Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquaio: CBS Executives Saves Fight Just Eleven Days Away From May 2
In just eleven days, the world will find out if either “Money” or “Pac-Man” will be crowned the greatest boxer within this generation. Because of its marquee status, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquaio is turning out to be the biggest dream match ever, as proven by the fact its weigh-in will actually charge admission just for people to attend. Prior to that, the promotion for the dream match is tantamount, though most of it is from Pacquiao through endorsements and appearances. As a matter of fact, it is said that Pacquiao won the promotional round, often dubbed as “Round Zero.”
Unfortunately, all the promotion and news for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao may have been for nothing since contracts for the fight haven’t been officially signed. That all changed today, as a CBS executive swooped in to save the dream match scheduled for May 2.
According to MMA Mania, there were concerns that the dream match of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao would even happen because contracts for the fight have not yet been signed. Because of this fact, certain actions cannot happen, such as the pricing and selling of tickets or pay-per-view subscriptions. This is actually a big deal because the dream match is scheduled to take place on May 2, which — as mentioned earlier — is eleven days away.
Thankfully, a deal has been reached today and tickets are now on sale, starting at $1,500 and going up to $7,500 for the public. There are also $10,000 tickets too but they are sold privately. From what is reported by Yahoo! Sports, Leslie Moonves, the president and CEO of the CBS Corporation, who are involved in the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Paquiao fight, saved the day. Apparently, the reason why contracts weren’t signed is because of disputes between Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions, and the MGM Grand. Moonves settled the situation as stated by Bob Arum, Top Rank chairman, on Wednesday.
“We resolved all of the issues and now we’re waiting for the paperwork. I said on the call that if what we agreed upon is in the paperwork we receive, we will sign it and the tickets will be released.”
Though Leslie Moonves is the individual behind the resolution of the contract issue, one of the major players that helped push parties towards agreement is Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). Reid found out about the ticket issue through a conversation with Arum when he wanted to get tickets for himself and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), another avid boxing fan. Reid would then get involved to get the ball rolling as detailed by his deputy communications director, Kristen Orthman.
“Senator Reid considers it part of his basic responsibility as Nevada’s senator to put Nevada first and fight for Nevada’s economy. He has had a number of discussions to ensure the success of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, as he should because that’s his job. This is a fight that fans – Sen. Reid included – have wanted for years and will potentially bring in hundreds of millions into the state’s economy – so of course he would do everything he can to help make sure it happens.”
This situation is ongoing and will be updated as more information becomes available. As for those who want to purchase tickets for the dream match of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, they are now available at Ticket Network.
[Image via Esther Lin/Showtime]
