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STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN FILE
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has a home and trains in Las Vegas and is undefeated in 40 fights, is set to take on Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines in March.
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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- Dana White talks Mayweather-Pacquiao, says Brock Lesnar still sick (12-10-09)
- Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on, March date likely (12-4-09)
- Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao: The only fight fans want to see (11-15-09)
- Mayweather badmouths MMA, Pacquiao’s promoter (7-21-09)
- Mayweather-Pacquiao seems inevitable (5-3-09)
Pacquiao vs Cotto
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Manny Pacquiao captured his unprecedented seventh title in a seventh weight division with a twelfth-round TKO of Miguel Cotto Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Back, Bigger and Better Than Ever
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After nearly two years away from boxing, Floyd Mayweather Junior improves to a perfect 40-0 with a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Three cities are believed to be in the running to host what many consider the Super Bowl of professional boxing, the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight on March 13.
Probably no one wants to host it more than Las Vegas, hungering for the millions of dollars the fight will generate for a city starved of its diet of tourists in a mood to have fun.
The fight may prove the most lucrative ever for Las Vegas in terms of filling rooms and restaurants with the big-spending followers of the sport, not to mention the wagering that comes with any high-profile sporting event.
Granted, such prize fights aren’t the town’s biggest moneymakers.
Pacquiao-Mayweather has the potential of topping $13 million in nongaming revenue generated for the city, experts say. By comparison, last year’s Las Vegas Bowl that pitted Arizona against BYU and which drew 42,350 people, 75 percent of whom were from out of town, generated $14.2 million for the city.
Last year’s National Finals Rodeo — a 10-day event — brought $49.8 million to the city, and the 280,000 people who celebrated New Year’s Eve here contributed $189 million to the local economy plus what they left behind at the tables.
Still, Las Vegas has benefited from the economic punch that comes with being the Boxing Capital of the World.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has tracked the economic effect of most of the major boxing matches in Las Vegas. Although there’s no established formula for predicting how much nongaming revenue would be generated for the community by Pacquiao-Mayweather, the total could be among the highest ever.
Coming up with a hard prediction is difficult because of the many variables that determine how robust the fight-centered spending would be. Among the factors considered by LVCVA analysts are the size of the venue hosting the fight, the appeal of the boxers involved, how well their supporters travel and the economic climate at the time of the fight.
The run-up of the hype and the media coverage preceding the match also figure into the equation.
In this case, fans of the sport have long awaited a battle between the Filipino Pacquiao, considered by Ring magazine to be the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, and Mayweather, who is ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound and is undefeated in 40 matches.
Both fighters have legions of loyal fans; Mayweather is considered one of the top Americans in the sport, while Pacquiao is a national hero in his native country.
The three cities most often mentioned hosting the fight are Las Vegas, Dallas (on the strength of the new, 100,000-seat, giant-screen Cowboys Stadium) and New Orleans, with its 80,000-plus seat Superdome. Yankee Stadium in New York and the Staples Center in Los Angeles were considered and dismissed because of the high tax rates in New York and California.
The Los Angeles Times has reported that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered a $25 million guarantee to host the fight, citing a source close to the negotiations, exceeding the $20 million guarantee that Staples Center offered fight promoters this week.
Promoter Bob Arum has said he expects to make a decision by next week, and Rossi Ralenkotter, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, says the town can make a strong argument for bringing the fight here.
“We’ve hosted some of the biggest boxing matches in history and we have an international reputation,” he said. “Las Vegas works well for the promoters because it has such an electric, 24-hour atmosphere.”
The major fights in the past five years in Las Vegas have been sponsored or hosted by the Thomas & Mack Center, MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Mandalay Bay arena. They’ve usually drawn more than 8,000 fans to the gate and generated more than $6 million for the community.
One of the biggest fights by estimated nongaming economic impact in the past five years was the Nov. 18, 2006, match between Pacquiao and Erik Morales — the third meeting between them. That fight, staged at the Thomas & Mack Center, drew 18,276 to the arena and generated an estimated $12.9 million for Las Vegas.
Mayweather has been in two matches at the MGM Grand, each drawing about 16,700 fans and each bringing in more than $12.5 million in revenue to town along with gambling — his May 5, 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya and his Dec. 8, 2007 bout against Ricky Hatton.
All three of those fights occurred before the economy tanked and involved boxers with legions of followers willing to travel to support their man.
One of the sport’s most notorious Las Vegas fights drew 16,331 fans to MGM Grand, but the economic impact to Las Vegas was only calculated at $9 million. On June 28, 1997, heavyweights Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield battled in “The Sound and the Fury,” as the bout was promoted. In that fight, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear, touching off a near riot that spilled into the casino.
For the upcoming fight, negotiations between fight promoter Bob Arum and the potential venues have been close to the vest, but typically a company like MGM Mirage will present a package that guarantees hotel rooms, food and beverage, special side events and other incentives in addition to a financial commitment.
Las Vegas and Dallas both have airports with hundreds of flights from cities across the country and both airports are easy drives to the arenas.
The biggest downside for Las Vegas is the size of the house — five times as many tickets could be sold at Cowboys Stadium than at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But promoters also have to ask whether Dallas could serve up the same sideshow atmosphere and provide enough hotel rooms for fight attendees. And, of course, there’s no gambling — legal wagering anyway — in Texas.
Mayweather trains in Las Vegas and has a home here. Some say that could result in a “home-field advantage” for him, even though both boxers have staged their past five bouts here.
The decision is likely to come down to whether Arum wants to rely on a proven host with a solid reputation for big events or a newcomer with lots of upside but no track record on an event of this magnitude.
Nice story Richard. Do you know if City Center has an Arena to host the fight?
Arum and Schaefer should not feed the hand that fed them all these years. Vegas stuck with Pacquiao and Mayweather as up and coming fighters. MGM hosts these small fights in hopes to land big fights later, sort of waiting for the goose to lay golden eggs.
Why Texas now? Where was Texas before Pacquiao became famous? Don't Vegas deserve to host the fight considering the fact that it hosted Pacquiao's fights when he was still unknown? They should not forget MGM and Vegas who helped this become the jaugernaut fight it is today.
Thrilla Manila II...Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Shanghai, Singapore hours away.. with 7 cruise ships (gambling allowed) anchored...be great for a poorer RP. Manny and Taipans can bankrolled operation. Why not
what are patrons going to do in texas after the fight, line dance and hang out with right wingnuts
They will partying at the Armadilla!!!
Cowboys Stadium is what boxing needs. To be on the same stage as the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and NBA All Star Game would be a huge boost for the sport and this event. And then to associate this sport with the Dallas Cowboys would be huge in bringing other sports fans to the party.
Vegas will be full either way, much the same as the Super Bowl, where the event is in another location. This will give opportunity to for 80,000 or more fans to purchase tickets to the live event and witness in the grandest stadium in the world.
As for comfort in Vegas, don't think for a minute the NFL and NBA chose Cowboys Stadium because they couldn't handle a major event or that there was nothing to do after the games. It's called resources and you can bet the Dallas Cowboys have all the resources necessary to work with promoters and fighters to make all happy. Although there's no gambling in Dallas, there's every bit as much to do there on the bar, club and restaurant scene. Why can't boxing's biggest fight be on the biggest stage? We need more credibility and fans for this sport. Having in Cowboys Stadium will do that.
And very important is the ticket scam Vegas has going. Only sponsors, casino rollers and brokers have access to tickets. What a farce for real boxing fans. They can only watch on closed-circuit.
Lastly, as for being loyal to Vegas -- Vegas can only benefit in the long term from stadium events, as it creates more fans and when that fight is over, only makes the future fights in Vegas bigger. That's the way it was before boxing started declining. Under the loyalty scenariok, there would have never been a Thrilla in Manila, Leonard vs Duran in Superdome, Epic Fights in Yankee Stadium, Chavez vs Whitaker in Alamodome, Oscar at Sun Bowl, Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That is what's ruining boxing -- all the big fights are staying in Vegas and no one can buy tickets other than as stated above.
Very simple, put the fight where it belongs, on the biggest stage in Dallas and have Vegas treat it same as a Super Bowl and market the hell out of peoplc coming to Vegas to watch on closed-circuit and party. Works for everyone in the world, except the ticket brokers.
Have a solution, Vegas. Build a few less casinos and build a retractable roof stadium. Then complain if you don't get a Super Bowl type event, as this would be. This Super Brawl has to be on a bigger stage.
Major BS on Boxing owing Las Vegas this fight. There have been plenty of times when Vegas has abandoned boxing and forced promoters into taking huge risks on their own. Why did Manny Pacquiao fight twice in Alamodome and promoter had to take all the risks - because Vegas didn't want those fights. Weren't big enough. This isn't about what's right for Vegas, this is about what is right for this fight and the sport of boxing. Boxing, this fight and the boxing fans deserve it to be on a bigger stage. Fans deserve to have an opportunity to purchase tickets, not be scammed out of the opportunity. Don't worry about attendance, Texans will take care of that and always have for fights in domed stadiums. And don't think the 70,000 season ticket holders and 5000 suite holders at Cowboys Stadium aren't going to purchase. The NBA All-Star game has sold 82,000 tickets, many are Cowboy regular buyers. This stadium is printing money every event. Show me an major boxing event that has ever failed in Texas. Show me an event that has failed in Cowboys Stadium Bad arguement.
You don't get it. Cheapest ticket in Vegas will be $500, and that's face. After face value, up to $1200-$1500. Cowboys Stadium will have over 40,000 seats at $100 or less. Your full of crap. You would have to buy a lot of pizzas to get to $1,200. And that doesn't count for all the price gouging at the hotels in Vegas and losing your house payment at the tables. Do you think the Super Bowl is going to be in Dallas because there is nothing to do? Then you've never been to Dallas. Like I said, don't worry about the prices at Cowboys Stadium, fight fans will be very happy. There are some who just need to go to Vegas and take care of their gambling and sex additions. That's the fans that are begging for it to be in Vegas. There are boxing fans that actually want to go the fight because of the fight. Some can't stand being in Vegas. I happen to like Vegas, but would much prefer boxing do something to elevate the sport and create new fans. Hey, tell the City of Vegas to build a real stadium and then complain when they can't get a major event.
Anything bigger than the Thomas and Mack for a boxing fight is a stupid idea. Cowboy Stadium, yeah that's a great idea. Pay $300 to watch the fight on a state-of-the-art scoreboard. You're a Texas homer, get a clue.
vegas needs this fight right now--come on ceo's, do the right thing here---you can spend 8.5 billion on another casino, but not 25 million on the biggest fight of the decade????
I've already got my room at the MGM booked :-)
Who would want to go to a boxing match at a football stadium. 2/3 of the seats are too far from the ring to see what's going on. The good seats wouldn't be available to most of us because of price or just simply "not available". You'd be better off paying the cable company $50 and watching it at the house with a few of your buddies. Or going to a favorite sports bar and watching it there, even if they charge a cover.
boxpro.....no retort? I declare boinicotti the winner.
Let's be honest...Dallas is NOT going to get it. That is pipe dream. NYC or LA has a better shot at getting it at this point. Jerry Jones wins simply by being mentioned in this article. (I hope I don't eat my words)
Vegas will get it! I will be at home in Los Angeles watching it on my 65 Inch with family and friends for only 50 bucks
Comment removed by moderator. ALL CAPS
Whoever attends the live boxing match will only be less than 1% of all the viewers in United States. The larger percentage of people in reality won't care where it is. To everyone this fight is going to be awesome, we're all anxious to know the result. Nothing will take away from that long-awaited excitement. Its in boxing's best interest to mainstream this event as much as possible. Any major sport stadium would help in that department more so than MGM Vegas.
From the LA Times on Dec 11:
Manny Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum told The Times today that Las Vegas hotel magnate Steve Wynn will not be able to stage the Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. super-fight that has been verbally negotiated to occur March 13.
"I just got off the phone with Steve," Arum said. "He has no place to put the fight. [Sponsoring it at] Thomas and Mack isn't possible, it's not available that day, and he wants to move the fight from March 13 -- which we can't do -- because you can't build an outdoor arena with a canopy over the ring in time."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_b...