Mayweather v Pacquiao: Boxing’s $180,000 golden ticket | CNN

Mayweather v Pacquiao: Boxing’s $180,000 golden ticket

2 minute read
Updated 10:31 AM EDT, Mon April 27, 2015
"This is going to be an exciting fight. Our styles are totally different. He is very, very reckless. Every move I make is calculated. I'm always five, 10 steps ahead of my opponent" WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather said of his rival Manny Pacquiao as reporters packed into the Mayweather Boxing Club.
"This is going to be an exciting fight. Our styles are totally different. He is very, very reckless. Every move I make is calculated. I'm always five, 10 steps ahead of my opponent" WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather said of his rival Manny Pacquiao as reporters packed into the Mayweather Boxing Club.
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"I don't enjoy it like I once did. My last fight is in September," the 38-year-old revealed, meaning his bout against Pacquiao will be his penultimate fight. Pictured, his cousin and boxing camp coordinator DeJuan Blake helps him do neck exercises.
"I don't enjoy it like I once did. My last fight is in September," the 38-year-old revealed, meaning his bout against Pacquiao will be his penultimate fight. Pictured, his cousin and boxing camp coordinator DeJuan Blake helps him do neck exercises.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
"This fight is one of the biggest ever in boxing. This is two future hall-of-famers in a megafight. I've done record breaking numbers before, and it looks like we're going to do it again," proclaimed "Money" Mayweather, oozing confidence with a 47-0 professional fight record.
"This fight is one of the biggest ever in boxing. This is two future hall-of-famers in a megafight. I've done record breaking numbers before, and it looks like we're going to do it again," proclaimed "Money" Mayweather, oozing confidence with a 47-0 professional fight record.
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Showing off in front of the reporters, Mayweather pummels a speed bag. Look closely, and you'll see a poster of Pacquiao with his eyes and mouth taped over.
Showing off in front of the reporters, Mayweather pummels a speed bag. Look closely, and you'll see a poster of Pacquiao with his eyes and mouth taped over.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
"So many people were trying to say Floyd was scared," Mayweather's father and trainer, Floyd Sr., said. "Let's see on May 2 who is scared. I can't tell you why or how, but here's an update -- Floyd is going to kick his ass and knock Pacquiao out. I didn't watch one tape on Pacquiao. There is no reason to study him. He's not at this level."
"So many people were trying to say Floyd was scared," Mayweather's father and trainer, Floyd Sr., said. "Let's see on May 2 who is scared. I can't tell you why or how, but here's an update -- Floyd is going to kick his ass and knock Pacquiao out. I didn't watch one tape on Pacquiao. There is no reason to study him. He's not at this level."
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Renowned for his flashy lifestyle -- he wears <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2015%2F04%2F10%2Fsport%2Fmayweather-pacquiao-most-bizarre-event-in-history%2F">$25,000 mouth guards</a> adorned with diamonds and gold -- Mayweather is living the Las Vegas lifestyle with celebrities such as rapper Lil' Kim attending his work out session.
Renowned for his flashy lifestyle -- he wears $25,000 mouth guards adorned with diamonds and gold -- Mayweather is living the Las Vegas lifestyle with celebrities such as rapper Lil' Kim attending his work out session.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Former Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff also came to check out Mayweather's moves as he prepared for what may be the richest fight in boxing history.
Former Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff also came to check out Mayweather's moves as he prepared for what may be the richest fight in boxing history.
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Star of "Manny," a film recently released in the Philippines, Pacquiao said he's ready to rumble. "What I feel right now is motivation, inspiration and determination," he said at the Wild Card Boxing Club, his training headquarters in Hollywood. "The killer instinct is there, I love it."
Star of "Manny," a film recently released in the Philippines, Pacquiao said he's ready to rumble. "What I feel right now is motivation, inspiration and determination," he said at the Wild Card Boxing Club, his training headquarters in Hollywood. "The killer instinct is there, I love it."
Harry How/Getty Images
This week, Mayweather called Pacquiao a "reckless" fighter, a jibe the "Pacman" shrugged off."That's how people like me and love me, because they like an exciting fight," said the Filipino. "We call this boxing."
This week, Mayweather called Pacquiao a "reckless" fighter, a jibe the "Pacman" shrugged off."That's how people like me and love me, because they like an exciting fight," said the Filipino. "We call this boxing."
Harry How/Getty Images
The congressman and eight-division world champion said he had a message for Mayweather: "After the fight, if I could talk to him, I want to share the gospel of God. I want to share to him about God, why we need God." Pacquiao is a passionate Christian. He uses social media to thank God and share his musical compositions, while Mayweather's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2015%2F03%2F11%2Fsport%2Fmayweather---pacquiao-2015%2F">Instagram feed highlights his glamorous lifestyle.</a>
The congressman and eight-division world champion said he had a message for Mayweather: "After the fight, if I could talk to him, I want to share the gospel of God. I want to share to him about God, why we need God." Pacquiao is a passionate Christian. He uses social media to thank God and share his musical compositions, while Mayweather's Instagram feed highlights his glamorous lifestyle.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
"I've never seen Manny at this level," said trainer Freddie Roach, right. "He's really motivated for this fight. It has really escalated his performance. I think he's faster than ever and he's definitely hitting harder than ever."
"I've never seen Manny at this level," said trainer Freddie Roach, right. "He's really motivated for this fight. It has really escalated his performance. I think he's faster than ever and he's definitely hitting harder than ever."
Harry How/Getty Images
"My entire career defines my legacy. Everything I have done in boxing," Pacquiao said. "I have had some great, great accomplishments and achievements in my career." The bout is set for May 2 and is expected to fetch over $300 million.
"My entire career defines my legacy. Everything I have done in boxing," Pacquiao said. "I have had some great, great accomplishments and achievements in my career." The bout is set for May 2 and is expected to fetch over $300 million.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
Ready to rumble: Mayweather and Pacquiao up the ante

Story highlights

Tickets for Mayweather v Pacquiao on sale online for $180,000

Majority of the 1,000 tickets for the general public snapped up within minutes

The fight in Las Vegas on May 2 is one of the biggest in the sport's history

CNN  — 

Are you a boxing fan? Fancy the best seats in the house for Saturday night’s showdown in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao? Got a spare $361,894 for a couple of tickets?

No? Ah, well then you might have a problem.

Yes, while most of the tickets for the highly-anticipated clash have sold out, there are still some floating around on secondary sites with ringside seats going at crazy money.

A ticket at ringside will cost you $180,000 – a knockout price which might have you seeing stars.

As of lunchtime Friday, the most expensive seat on sale through the StubHub website, was retailing for a mammoth $128,705 but has since skyrocketed.

Tickets were released last Thursday, just eight days before one of the biggest fights in history after legal wrangling between the two camps.

However only around 1,000 were available to the general public, the rest of the estimated 16,500 tickets split between the fighters’ camps and the casino as well as promoters and sponsors.

Not long after some were made available on resale websites at a mark up that could only be dreamed about even by the sharpest financial trader.

Those at the lower end of the eye-watering scale – priced between $1,500 and $7,500 – were snapped up in a matter of minutes.

The cheapest priced ticket being offered on StubHub as of Monday is $4,600 with that seat right at the back of the MGM Grand arena.,

“We’ve never seen anything like this in boxing, and I don’t think in any sporting event,” Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, told CNN, .

And Arum isn’t worried that the steep prices would keep fans away.

“The 1% has so much money, they don’t know how to spend it. Whether it’s yachts, paintings or tickets to a fight, money means nothing,” he said.

“There was a craze for tickets and under our agreement with Mayweather Promotions, we felt we were being deprived of our fair share of the tickets (from) the standpoint of number and location.

“It was very, very important to my fighter Manny Pacquiao, to the Philippines people… Manny has friends and family like you can’t believe – that will be in account for 800 or 900 tickets themselves.”

Read: Mayweather vs Pacquiao: The most bizarre fight in history?

Read: Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Referee confirmed, ticket deal made