Maybe it’s Sugar Shane Mosley who is the magic ticket seller in Las Vegas after all.
After all, the 39 year old Mosley is the common demoninator for the last two big crowds to turn out for a major fight in the gambling mecca.
When Mosley fought Mayweather last May 1, they sold about 15,000 seats.
On Monday, Mosley did it again, this time his presence in a May 7 main event against someone named Manny Pacquiao accounting for a run on the box office of 16,000 seats in a mere three hours.
Which also brings to mind that maybe the general public pays little or no attention to we boxing pundits anyway.
Here’s the breathless release from promoter Top Rank although it does not say how many ducats were gobbled up by greedy ticket speculators who will then turn around and double and triple the face value prices:
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (January 31, 2011) ? Pacman Fever hit MGM Grand this morning with one of the biggest ticket runs in Las Vegas boxing history. Between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT, 16,000 tickets were sold to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley world welterweight championship. Barely 1,000 seats remain for Pacquiao?s return to the Fight Capital of the World, where he hasn?t fought since 2009.
?Incredible. Simply incredible,? exclaimed Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum when he heard the news today. ?I have never promoted a fight that has sold so many tickets so quickly. Manny Pacquiao never ceases to amaze the world with his achievements. The excitement he generated today with the initial ticket sales makes it feel like fight week already!?
Boxing?s No. 1 pound-for-pound box office attraction and the Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines, defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against three-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs),of Pomona, Calif. Pacquiao vs. Mosley erupts on Saturday, May 7 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions and MGM Grand, remaining tickets to Pacquiao vs. Mosley, priced at $1,000, $750, and $300, can be purchased through Ticketmaster. To charge by phone, with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales at $1,000, $750, and $300 are limited to 10 per person.
Pacquiao vs. Mosley will be produced and distributed Live on SHOWTIME PPV?, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. For Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com
