Top Rank chief Bob Arum said the pricey tickets for the June 28 battle between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz in Las Vegas are almost gone despite the slowing down of ticket sales.
“Ticket prices have slowed a bit because of the high gas prices and people no longer want to drive to Las Vegas,” said Arum yesterday from New York. “But the floor seats and other high-priced tickets are just about sold out.”
Still, Arum is upbeat that the Pacquiao-Diaz bout for the latter?s World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight crown at Mandalay Bay will do good in the box office.
Tickets are priced at $ 600, $ 400, $ 300, $ 200 and $ 100, while pay-per-view subscription is pegged at $ 49.95.
Meanwhile, Arum said Pacquiao?s promotional tour in San Diego, California, on Wednesday (yesterday in Manila) turned out well.
Diaz was not in attendance since he is in the thick of training in Chicago.
“There was a great turnout,” said Arum, who was briefed about the result of the promotional gig by publicists Lee Samuels and Bill Caplan.
Arum will make up for his absence in San Diego when he resurfaces in Los Angeles this Saturday.
“I expect a lot more there this weekend,” added Arum, who also held similar activities in San Francisco and Chicago (for Pacquiao) and Phoenix and San Antonio and Chicago (for Diaz) in the past few weeks.
After this weekend?s affair in an area called Little Philippines in Los Angeles, Pacquiao will make his next public appearance with Diaz gracing the event as well on June 23 in Santa Monica, which is a short drive from downtown Los Angeles.
From Santa Monica, Pacquiao will motor to Sin City, while Diaz, who will plane in a day before the media event, will take a commercial flight.
