California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

    Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a go

    Boxing fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will meet once and for all to establish who boxing’s number one fighter is.

    “They are both considered to be the best in their weight division. They’ve won a lot of fights fighting other people, not each other, so all of the boxing fans and experts say this is a fight that needed to happen,” said Dr. Russell Stockard, communication professor and teacher of the sports-related marketing class at California Lutheran University.

    According to espn.com, this deal took five years and was finally confirmed on Feb. 20, much to the delight of sports fans worldwide.

    A lot of publicity surrounding the event has already begun. According to Forbes.com, the tickets have not been made available to the public yet, but the speculated price is $1,000 and could cost up to $5,000 for ringside tickets.

    “This will result in a total gate of around $40 million for the 16,800 seat MGM Grand Garden Arena,” according to the Forbes.com article.

    “Boxing fan or not, people are going to be tuning into this event because even if you don’t know anything about boxing, most people have heard their names. I think that it’s going to break record numbers,” Becky Schroeder, a studio editor for Fox Sports said.

    According to CNN.com, the match will be aired by Showtime and HBO and it is expected to have the highest watched pay-per-view audience in history.

    The price to purchase the fight has not been confirmed, but it’s estimated it will cost audiences about $95 and promoters are hopeful it will be viewed in three to four million homes.

    “Even if this year’s fight only reaches 3.25 million homes, it will generate more than $300 million in revenue. About half of that will go to cable operators, leaving $150 million for the fighters,” according to the CNN.com article.

    “This event is going to be massive. This is the make-or-break-it deal for boxing,” said Travis Dodd, a senior at Cal Lutheran and a mixed martial arts fighter who boxed in high school. “If Manny wins, this will bring boxing right back up to its feet.”

    It’s no secret boxing isn’t nearly as popular as it once was. It has struggled to compete with other sports like the NFL and NBA and especially the newly popular UFC.

    “If Manny loses this fight, this might be the end of boxing and the transition to MMA will be complete,” Dodd said.

    Schroeder has a different outlook. She said she believes boxing fans will stay boxing fans and people that aren’t will tune into the event but will leave it at that.

    Stockard said he believes part of the issue with boxing is there are currently no American heavyweight fighters, the division that attracts most viewers.

    “Our best athletes are not in boxing. The best athletes who could be heavyweight fighters are playing football. Most boxers aren’t getting paid like Mayweather. They make more money in football,” Stockard said.

    According to CNN.com, Mayweather is the highest paid U.S. athlete.

    Whether or not this match will bring boxing back, fans are hopeful it will be a great match.

    “I don’t think it will be over in two rounds, I think it’ll go several rounds. I don’t think either one is that much of a threat to the other that one has got to be worried about getting knocked out in 45 seconds,” Stockard said.

    Dodd said he believes the only way Pacquiao can win this fight is by knockout, but he questions whether or not Mayweather will allow him to get close enough to do so.

    “I think Mayweather is going to win by decision,” Schroeder said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a knockout. I think if this fight had happened five years ago Pacquiao would have won it, but Pacquiao is a little older now and Mayweather is untouchable. I think Mayweather gets it by decision.”

    Whatever the case may be, viewers will have to tune in on May 2 to see how the fight plays out. One can only speculate for now.

    “I don’t think there’s any way that these two can come together and not put on an amazing event,” Schroeder said. “I think it’s going to be worth however much they charge on pay-per-view. I think it will live up to the hype for sure.”

    Daniela Abravaya
    Staff Writer
    Published March 11, 2015