LOS ANGELES — Tickets for the megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally hit the market Thursday and unless your name is Warren Buffet or Madonna you will probably have to watch the May 2 bout on pay-per-view. After weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations between the fighters' camps and much speculation, the coveted tickets went on sale and, as expected, they were not cheap. Prices on Ticketmaster ranged between $1,500 to $7,500 and those tickets were snapped up in a matter of seconds. The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is expected to pack in close to 16,500 for the fight but estimates had only 500 to 1,000 tickets going on sale to the public with the rest earmarked for the two fighters, the casino, sponsors and promoters. Within minutes of the tickets going public, the market place shifted to resale sites which posted knockout prices of $100,000 and more for ringside seats, putting them beyond the reach of everyone but the world's most rich and famous. Another secondary site, Ticketliguidator.com, was offering floor seats for $55,000. “This is an extremely unique event for us, we haven't ever seen this,” StubHub spokesman Cameron Papp said. “The fact they are going on sale with the fight only nine days away is really unique and the fact there is lower inventory to the public is unique. That is being reflected in the prices right now.” The welterweight showdown between the undefeated Mayweather and the aggressive Pacquiao, the two best fighters of their generation, is expected to become the top-grossing prize fight of all time, pulling in close to $500 million in pay-per-view. For those wanting to get in on the Las Vegas buzz around the fight, many casinos will hold closed-circuit viewing parties and part of that experience will also include high-end tickets that will run in the $150 range. Weigh-in tickets cost $10 Promoters of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather mega fight have taken the unusual step of charging for the weigh-in after a limited number of tickets for the fight were snapped up almost immediately Thursday. Tickets for the May 1 weigh-in, also at the Grand Garden Arena inside the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas, will go on sale Friday and cost $10 each. “The weigh-in is always the grand finale of fight week activities.” said Leonard Ellerbe, chief executive of Mayweather Promotions. “And with the massive interest in this fight, the number of fans looking to attend the official weigh-in is going to be something we've never seen before.” Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said Thursday the money from the sale of weigh-in tickets will go to charity. “The charge of $10 for the weigh-in will benefit two great charities. All proceeds will go right to them. This is a win-win situation for all,” said Arum. Under Arizona law, weigh-ins are supposed to be free to the public. But promoters are hoping that by charging $10 they will discourage thousands of boxing fans from camping out overnight at the MGM to try and snag a ticket. Foreman favors Pacquiao Former world heavyweight champion George Foreman likes Manny Pacquiao over unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in their welterweight showdown. Foreman has plenty of experience in superfight history, having suffered his first career defeat in a mega-bout spectacular in Zaire to Muhammad Ali in the fabled 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle.” And he sees a strong start for Pacquiao, a big rally by Mayweather but a decision for the Filipino icon, who is 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts. “I think Pacquiao to win six rounds, the seventh will be kind of even. Mayweather will come on in the last rounds but it will be too late. The fight will be won by a single round,” Foreman said. “Mayweather starts off early looking for a rhythm, Pacquiao will pop him early on, he will tire and Mayweather will come on in the later rounds but he will lose. “It's going to be a fantastic, amazing boxing match. It will live up to all the hype, it really will.” Foreman knows all-too well the impact on a fighter who goes into such a bout unbeaten and comes out a loser, a fate he predicts for Mayweather, 47-0 with 26 knockouts. It took Foreman 15 months to climb back into the ring against another opponent after losing to Ali, his first defeat after 40 career wins. “I'm the one guy who knows what it's like to be undefeated going into a fight like that and to be knocked off that pedestal,” Foreman said. — Agencies
