of the 113 served by Vegas.com will sell a room for only Saturday.
Vegas.com, which became the booking engine for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in November 2012, reported other interesting facts:
■ The fight announcement prompted a 660 percent increase in searches from Feb. 19 to Feb. 20, when the boxing match was announced.
■ The number of rooms booked for May 1 or May 2 on Vegas.com increased 954 percent from Feb. 19 to Feb. 20.
■ Even two-star hotels such as El Cortez and Golden Gate pumped up room rates by $200 for the May 1-2 weekend, when the room rates normally start at $59-$89.
The occupancy rate on fight weekend is expected to be 90 percent to 95 percent, Doleshal said. She said it’s typically around 85 percent in the first weekend in May.
Room rates might actually drop right before the fight if hotels are looking to unload rooms.
“If people wait to the last minute, they might get lucky,” Doleshal said.
MGM Grand Garden will have about 16,800 seats for the megafight, with ticket resellers selling tickets for $4,800 to $37,000 a piece.
Non-MGM Resorts International hotels in Clark County will not be allowed to show the TV broadcast of the big fight. MGM Resorts will be showing the fight at its properties on the Strip, and specific spots in the hotels and the price are being finalized.
But bars and businesses that are not in hotels will be able to buy the pay-per-view broadcast.
“The fight will be seen on closed circuit only at all MGM Resorts International properties along the Strip,” MGM Resorts spokesman Scott Ghertner said.
“The exclusivity applies to hotel/casinos in Clark County. I don’t have the price for this yet as it is in the process of being finalized as we speak.”
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Post by 221dayton on Apr 28, 2015 9:06:30 GMT -5
Pacquiao’s Promoter Frustrated by Mayweather’s Adviser & MGM
By STEVE CARP LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL 4/26/15
For Bob Arum, Sunday can’t come soon enough.
The 83-year-old Hall of Fame promoter has been exasperated over the handling of the promotion for Saturday’s megafight at the MGM Grand Garden between Manny Pacquiao, who is represented by Arum’s company, Top Rank, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., who Arum promoted the first 11 years of his career before they split in 2006.
Whether it was ticket allocations or hotel rooms or myriad other smaller details, it has been a frustrating time for Arum, a promoter who has done thousands of fights going back to the 1960s when he started promoting Muhammad Ali’s fights and is used to being in control.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Arum said, and he was not alluding to it in complimentary terms. “Who announces a fight when you don’t have a contract with a venue? How do you (expletive) up the tickets? It’s embarrassing what the MGM and (Al) Haymon did.”
Haymon, who is Mayweather’s adviser, and the MGM. They are No. 1 and No. 2 on Arum’s hit list. He doesn’t blame Mayweather. He doesn’t blame the cable television networks, HBO and Showtime. He doesn’t even blame Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather promotions.
“Ellerbe has had very, very little to do with this,” Arum said. “The man behind the curtain (Haymon) is pulling the strings.”
Ellerbe has laughed off similar comments, saying it’s Bob being Bob.But he also points out that Arum knew the terms of the deal before his client signed on for the fight.
“It’s about control,” Ellerbe said. “Bob is used to being in control. He’s used to calling all the shots. This time, he’s not calling the shots and it’s driving him crazy.”
Until the manifest arrived at Top Rank’s office on Tuesday from the MGM with Top Rank’s ticket allotment, Arum was ready to go to the attorney general to get some action. He calmed down once the email arrived from Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS who has been a key figure in brokering the deal to make the fight.
And when Moonves got Arum, Haymon and the MGM on the phone the following morning, the hotel contract issue was resolved and that paved the way for the limited public sale of 500 tickets to the fight as well as 50,000 closed-circuit television seats at the MGM’s Strip properties.
“Moonves has been tremendous,” Arum said. “There probably wouldn’t have been a deal without him. He deserves all the credit he’s getting.”
Normally, Arum would tell anyone who tried to dictate to him the terms of a fight to take a hike. But he was put in a tough position because Pacquiao has wanted this fight so badly, he basically ordered Arum to make a deal, regardless of the terms.
“That’s how bad he wants this fight,” Arum said. “Would I normally agree to a deal like this? Not in a million years. But Manny Pacquiao is a dear friend and a great champion and when he was willing to accept less money and be on the short end of everything, I went ahead and got him the fight.
“Are the terms equitable? Absolutely not. But when Manny wins, it’ll all have been worth it.”
And while the deal may not be the greatest for Pacquiao, don’t fret for him or is family. Pacquiao will make in the neighborhood of $120 million, perhaps more, depending on how well the fight sells on pay per view. Mayweather is expected to make anywhere between $180 million and $200 million.
Arum still harbors bitter feelings toward the MGM over Pacquiao’s last visit. On April 12, 2014, Pacquiao faced Timothy Bradley at the Grand Garden in a rematch of their controversial June 8, 2012 meeting that saw Bradley win by split decision. The week of the fight, Arum noticed signage around the MGM for Mayweather’s upcoming fight with Marcos Maidana on May 3.
He went apoplectic. He publicly ripped the MGM, taking dead aim at Richard Sturm, the hotel’s president for entertainment and sports. He not only demanded the signage be taken down, but that the sponsors for the fight be compensated for the competing signage.
That didn’t happen. But the MGM did remove the Mayweather-Maidana fight signage and the day after the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, it went back up again.
One of the stipulations to this fight was Mayweather’s demand it be held at the MGM. Arum was incensed but he had no choice but to agree. However, he has some control over Pacquiao and he intends to limit his fighter’s exposure to the property. Pacquiao’s scheduled “grand arrival” for Tuesday will not happen, according to Arum. It’s the traditional kickoff of fight week festivities and the first opportunity for the fans to see the fighters.
Instead, Arum has arranged for reporters to meet with Pacquiao at Mandalay Bay, which, incidentally, is an MGM property. Of course, things could change between now and Tuesday and Arum may have a change of heart and allow Pacquiao’s many fans a chance to see him.
The contract does not require Pacquiao to be at the arrival Tuesday. He does have to be at the final news conference, set for Wednesday at the MGM, Friday’s weigh-in at the Grand Garden and, of course, Saturday’s fight.
Arum is pleased about one aspect of this promotion — Pacquiao.
“Manny’s preparation for this fight has been unbelievable,” Arum said. “He’s relaxed and he’s focused and he’s going to win.”
Overall, though, Arum admits this has not been a pleasurable experience, even though he is a participant in boxing’s biggest event in decades.
“It’s been very frustrating,” Arum said. “When I did business with Don (King), it was always a battle, step by step. But it was a good battle. He was very tough to negotiate with. But once you got him to sign, everything was fine.
“But this is different. The contract. The tickets. Who does business like this? That’s why I’ll be happy when it’s May 3 and Manny wins and I can raise my man’s hand and we can all go to the Philippines for a victory parade.”
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Post by espnisgone on Apr 30, 2015 14:38:03 GMT -5
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Post by Exit 81 on Apr 30, 2015 17:54:40 GMT -5
I hope Manny Pacquiao comes out the winner.
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Post by VAisforRacers on May 2, 2015 10:35:19 GMT -5
At $90 in standard definition and $100 in high definition, it's the single most expensive pay-per-view fight in history. The previous record was $75 for high definition in 2013 to see Mayweather's fight with Canelo Alvarez, which sold 2.2 million pay-per-views Your only way to see the fight on pay-per-view is to order it through your cable or satellite provider. It is highly suggested by everyone involved in the fight that if you are planning to order, you not do it at the last minute, when ordering systems could jam due to the incredible demand for the fight.
Here are the particulars for the show: Start Time: 9 p.m. ET Price: $89.95 (SD) and $99.95 (HD)
Main Event Fight Time: There are two undercard fights, and it's guaranteed that the ring walks for Mayweather-Pacquiao won't start until 11 p.m.
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Post by espnisgone on May 2, 2015 17:54:05 GMT -5
Hell they even turned the weigh in into some glitzy type of moneymaker.
I will be glad when this carnival is over and hope the underdog runs away with it.
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Post by 221dayton on May 2, 2015 23:56:03 GMT -5
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Post by Yogisd1 on May 3, 2015 6:33:06 GMT -5
Mayweather fights the same way amateurs used to fight in the Olympics. He is not trying to knock anyone out, he's not trying to hurt them at all. He just wants to throw punches that judges will score. That leads me to believe he has no power, but that's another discussion. He is the perfect reason to bring back fights where fighters keep fighting until one of them does not answer the bell. I know that sounds crazy, but if this is the future of boxing, it may end up like NASCAR.
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Post by VAisforRacers on May 3, 2015 9:06:57 GMT -5
I watched the press conferences on ESPN after the fight and was kind of disappointed in Manny's. Sitting to the far left was some kind of lawyer who a couple of times told Manny what to say.
Mayweather showed up and ran them off then proceeded to preach about what a genius he is in getting that 9 figure check.
Glad I didn't waste $100 bucks on that fight.
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Post by VAisforRacers on May 4, 2015 15:04:29 GMT -5
Here is what I mean about the press conference being a sham.^^^^^^^^^ The morning after the fight here became yuck-it-up time. The legendary P.T. Barnum line seemed a perfect fit: There is a sucker born every minute.. Included in those suckers were the 16,507 who filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena, generating a paid gate of $74 million, all to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. outbox Manny Pacquiao in a fight about as compelling as the 405 Freeway at 8 a.m. Also right there in Barnum's pocket were the millions who paid $100 to watch on TV, and the media hordes that encouraged them to do so. This was billed the Fight of the Century. As the Wall Street Journal so aptly put it, it's good that we have 85 years left to top it. There was a serious and significant side to what took place Saturday night. Indeed, on a night that might have saved the sport, or at least improved its brand, it was only further damaged. That was not for the obvious reason of delivering a predictable and boring fight, but for the missed opportunity it presented. More than an hour after the fight, when most sane people were asleep, Pacquiao's team revealed, at the post-fight news conference, that their boxer had fought with a right shoulder injury. The muscle tear reportedly occurred in early April, during a training session in the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, owned by Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. The fighter's sessions had been closed to the media and all but a handful of team members Roach said the injury appeared to be healing. But at one point during training, he had Pacquiao working only on left-hand-punching drills. Pacquiao said in the news conference that he reinjured the shoulder early in the fight and was not as effective after that. The situation got even more complicated as the news conference continued. It became a game of who knew and when did they know it. Bob Arum, Top Rank Boxing's chief executive and Pacquiao's promoter, said they had sent a request for Pacquiao to be injected with painkillers for the fight. That injection would be a cocktail of three drugs, none banned, which included lidocaine. Arum said the request was sent to the Nevada State Boxing Commission a week ago. Saturday night at 6:08 p.m., three hours before the fight, Top Rank's Bruce Trampler approached the commission to ask that the injection be done. The commission said no. So Pacquiao went out, reinjured the arm, and much of the post-fight news conference furthered the impression that he fought mostly one-armed. It also included the impression that, somehow, the Nevada commission had done him wrong. That impression was quickly clouded further when, as the news conference was ending and reporters filing out, commission Chairman Francisco Aguilar took the microphone to say his commission knew nothing of any injury to Pacquiao until Trampler's request. He said had they known in a timely matter, they would have ordered an MRI to confirm the injury and allowed the injection. All of this raises the $64,000 question, or in the case of this fight, some $640-million questions: • Why didn't boxing postpone the fight? Why didn't they bite the bullet, face the inevitable skepticism, and do the right thing? Why did they take such a huge chance, knowing that an injury such as this would reduce Pacquiao's chances against Mayweather to near zero and further turn off a generation of fans? Those who paid dearly to see this were already feeling their pockets picked by the yawner fight they got. Now they are told they had paid for a yawner involving damaged goods. For most, going forward, the response will be: Fool me once... but…. All this, remember, came on a night that began with several cable companies carrying the fight pay-per-view locked up near fight time with the rush for late orders. The Twitter world was filled with pictures of blank TV screens, sent by people who had already paid their $100. Arum was questioned about the ethics of putting an injured boxer out there, and he said, "All athletes play with injuries." He didn't mention that when there are millions of people not only watching, but wagering on these athletes, full disclosure is essential. That's what the NFL's weekly injury report is all about. In misfortune, there is often opportunity. Boxing had a chance to do the opposite of what it did. Instead of spoiling its brand, it could have enhanced it. It needed to announce a postponement with a clear and constant message — along with refunds — that the sport needed to do what was right, that it would not sell a pig in a poke. Eventually, the public anger and sarcasm would have subsided, and boxing might still have a future. Doing the right thing is always powerful, in life and in sports. Boxing blew it. Its dream turned to disaster. Arum was about to be pressed more on this ethical issue when the champion arrived and took over the news conference stage. Soon, Mayweather, who has nicknamed himself "Money," was talking about his private jet and showing reporters the $100-million check he received after the fight. The sport of boxing, as it currently exists, was on display. bill.dwyre@latimes.com www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-mayweather-pacquiao-dwyre-20150504-column.html?track=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=53285
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