TOKYO — A long-anticipated match between boxing champions, characterized by many as the “fight of the century,” is at last coming to pass. Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the U.S., a five-division world champion who has won all 47 of his fights, will meet Manny Pacquiao, a six-division world champion and hero of the Philippines, on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The clash between the most respected boxers of the new century will likely become the biggest show in history, with a total purse reportedly reaching $200 million.
Mayweather triggered an avalanche of U.S. media reports with his announcement of the fight via social media on the evening of Feb. 20. Later he commented, “This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport.” Pacquiao tweeted, “I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years.”
The match has been a topic of speculation since around 2009, but has never been scheduled due to conflicts between the fighters’ contracted promoters and television deals. Now, with the fighters approaching the last stages of their careers (Mayweather will turn 38 on Feb. 24 and Pacquiao 37 in December), the two camps have reached a compromise agreement.
The key issue of broadcasting rights has been resolved by allowing Showtime Networks, part of Mayweather partner CBS, and Home Box Office (HBO) of the Time Warner group, in the Pacquiao camp, to produce the program jointly. This will be the first time the two cable giants have joined hands since the 2002 heavyweight championship fight between Lennox Lewis (U.K.) and Mike Tyson (U.S.).
For the past decade Mayweather and Pacquiao have stood atop the boxing world, splitting opinions among critics and fans as to who is the better fighter. A bronze winner at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, Mayweather has gone on to champion status in five weight divisions, from superfeather to superwelter, on the strength of his exceptional defensive technique and speed. Nicknamed “Money,” he ranked No. 1 on Forbes magazine’s list of the World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes 2014, earning $105 million.
Pacquiao is a hero across Asia, relying solely on his fists to rise from poverty in the Philippines. Moving up through 10 weight divisions, from flyweight to superwelter, he is the second fighter in history to win six different division championships. Overturning common notions about hard lines between the sport’s divisions, his aggressive style has captivated boxing fans in the U.S., the center for the sport, as well as Mexico.
Mayweather holds four belts as welterweight and superwelterweight in both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC), while Pacquiao is welterweight champion of the World Boxing Organization (WBO). The May 2 bout will be a panorganization fight defending their respective belts.
With fans and media overheated from waiting so long, the fight will more than likely be one of the biggest shows in history. In preparatory negotiations the camps agreed to a 60-40 split of the purse in Mayweather’s favor, projecting earnings of $120 million for him and $80 million for Pacquiao.
Revenues from pay-per-view telecasting, which allows subscribers to view special programs for an additional charge, generally account for a major piece of the box office. Observers project that the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will attract over 3 million pay-per-view buys, beating the current record cited by U.S. media of 2.4 million for the 2007 fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya of the U.S.
