We are less then 48 hours away from the biggest fight in boxing history and Las Vegas is already going crazy.
Tickets gossip: Bob Arum is said to have spent $10,000 on his ringside ticket. Manny Pacquaio purchased 900 tickets for friends and family at a cost of about $3/4 Million. HBO is also said to have spent $3 million dollars to buy celebrities tickets. Former UFC Champion Tito Ortiz is said to have spent $250,000 on 2 ringside tickets.
Career Earnings: $340 million Pacquiao’s career vs $420 million Mayweather’s career
John McCain: “I can’t afford a $10,000 ticket. I hate to pay $99 just to watch it on TV, but I will! I hope Pacquiao, but Mayweather is the quickest fighter I’ve ever seen.” (Bloomberg)
Jay Kornegay of the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook: “America has to bet this fight, Everyone coming to this town, they’re going to wager on this fight. And we think 70% of the action will come in from Thursday on.” (LA Times)
Mike Tyson: Floyd is “small scared man” … who’s so afraid for his own safety in public that he can’t take his kids to school without a security team. “Greatness is not guarding yourself from the people, greatness is being accepted by the people.”
Mike Tyson: “I think it’s gonna be a knockout, I don’t think it’s gonna go the distance,”
Steven Espinosa, Showtime: “Usually we get day by day updates of where the cable operators are in terms of their buys,” Espinoza said. I can compare Wednesday to prior Wednesdays in prior pay-per-views. In general, that’s fairly accurate. On this particular week, we’re seeing numbers that have no precedent, so encouraging and so massive that you really can’t extrapolate anything from them.” (Daily Telegraph)
Scott Becher, Zimmerman Advertsing: “Tecate versus Corona was the greatest boxing undercard of all-time, and Tecate scored a knockout. Tecate wins not because it outspent Corona for the exclusive beer sponsorship. More important is its activation. It’s all about engaging fight fans. “Tecate is a longtime sponsor of Pacquiao, so they couldn’t miss the biggest fight of his career” (Las Vegas Review Journal)
Floyd Mayweather Sr: “To be honest with you, it’s not going to be much of a fight.
Floyd Mayweather Sr: “This fight has already been won. We can beat Manny any day, any time, any year, any moment.
Floyd Mayweather Sr: “Manny’s best performance was when he got knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez.
Floyd Mayweather Sr: “I think it’s best for Floyd to choose what he wants to do at the end of the year. I think he should retire, because if he sticks around, somebody is going to get you sooner or later.”
Freddie Roach: “We’ve have trained so hard for this fight. This fight has two of the best fighters fighting each other.
Freddie Roach: “I’ve been training Manny for this fight for five years. We know all about him, we have covered all the bases. I think we have the winning formula to win this fight.
Freddie Roach: “If we were to lose to an undefeated fighter like this, there’s no shame in that.
Freddie Roach: “Floyd’s a good fighter, but he has picked his opponents. I don’t think he picked Manny. I think he was forced to take this fight.
Freddie Roach: “Manny was down to 143 pounds yesterday, so I told him to eat a good meal and then we will do a light workout later today. Tomorrow he will have breakfast in the morning and then get on the scale.”
Manny Pacquiao: “I want to give back to people in my country”
Bob Arum: “Without question, I’m sure that half of the money Manny earns in this fight is going to charity. That’s just how he is. He believes it’s his obligation to help the people of his country.”
Floyd Mayweather: “If I make $300 million, I’m not going to tell you. So I can tell you any number. When you get to this point, once you make so much money, there’s nothing you can buy anymore. A lot of times you think, ‘Oh, I can get this, I can get that.’ Once you get to a certain point, you can’t get nothing no more.”
Leonard Ellerbe: “Floyd Mayweather is going to try to take Manny Pacquiao’s head off, you can count on that, Floyd Mayweather is looking to finish him off”
Booker T (WWE): “(Manny) Pacquiao is going to come out there and do his best, But I think Mayweather is going to go out there and beat him in all facets of the fight. I think he’s going be a better defensive and offensive fighter. I think if it even got into a brawl, Mayweather would even win that due to the clinch. I think Mayweather is going to win the fight.” (Sporting News)
Freddie Roach: “I don’t think any fighter is afraid but I don’t think Mayweather wants this fight. He always gets to pick and choose opponents but not this one. Showtime was losing money so he didn’t get to pick this opposition like he usually does. Sometimes we do the things we have to do to please companies and try to make money.”
Mike Tyson: “Boxing’s different from when I boxed. These are businessmen up there. … And I’m a natural born killer, and I want to win, I want to win in dramatic fashion, and I want to hurt people. “I don’t like hurting people, I’m just so damn good at it.”
Oscar De La Hoya: “If (Manny) can start well in the first two rounds, then the fight can go in his direction.”
Sugar Ray Leonard: “All fighters have one last fight in them, if you look at [Muhammad] Ali against George Foreman and Ali won despite being expected to lose. With me it was Hagler, I knew I had one last fight in me. I believe that all applies to Manny Pacquiao.”
Floyd Mayweather: “Whoever bought a ticket, I love you guys. Thank you.”
Bob Arum: “I’m looking forward to being in the Philippines next week for the biggest victory parade ever in the history of the Philippines,” Arum said.
Harry Reid, US Senator: “stunning athletic event, one of the most significant athletic events in the last 50 years.” “I’m not picking a winner.” “Admittedly, I’m a little biased (For Pacquiao). He stood in my corner, He will always have my support.”
Rosie Perez, Acrtress: I can’t say. It just creates too much tension for me. I have a feeling who’s going to win. Who I want to win is a different story. But I think this could be anybody’s fight. If Pacquaio is aggressive early and hits the body and takes his breath and hurts him, then it could be Pacquiao. But if he doesn’t, it’s going to be Mayweather. (NY Post)
Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, president WBO: “In boxing, anything can happen, And in the end, the winner will be the boxing world and the boxing fan.”
Mauricio Sulaiman, president WBC: “I’m happy that May 2 will be the start of a new golden era for boxing”
Larry Merchant: “You put a gun to my head, and I’d have to pick Mayweather and hope that I’m wrong.” (Yahoo)
Zab Zubah: “We’ve known each other since about the age of fifteen…He was always the best coming out of Michigan; I was always the best coming out of New York…and then in ’06, we fought each other. That was crazy, you know what I mean? And since then, we’ve had a little fallback, but now we’re back together again. I put a post up on the picture on my Instagram, you know, ‘Brothers argue; brothers fight; but at the end of the day, we’re brothers…’So when he called on me for the left hand work, you know what I mean, I give him the best work. I give him what to prepare for, as a lefty, that a lefty’s going to bring to him…Saturday night – I’m going to have to step out there and be bold with this one – I see Floyd knocking him out…You can just tell in his eyes, the hunger.” (Yahoo)
Mayweather vs Pacquiao Undercard Press Conf:
LEO SANTA CRUZ
“I’m more than excited to be on this undercard. This is the biggest card I could have been on. I want to show the whole world who I am.
“I prepared very hard for this fight, like I always do. It’s going to be a historic night and I’m happy to be a part of that history.
“I know that everybody is here for Mayweather and Pacquiao but there will still be millions seeing me fight and I want to show them who Leo Santa Cruz is so that I can get a lot more fans.
“”I’m still young and there are many more fights to come. The fights the fans want, we’re going to give it to them. I know those fights are going to happen.
“I want to look spectacular and I want to get Cayetano out of there really fast. Sometimes these kind of fighters are the ones who give you the hardest fights because they come hungrier and have nothing to lose.
“Seeing my family here and having them in the arena on fight night is a huge motivation for me. I feel happier and more relaxed and I’m ready.
“I never underestimate a fighter. Any fighter in the ring is dangerous. I hope that Cayetano is ready so that we can give the fans a great show.”
JOSE CAYETANO
“I know that Leo Santa Cruz is a strong, difficult fighter but he also has weaknesses and that is what we prepared for, to give him a surprise.
“I’m a man that takes challenges and I’ve been preparing very hard, I’m always prepared for these types of fights. I’m very prepared and I feel very strongly that I will win.
“I came here for the opportunity to beat Leo Santa Cruz and for the opportunity to participate in such a grand event that is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
“I’m very happy and very grateful and very excited to get into the ring. It’s a huge commitment, the entire world will be watching me but that is why I accepted the fight, I know that if I beat him, bigger and better opportunities will come my way.
“I’m not nervous because it’s not the first time that I’ve faced a tough opponent. I’ve never faced a world champion but I’ve faced opponents that throw hard punches, so I’m not nervous, I’m excited.”
VASYL LOMACHENKO
“This is an opportunity to show everyone what I’m capable of doing and for millions of viewers to see that I can do it.
“The best fighters get the best opportunities in the ring, there are a lot of great fighters getting those opportunities including myself.
“It’s always a good feeling when people are saying good things about you.
“I’m very excited to be involved in a bout such as this one, May 2 will be a big show shown around the world. I’m very happy to be in the opening bout for this huge fight.”
GAMALIER RODRIGUEZ
“I’m looking forward to this big fight on Saturday. It’s a blessing to participate in this type of press conference and come Saturday, I will win! I’m sure of it. I will be champion.
“All of the attention toward Vasyl Lomachenko gives me motivation. I’ve been a fighter and a boxer since I was young and it’s added motivation to come out on top this weekend.
“I know that Lomachenko is a good and technical fighter but it doesn’t compare to my hunger and drive to be world champion.
“I wanted to take the opportunity during my speech at the press conference to let everyone know that I can here to fight. It’s going to be a hard fought battle and I’m very confident that I’ll win and become the champion this Saturday.”
LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
“I am so excited to be here today to discuss the great undercard which will be the lead-in to our long awaited, history making event taking place this Saturday night.
“The lead-in fight for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will be a very exciting fight featuring Leo Santa Cruz and Jose Cayetano.
“Leo Santa Cruz is one of the classiest gentleman in the sport. He’s a very fan-friendly fighter and a Mexican warrior. He represents Mexico very well.”
BOB ARUM, Hall of Fame Promoter, Top Rank
“I know that every fighter deems it a tremendous honor to be part of this great event. We hope and believe that we will be presenting to the public through Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank, the best of boxing and the best fighters.
“Vasyl Lomachenko is considered to be the greatest amateur fighter of all time. Now, he looks for the same type of success he had as an amateur in the professional ranks. But this will be a very competitive fight, because Gamalier Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican who comes to fight and believes that he can upset Vasyl.
“A lot of the young men up here believe they are the next big thing in boxing, and many will be. But I know that Vasyl Lomachenko will be a big superstar in the sport of boxing.”