MAYWEATHER-HATTON IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MONEY FIGHTS IN HISTORY
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 09 Dec 2007
LAS VEGAS -- A few hours from now, undefeated boxers Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (38-0, 24KOs) of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31KOs) of Manchester, England will meet at the MGM Grand Events Center here for the WBC Welterweight title in what has been said as one of the biggest money fights in boxing history.
The latest odds at the MGM Grand Sportsbook Saturday morning still show Mayweather as the odds-on favorite at -270 ($270 bet wins $100), down from yesterday's -280. Hatton is at +230 ($100 bet wins $230), slightly up from yesterday's +240.
Gambling money floating around the world's gambling capital of Las Vegas, thru the Internet and in the UK are estimated to reach more than a hundred million dollars with more than $30 million dollars generated from the UK, according to reports.
The British fans, with around 30,000 of them invading Las Vegas to support their own boxer Ricky Hatton, have treated this fight as the biggest fight in British boxing history. Las Vegas immigration officials were kept busy all week by loads of British passengers coming direct from England and other points of origin in Europe to watch the fight.
Top photos show Mayweather and Hatton with the respective flags of their countries in giant frames which hang into the MGM press room.
A view of the MGM Grand press room a few hours into the fight.
According to one British journalist here, half of the British media are in Las Vegas to cover this fight which shows how England is treating the importance of this fight.
Though the Filipino fight fans are seen invading the Internet's boxing websites because of Pacquiao rise to stardom, the British fans are expected fill up most of the seats in the 16,000-seat MGM Garden Arena to fanatically root for Hatton.
Live gate receipts are expected at more than $10M.
HBO is expecting 1.5 million buys for this fight that translates into around $70M at $44.95 per buy.
Mayweather has been guaranteed $11M for this fight while Hatton has been guaranteed $6M but both boxers are expected to double their take after their shares of the PPV.
Closed-circuit television PPV shows are set up in many Las Vegas hotels with over 18,000 tickets have already been sold out for an additional revenue of more than a million dollars, according to reports.
Global television revenues are expected to reach $120M.
All in all, this fight will go down as one of the biggest money fights in boxing history.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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