MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO 2: CAN THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE BREAK REVENUE RECORDS?
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 at the Sphere! Read about the $4,000+ ticket prices, the 17,600 capacity, and new streaming rumours.
When it comes to the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquiao rematch, the choice of venue, Las Vegas Sphere, changes the game. You just can’t rely on ticket sales the way you could back in 2015. There’s only so much space, and that puts a cap on one of the biggest money-makers from their first fight.
People are already throwing around some wild numbers about how much this rematch could pull in. They keep looking back at that first fight, which still holds the record for the highest-grossing boxing event ever.
Back then, they raked in about $72 million from just over 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand. The Sphere isn’t much bigger at best; you get 17,600 seats, and that’s if you squeeze in every last one. So, even if you max out the space, you’re only adding about 1,300 seats. That’s not a game-changer.
So, how do you make more money? It comes down to charging more for tickets. The 2015 fight already had an average ticket price north of $4,000. To top that, promoters need to crank up the prices for premium seats and VIP experiences.
Mayweather hasn’t fought since he stopped Conor McGregor in 2017. Pacquiao came back last year and fought Mario Barrios to a draw for the WBC welterweight title. Even now, both guys are still huge names. Their first fight had the whole world watching, and it paid off big time.
But this second act could look different. In 2015, the pay-per-view model pulled in a record 4.6 million buys in the U.S. This time, there’s talk about going with a streaming deal instead. If that happens, most of the money comes from broadcast rights and sponsorships, not just people splurging on tickets.
The Sphere itself will give the rematch a unique vibe. But with the limited number of seats, what really matters is how they price those tickets and how much they can bring in from media rights. The days of packing in way more fans for the gate are over, at least for this fight.
UNDISPUTED METRICS: ANALYZING USYK’S 24-0 RECORD AGAINST THE HEAVY-HITTING DUTCH "KING OF KICKBOXING."
Usyk vs Verhoeven is ON: Read why the WBC sanctioned this heavyweight title fight and get the May 23 Giza match details.
Oleksandr Usyk’s unexpected fight with kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven is officially set to be for the WBC world heavyweight title.
Usyk, now 39, will put his iconic green and gold belt on the line when he faces the 36-year-old Dutch star in a massive crossover event in Giza, Egypt, on May 23.
No one really saw this coming, especially since Usyk is still unbeaten at 24-0, with 15 knockouts. Truth is, he’s run out of real challenges in the heavyweight division. After dominating as undisputed cruiserweight champion, he’s managed to repeat that feat at heavyweight, beating Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua twice each along the way.
People expected Usyk’s next fight to be against Deontay Wilder, who’s clearly past his prime. But the chance to step into the ring with Verhoeven, a huge name in kickboxing, was just too tempting. Verhoeven almost fought Joshua back in February, but that plan blew up after Joshua’s tragic car accident in Nigeria, which took the lives of two of his closest team members.
Even though Verhoeven has just one official boxing match, a knockout win over Janos Finfera back in 2014, the WBC agreed to put its title up for grabs in this matchup.
The WBC released a statement, saying, "After careful consideration, the WBC Board of Governors has decided to sanction Oleksandr Usyk’s voluntary title defence against legendary kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven.
At our 63rd Annual Convention in Bangkok, we granted Usyk a voluntary defence. After that, we got a petition to approve Usyk vs Verhoeven as that defence.
Usyk’s been incredibly active, taking on and beating top fighters like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois twice each while keeping his undefeated streak alive. That kind of run is unheard of in heavyweight boxing.
Rico’s been at the top level in kickboxing since 2005, and over nearly twenty years, he’s become one of the sport’s all-time greats. He’s headlined massive stadium shows, fighting in front of 30,000, sometimes 40,000 fans. At 36, he’s fought 76 times professionally and just recently gave up the Glory Kickboxing Heavyweight title after staying unbeaten for 11 years.
Switching from kickboxing to boxing isn’t new. Plenty of Muay Thai fighters have moved to boxing and fought for WBC titles early on. This decision sticks to our rules and regulations.”
HAND-PICKED MENTOR: WHY RICO VERHOEVEN TRUSTED PETER FURY FOR HIS BOXING DEBUT
Peter Fury, the man who guided Tyson to victory over Klitschko, is now training Rico Verhoeven to face Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt.
Tyson Fury’s shock win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 didn’t just end a decade of heavyweight rule; it flipped the whole division on its head and kicked off a new era. Behind that night’s master plan was his uncle, Peter Fury, the sharp-minded trainer who now finds himself on the verge of pulling off something even bigger.
This time, Dutch kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven, who’s only had one professional boxing fight, has picked Peter Fury to guide him as he gets ready to face unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk. The fight’s set for May 23, right by the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, with the Ring Magazine sponsoring the event.
Usyk’s WBA, IBF, and Ring belts aren’t on the line, but on Sunday, the WBC announced its title is up for grabs, even though Verhoeven’s pro boxing résumé is just a single bout.
DAZN will stream the fight exclusively.
Peter Fury jumped on social media to announce he’s heading to Holland for a full three-month camp. He sounded fired up: “It's going to be a great night. A lot of hard work to be done, but two great people and two great champions in their own right. What a privilege. Looking forward to this camp, and God will decide whatever happens.”
Verhoeven’s probably the most decorated heavyweight kickboxer out there, but he knows what he’s up against. Usyk hasn’t fought since knocking out Daniel Dubois last September to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champ. That’s not exactly an easy mountain to climb.
Verhoeven’s only pro boxing fight was back in 2014, when he stopped Janos Finfera in two rounds. Still, he’s kept his boxing sharp. Over the years, he’s built a solid relationship with Peter Fury and has made regular stops at Fury training camps. He’s even sparred with both Tyson and Peter’s son, Hughie Fury, who once held the British heavyweight title and challenged for a world title.
Now, with the biggest test of his career ahead, Verhoeven’s putting his faith in a trainer he knows and trusts, someone who knows how to handle heavyweight business.
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