AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
MANILA, Philippines – Half a trillion dollars.
That’s how much the mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could earn, based on the estimates of Long Beach Boxing Examiner.
The website, quoting an unknown source, said the fight could fetch an all-time high record earnings considering all factors like pay-per-view buys, sponsors, live gate ticket sales and merchandise.
The sheer magnitude of the fight, which according to the website has transcended far beyond boxing and into mainstream pop culture, could earn between $300 million to $500 million. It also pegged the PPV buys at $89.999 each.
Though Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz is reportedly doing everything to save the Pacquiao-Mayweather super fight, there were also contrasting reports that the much anticipated bout has once again fell through.
Fighthype.com claimed that Koncz is “giving people false hopes,” saying Tim Bradley will instead be the next Pacquiao foe. Mayweather thumbed down the fight after Pacquiao asked for a 50-50 revenue split.
It also said Top Rank boss Bob Arum has already given up on it happening in June, but pointed to a possible November date.
“The clock is ticking,” Arum was quoted by Fighthype.com as saying. “And that’s not good. So we need time to get this thing done. And you know, the end of May is really rushing it.
“Maybe Mayweather can get a further [postponement] from the judge (regarding his court sentence), because it’s so big. Or maybe they can each do interim fights, and do the fight in November, but what’s going on now is totally and completely ridiculous.”
If and when the “big thing” happens, Examiner.com said it could surpass the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya’s all-time record of 2.4 million PPV buys.
Pacquiao’s biggest PPV yield to date was 1.4 million PPV buys in his last of the Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy. He commanded 1.25 PPV buys during fights against De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, and 1.3 against Mosley.