Mayweather Vs. Paquiao: A Long Time Coming
By: Brandon Patton
The best fight of all time that many thought would never happen, is finally here!
It's finally here! On Saturday night, the battle that many have wanted to see for at least five years will be taking place. Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao, arguably the two best boxers of the last 10 years, will go toe to toe to determine who the best is! This fight will make history, as drama has followed throughout the entire negotiation process, right up to a week before the fight. Whether it was agreeing to the drug testing protocol, the weight of the boxing gloves, or the split of the revenue, something has always stopped this fight from occurring, until now.
Is Boxing Dead?
Boxing has struggled to stay relevant as of late. There are no big name heavy weight fighters like there used to be for so many generations, whether it was Muhammed Ali or Mike Tyson. Both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are in the smaller, welterweight division. Also, rival sports like Mixed Martial Arts have gained traction, and continues to attract more viewers. Has boxing's popularity declined due to the violence? According to William C. Rhoden of the New York Times, it has more to do with exposure. "The erosion of boxing as a staple of United States culture has less to do with a great moral awakening than with promoters chasing paydays, moving to cable and finally making deals with that devil called pay per view." How much money exactly will the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight rake in?
Show Me The Money!
Pay per view alone for the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight will cost viewers $99.99, the highest price ever for any pay per view bout. Don Steinberg from the Wall Street Journal explains that "revenue for Mayweather-Pacquiao may reach a record $400 million world-wide. As much as $200 million of that could go to Mr. Mayweather and possibly more than $100 million to Mr. Pacquiao". The article went on to explain that "ticket prices in the 16,800-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena start at $1,500 and top out at $10,000 apiece, generating a live gate of $72 million, give or take." This fight simply put is shaping up to be a once in a lifetime event.
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have two completely different personalities. Both are skilled fighters, but Mayweather is known for his arrogance, understandable considering he is undefeated as a professional fighter at 47-0. Manny Pacquiao is quieter and more laid back, always smiling, and seen as a hero in his home country of the Republic of Philippines where he serves in the House of Representatives. This fight should definitely be entertaining and, hopefully, will be worth the hype after years and years of negotiations. Will Floyd continue his streak of being undefeated? Will Manny Pacquiao pull off the historic upset in dramatic fashion? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, it's finally going to happen!
I am a CBS 62/CW 50 Community Affairs Intern. I am a huge sports fan and of course you have to love your hometown teams! I currently attend Eastern Michigan University, I love dogs and my family!
