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Which is the biggest money-spinning fight in boxing history?

Floyd and Manny
The biggest money-spinning fight in boxing history. Photo/ Las Vegas Sun
  • Boxing matches generate millions of dollars due to the success of pay-per-views. Professional boxers can earn hundreds of millions after a single event. 
  • The biggest money-spinning fight in boxing history took place in 2015 between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. 
  • The Fight of the Century reportedly generated 678 million euros. 

Boxing is one of the few sports where athletes can earn hundreds of millions after just one event. The biggest money-spinning fight is undoubtedly one of the best boxing matches of all time. 

A single boxing match can now generate hundreds of millions of dollars due to the success of pay-per-views and the rise of celebrity boxers. 

Boxers negotiate the amount they will earn from a fight several days before the fight takes place. The amount boxers earn per fight depends on factors such as previous experience, who is favoured and the sponsors. 

Boxers earn an average of $2,225 per fight in their early career days. On the other hand, more experienced boxers earn about $6,875 on average per fight. 

Over the years, we have seen several boxing matches, which have generated a lot of money. And that leads to the question of which is the biggest money-spinning fight in boxing history. 

Floyd Mayweather VS Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao is the biggest money-spinning fight in boxing history.

Floyd Vs Manny

The biggest money-spinning fight. Photo/ Sportskeeda.

The fight, which took place on May 2, 2015, profited off the hopes and expectations of fans who had long-awaited to see Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather battle it out in the ring. 

There were expectations that the fight could be the most lucrative in boxing history, with an initial estimate of 4.4 million purchases. 

Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao’s fight was televised through pay-per-view. Showtime and HBO, who were the respective rightsholders of Mayweather and Pacquiao, jointly produced the fight. 

The fight, which took place at the MGM Grand Arena in Paradise, Nevada, was also broadcast across the Philippines’ major broadcast television networks.

Due to the high price of the PPV, the Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao’s fight was widely broadcast online by unauthorized streams. 

However, that did not stop the fight’s PPV from breaking the record for revenues in the United States. According to Wikipedia, the PPV of the fight reportedly generated $410 million. The tickets for the public at MGM Grand Arena started at $1,500.

According to reports, the biggest money-spinning fight in boxing, at least for now, generated a total of 678 million euros. 

Manny Pacquiao collected 122 million euros, while Floyd Mayweather walked away with 223.5 million euros. 

Who Won The Fight Of The Century? 

The winner of the biggest money-spinning fight in boxing was Floyd Mayweather. The American international won the fight by unanimous decision. 

Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao after 12 rounds to remain undefeated in his boxing career. 

All three judges at the fight, Burt Clements, Glen Feldman and Dave Moretti, scored in favour of Mayweather. Two judges scored 116–112, and the other one scored 118–110.  

Despite all the judges ruling in Floyd Mayweather’s favour, Manny Pacquiao still believes that he deserved to be crowned the winner of the fight.

According to CompuBox, Floyd Mayweather landed 67 more punches than his opponent throughout the fight. Pacquiao landed double-figure punches in a round on his opponent just three times. 

Why Did Floyd Mayweather Vs Manny Pacquiao Take So Long? 

Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao, also known as Battle for Greatness, took place on Saturday, May 2, 2015. The fight was initially scheduled to take place before 2010, when both boxers were in their prime. 

However, the two boxing stars took over six years to discuss before finally stepping into the ring at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Floyd and Manny

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Photo/ Las Vegas Sun.

The negotiation between Mayweather’s and Pacquiao’s camp should have been smooth. However, one fighter was willing to negotiate a deal, while the other fighter was too stubborn to come to an agreement. 

The Ring named the failure to arrange the Mayweather–Pacquiao fight the 2010 Event of the Year. 

Serious negotiations for the Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao’s fight started in 2014. Gabriel Salvador, a part-time actor, played a significant role in making the fight finally happen. 

Gabriel made a key introduction between Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach and CBS President Les Moonves. And the two worked to facilitate the fight. 

The negotiations for the fight were finalized in early 2015, with all major issues, such as location and purse split, solved.  

Abraham Odhiambo is an avid sports fan who loves to write about football, boxing and wrestling. He's a big supporter of Manchester United. He's pursuing a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media at Egerton University.

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