Here’s what you need to know about the MayPac fight
After six years of backs-and-fourths, the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is finally happening at the MGM Saturday night.
Here’s what you need to know:
WHERE YOU CAN WATCH
As of Thursday evening, more than 1,000 tickets were available for the live fight. The average ticket price has been about $6,200.
Due to the sponsorship of Tecate, the fight will be shown for free in Mexico on the Televisa and Azteca networks.
In the U.S., bars and restaurants on the Strip aren’t allowed to show the fight unless they’re inside an MGM property, so you’ll be better off calling ahead if you plan on watching it at other sports bars in the city. Otherwise, you better have a ticket for the live fight or a closed circuit viewing.
WHY THE “FIGHT OF THE CENTURY”
The mega-fight on Saturday comes after six years of trying and near misses.
Between, the $40,000 floor seat ticket prices and the millions Mayweather is expected to earn from the night, the fight is expected to “shatter every record.”
The fighters are expected to be splitting closer to $200 million in revenue, as per their contract. They might make $100 million for 36 minutes in the ring.
AVOID THE TRAFFIC
An estimated 336,000 people were supposed to be coming into town this week with hopes of catching a glimpse of the fight.
About 300,000 come to the Strip for New Year’s Eve each year.
There’s one piece of advice many have repeated this week: stay away.
From Saturday afternoon until 11 p.m., the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue will just be a giant vortex of traffic. The I-15 resort corridor will also most likely be a mess.
A SECURE FIGHT
An event as large as Saturday’s fight is expected to be won’t be Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s first rodeo.
Metro oversees larger events on an annual basis, such as Consumer Electronics Show, Electric Daisy Carnival and the NASCAR Kobalt 400.
Metro reached out to nearby security agencies for help with the event, in hopes that it comes and goes without incident. In 2007, Vegas played host to the NBA All-Star game where four shooting happened related to the event and 400 people were arrested.
WEEKEND ROOM COSTS
Room rates for Friday and Saturday nights at MGM Grand plummeted Thursday when the room cost fell to $425 a night from more than $1,500.
According to Vegas.com’s business development manager, rates have dropped an average of about $150 for the two- to four-star hotels.
Rates for standard rooms are listed around $100 per night at the MGM Grand.
WHO WILL WIN
As of Thursday afternoon, almost 75 percent have voted for Pacquiao in our poll we’ve been attaching to mega-fight stories. He’s taken 73 percent of the 15,700 votes. Four percent think it will end in a draw.
You can take it here or below.
Pacquiao has been a favorite from casual observers, many noting they prefer him personally over Mayweather’s domestic violence history.
Some determined their Pacquiao prediction by analyzing the fighters’ boxing statistics and fight history.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva