10 Facts about “Fight of the Century”

Published 05/03/2015, 2:03 AM EDT

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The “fight of the century” was well the fight of the century to many, but some did find it a dull affair. Had this match-up in MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas  happened back in 2009 — it might have been even better. Here are 10 unbelievable-yet-true facts about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao rivalry.

1. Mayweather is essentially a defensive boxer and has never been overly concerned about entertaining the fans. Pacquiao, on the other hand, is an all-action fighter – which could play right into Mayweather’s hands, which essentially was the story of the match.

 

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2. It was not even cheap to watch the fight in your home. Pay-Per-View prices are also at an all-time high: $89.99 for SD, $99.99 for HD. The previous record was $74.95.

3. And unlike other sports, in which there’s a sort of buffer zone between the athletes playing and the money you spend to watch them, a direct percentage of every dollar you spent to watch Saturday’s fight went into Mayweather and Pacquiao’s pockets.

4. It was first in 2009, the year negotiations for the fight first began. After 6 years of lobbying and materializing, the fight is unfortunately happening when the two boxers are both past their prime.

5.  Floyd Mayweather Jr. goes by the nickname “Money”. He is the highest-paid athlete in the world. And he stands to take home $180 million dollars from today’s $300 million pot.
That’s more than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant’s salaries put together.

6.

$1500 — The price of the cheapest seats if you wanted to see the fight live.
$250,000 — The astronomical cost of a ringside seat.

7. Pacquiao is a politician back in the Philippines, where he has controversially campaigned to make it more difficult for women to access birth control and is vocal in his opposition to gay marriage.
Mayweather’s criminal convictions, three of which were for beating women.

8. Mayweather, 38, is unbeaten in 47 professional fights stretching back to 1996 and has won world titles in five different weight classes.
Pacquiao, 36, is a six-weight world champion (some say eight, although that includes a couple of minor belts) but has been beaten five times in 64 fights since turning pro in 1995.

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9. The belt the two fighters are competing for is made with hundreds of emeralds and is worth more than $1 million.

 

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10. If Pacquiao beats Mayweather, he’ll become the first fighter in history to hold titles in five different weight classes. He lost the fight and couldn’t break this record.

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Written by:

Jatin Mahajan

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