| LAS VEGAS (March 11, 2015) – Sports fans will be treated to the fight that has captured the attention of the entire world when boxing’s pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather steps into the ring to face eight-division world champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao in an epic welterweight world championship unification bout. The much-anticipated mega-fight will take place Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by SHOWTIME PPV® and HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.
Superstars Mayweather and Pacquiao, whose crossover appeal transcends the sport and has made them household names, will compete in an event that is expected to eclipse any and all pay-per-view, live gate and closed circuit records. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will rival legendary and memorable prizefights in the sport’s history such as the “Thrilla in Manila,” the “Rumble in the Jungle” and Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns.
“Since the fight was announced, the response from the public has been unbelievable, and it’s even more clear that this is the fight the fans want to see,” said Mayweather. “I’m grateful that Manny Pacquiao and I were able to make it happen. This will be the biggest event in the history of boxing. I can’t thank my team enough for their support from day one. I’m more motivated than ever to put on an unbelievable show, and I’ll be ready for May 2.”
“I will be ready for my date with destiny on May 2,” said Pacquiao. “I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years. They have waited long enough and they deserve it. It is their mandate. It is an honor to be part of this historic event. I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world.”
The fighters, promoters and network executives worked in close cooperation to ensure that every detail was agreed upon and set in order to deliver this historic fight.
“This fight is what we’ve all been waiting for,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. We always say that we want to give the fans what they want, and on May 2 they will get just that. “Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is the biggest event in the history of boxing, and we’re confident it will break all pay-per-view, live gate, and closed circuit records. Floyd has worked hard his whole career and controlled his own destiny to get to this point. Mayweather Promotions is excited for him and to be part of this extraordinary opportunity for everybody involved.”
“The whole world is eagerly awaiting this exciting battle,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank “With the help of God, we will be triumphant.”
“Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other,” said Ken Hershman, President HBO Sports. “And now, on May 2, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all-time, fight fans have been granted their wish. May 2 will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective.”
“When Showtime Networks signed Floyd Mayweather we began planning for spectacular events throughout the term of our agreement. For both Floyd and for us, this fight was the top priority,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “The overwhelming anticipation for this fight is driving us to work around the clock on virtually every aspect of the event to deliver a world-class presentation worthy of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.”
“Like boxing fans worldwide, we’re very excited that the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight has come to fruition,” said Richard Sturm, president of Entertainment and Sports for MGM Resorts International. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this championship fight at MGM Grand, home to the sport’s biggest events. This May weekend will prove to be one of the most electric weekends Las Vegas has ever experienced.”
One of the most decorated fighters in the history of the sport, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) is an 11-time world champion in five weight divisions and is universally recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. With his trademark speed, defensive prowess and ability to read his opponents Mayweather has amassed wins over 20 world champions in his already legendary 19-year career. In addition to his in-ring accomplishments, Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated have named Mayweather the world’s highest-paid athlete multiple times. His events
average more than one million pay-per-view buys per fight, which is the highest average of any boxer in history. Mayweather holds the all-time record in gross pay-per-view receipts and has participated in three of the top six highest grossing pay-per-view events of all-time. Thus far, Mayweather is the only fighter to have participated in two events that generated more than 2 million pay-per-view buys each. Mayweather has been decorated with awards for “Best Male Athlete” and “Fighter of the Year” by various organizations including five ESPN ESPY Awards and two Boxing Writers Association of America awards.
Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines (he was reelected to a second term, running unopposed in 2013), is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over present and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Márquez. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with more than 13 million domestic pay-per-view buys. Pacquiao regained the WBO welterweight title last year, on April 12, via a scintillating unanimous decision over Timothy Bradley Jr., avenging his controversial 2012 split decision loss to the undefeated two-division world champion.
HBO Sports has brought the best in sports to television for four decades — from world championship boxing events, to intriguing documentaries and specials, to the most honored and compelling reality programming franchise, and the most provocative sports magazine program on TV. HBO has covered the sport of boxing unlike anyone else over the last 40 years. Three series comprise the HBO Boxing franchise, including the flagship
World Championship Boxing® series, theHBO Pay-Per-View® service, which isthe pay-per-view arm of Home Box Office and a premier supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry, and the late-night HBO Boxing After Dark® series, which was introduced in 1996.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to annual events including Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.
For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing. |
