The $300 million fight worth every penny - Mayweather vs Pacquiao
Eye-watering fees won't matter when that bell rings, It will be the most lucrative fight in the history of boxing, but when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao strip to the waist and glove their fists, it will be sport at its purest.
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It is a prize fight only by name because the $300 million (£198m) required to sign, seal and deliver such an occasion ensures that even the loser will return home with unimaginable fortunes. However, Mayweather and Pacquiao will be fighting for something more valuable.
For, despite the eye-watering sums that surround this fight, the amount is impossible to ignore and contributes so poignantly to the countdown, Mayweather and Pacquiao will be boxing for a place in history that money can’t buy.
Athletes or public figures rarely present themselves as lavishly as the five-weight world champion Mayweather but his 'Money' moniker distract from the undeniable unfashionable daily grind that is mandatory to preserve a 47-0 record. The beads of sweat that drip from his forehead are not as marketable as his flashy attire but we have got both sides of Mayweather giving their all.
The more than quarter of a billion dollar price tag that looms large dwarfs the $40 million that was offered to Pacquiao in 2012 and adds to the intrigue of the May 2 bout in Las Vegas, where a $1 million (£659,000) WBC belt is at stake.
Only Sin City, Mayweather's home from home, would be appropriate to hold a match that will break financial records for pay-per-view, global sales and gate receipts but while those figures are yet to be decided, other sums are at the forefront of this storyline.
Mayweather's $200 million (£134m) Showtime contract was called the "richest individual athlete deal in all of sports" by Forbes, the financial publication that reports the boxer's staggering wealth alongside the world's business moguls.
This will be the fifth of six bouts on that contract, with $170 million (£113m) banked from the first four. His win over Saul Alvarez two years ago is the highest grossing fight ever at $75 million (£50m).
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The caricatures of Mayweather as wealth obsessed and Pacquiao as a politically-motivated humanitarian (although his net worth tops $100 million (£67m) and he endures tax issues in the Philippines) drive the narrative of 'good v evil' for this spectacle, but the true cost is found in the chequebooks of everyday boxing fans.
The working man's seat in the MGM Grand will likely be filled with a Hollywood movie star to whom the sky-rocketing ticket prices are a small price to pay for the ringside exposure.
Pacquiao, a boxer and also a politician, is idolised in his native land
The cheapest seats cost $1,500 (£996) while the domain of the rich and famous was priced at $7,500 (£4,982) but despite the MGM's 16,500 capacity, all but 1,000 tickets (which sold out within a minute) were reserved for sponsors and those in-the-know. A black market investment of up to $150,000 (£100,500), four times the average UK salary, may be required to actually obtain entry.
The MGM's official website said buyers should use "extra caution when purchasing" which, no doubt, the other halves of would-be investors would wholly agree with.
Dedicated fight fans willing to pay inflated flight prices to be part of a unique Vegas atmosphere could even struggle if they intend to watch it in bars and casinos. Strip competitors are legally banned from airing the fight, meaning the search for a television screen accompanied by a stiff drink will cost you $150 (£100) entry to MGM-owned locations such as the Bellagio or Mandalay Bay, we won't even mention the cost of refreshments to numb the pain.
If it's possible to get a decent night's sleep after the fight, it looks like the cheapest hotel on The Strip will set you back $1,000 (£667) per night. And that is without food. We do at least know that Mayweather's personal chef is one of few who will profit from the build-up. His at least.
Earning that figure for every meal that she prepares for the star of the show, Mayweather's chef only needs to whip up a couple of nutritional dishes per day and can withstand the crippling costs of the Vegas anticipation, if she finds time before supplying her client's £200-per-week sweets habit. Drinks and healthy snacks will surely be on her at the MGM venue of her choice.
Mayweather, the 38-year-old WBA and WBC welterweight champion, plans to wear a mouthguard embedded with diamonds, gold and $100 bills in a demonstration of showmanship befitting of the richest fight in history.
Yet despite putting his money where his mouth is, no amount of extravagance can prevent a perfect Pacquiao punch from ending his undefeated professional record and therein lies the true cost to this fight.
Legacy can't be purchased and the untold fortunes of either competitor will never compensate for the black mark next to the loser's name after a fight that will be remembered for more generations than the money will last.
When the first bell rings and every penny has been counted, having Mayweather and Pacquiao finally share a ring will be priceless.
— skysports
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