In Richest Boxing Bout Ever, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Earned Rs 31 Crore per Minute vs Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao was the richest in boxing history, setting new records for pay-per-view (PPV) buys and gate receipts.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr, the world's highest-paid athlete, has just got richer. In Las Vegas on Saturday, Mayweather cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats by improving to 48-0 with a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao in a fight that lived up to its immense hype and price tag.
After 12 rounds at the MGM Grand Garden, 'Money' Mayweather took home approximately 180 million USD (Rs 1145 crores), 60 per cent of the total purse of 300 million USD (about Rs 1911 crores). Filipino challenger Pacquiao, whose rags to riches story is now part of sports folklore, was richer by 763 crore for the night's work. (Floyd Mayweather's Triumph Over Manny Pacquiao: Key Moments)
The fight between the two greatest boxers of their generation was one that appeared might never happen as Pacquiao resisted Mayweather's demands for blood-testing for five years. When the two camps finally hammered out a deal, it was the richest in boxing history, setting new records for pay-per-view (PPV) buys and gate receipts.
Mayweather and Pacquiao had promised to deliver on years of hype and give fans their money's worth and were true to their word in delivering an entertaining contest that had the capacity crowd on its feet roaring from the opening bell to the end of the 12 round showcase. (Mayweather Stays Perfect With Decision Over Pacquiao)
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Mayweather earned 31 crore per minute while Pacquiao won 21 crore. By the end of the first round, the American had collected a staggering 95.48 crore, more than 31.86 crores than Pacquiao.
Mayweather is the first athlete besides Tiger Woods to earn $100 million in Forbes' annual tally of the highest-paid athletes. His September 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez set records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate ($20 million) and total revenue (roughly $200 million). (Pacquiao Believes He Beat Mayweather)
The 38-year-old American, who was sporting a $23,000 mouth guard infused with flecks of gold and pieces of a hundred dollar bill, has been cashing multi-million checks for his fights for more than a decade.
Mayweather banked at least $25 million for each of his past nine bouts going back to 2007 when he defeated Oscar De La Hoya in the most watched fight in the history of boxing pay-per-view events. Mayweather has earned almost $400 million in the ring since he turned pro in 1996 after the Olympics, but he has never had a year like this past one.
Dubbed the "Fight of the Century" the MGM Grand Garden Arena crackled with energy as the rich and famous settled into their ringside seats. (Mayweather Vows to retire in September)
Actors Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington rubbed shoulders with sports celebrities such as Michael Jordan, New England Patriots quarterback Tom and billionaire Donald Trump.
With prime seats commanding six-figure sums on the resale market even the very wealthy and very famous were forced to call in favours to secure a golden ticket while an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 fight fans flooded into the desert gambling capital to be part of the buzz.
(With agency inputs)