Pacquiao-Mayweather pay-per-view to historic records

Stephen Espinoza, vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, said interest in the bout is unprecedented to a degree that the usual markers for predicting the number of purchases and revenue just don't apply. "Usually we get day by day updates of where the cable operators are in terms of their buys," Espinoza told AFP. "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." Certainly Pacquiao-Mayweather, a fight more than five years in the making between the top pound-for-pound fighters of their generation, will shatter the records for pay-per-view purchases and at a price in most markets of about $100 for a high-definition version crush the record for PPV revenue. The potential pay-per-view television revenue for Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao's blockbuster welterweight showdown with Floyd Mayweather is so stratospheric that with just four days to go, an actual figure is impossible to predict.

It's just a question of how much more the fight will garner than the record 2.48 million pay-per-view purchases for Mayweather's 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya and the record pay-per-view revenue of $150 million set by Mayweather v Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2013. "Do we think it's a record-breaker? Absolutely," Espinoza said. "Whether that's 2.7 million buys or 3.2 I think both are possible but there's no way to choose one or the other right now." More than 3 million buys could spell revenue to the camps of the two fighters near $200 million. Television revenue is just one of the financial records the fight is set to break. Anticipated live gate receipts of some $70 million dwarf the previous record for a Nevada fight, the $20 million for Mayweather-Alvarez. Regardless of the outcome, each fighter could make more than $100 million, with Mayweather saying this week he expects to pocket $200 million. The fight is one that boxing fans have craved for years teased by the disintegration of talks in late 2009 and years of back-and-forth between the hostile camps ever since. Crossover appeal While the delay has purists grumbling that the bout comes too late, with each boxer past his prime, the will they-won't they narrative has added to the fight's crossover appeal. "There is unquestionably a broader fan base that's attracted by this fight," Espinoza said. "Anecdotally we know this is attracting a lot of people who never ordered pay-per-view."

 
The pay-per-view revenue is also coming from a wider range of countries with 13 international pay-per-view territories. "You'd have to go back to the Mike Tyson days to get near that figure," Espinoza said, although he noted that back when Iron Mike loomed over the heavyweight landscape fewer countries even had the technology to distribute fights via pay-per-view. The television production is a joint effort between rivals Showtime which has a contract with Mayweather and Pacquiao telecaster HBO. Working out the rare deal between the two was just one of the hurdles to be overcome in making the fight, although such a joint effort is not unprecedented. The model is similar to that used by the two networks in the 2002 fight between Lennox Lewis and Tyson. No free rides Not surprisingly, Showtime and HBO are doing everything they can to protect their asset. Showtime this week filed a federal lawsuit in California targeting boxinghd.net and sportship.org, claiming the two internet sites are advertising free streaming of the bout. In court documents, Showtime notes that boxinghd.net's homepage touts, "If you can't afford to buy tickets then simply watch Mayweather vs Pacquiao here. We will provide nothing but the freshest and the most reliable high quality live links." While the issue of on-line piracy isn't limited to Saturday's mega-fight, Espinoza said the efforts to protect the bout are "a multiple of what we've done before." He said the aims of the lawsuit are twofold. "It's eliminating these very active piracy sites and it sends a message that we're very serious about it, we're going to continue to pursue this all the way through and after the night of the fight."

Watch : Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather final press conference

For just the second time after their fight was announced, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather went face-to-face in a press conference ahead of their May 2 bout. The two fighters showed mutual respect during the event, perhaps saving all their animosity for when they climb on top of the ring. It was perhaps fitting the final press conference ahead of the long-awaited fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao took place in the Kà theater, home to Cirque du Soleil’s longtime MGM Grand residency, considering the three-ring quality of the build-up to what’s certain to be the richest fight in the history of boxing.

Yet Wednesday’s polite exchange of remarks between the fighters belied the promotion’s circus-like atmosphere and proved typical of what’s by and large the least interesting of fight week’s well-worn rituals, the stations of the cross that mark time until the fighters climb through the ropes on Saturday night – save for one memorable moment when longtime Pacquiao promoter and legendary shade-thrower Bob Arum steered the proceedings into a proxy dick-measuring contest for network superiority.

Pacquiao was Pacquiao, humble and genial and God-fearing as ever. Mayweather was the Mayweather that’s become familiar throughout the promotion – let’s call it Floyd 3.0 – a self-assured all-time great who’s all but sworn off his trademark slander in an apparent effort to exit the sport gracefully. Anyone hoping for fireworks or even the slightest trace of ill will from Saturday’s main players was bound to be disappointed.



The event was closed to the public – leaving several hundred writers and photographers to fill out the lower bowl of the 1,950-seat theater – though several Mayweather congregants inevitably negotiated their way into the proceedings and made themselves heard.

Pacquiao’s five-minute remarks were longer than he normally speaks at these types of things. He thanked the sponsors, the media, the fans.

“It’s going to be a good fight,” said the Filipino congressman, dressed in a conservative navy blue suit jacket with no tie. “There’s a lot of questions in your minds that only God can answer for us on Saturday. I just want to mention though that everything that I have accomplished, it is God who gave me the strength. I just want to be an example and an inspiration to everybody how my life, before I became a boxer, I used to sleep in the street, starving, hungry, and now I can’t imagine the Lord raised me into this position with blessings I could never imagine. That the boy who doesn’t have food and is sleeping in the street can be raised to this level of life.”

He continued.

“Nothing personal. He’s going to do his best, I’m going to do my best on Saturday to put our name in boxing history. But the most important thing, I’m hoping that after the fight, we can have a conversation with Floyd about sharing my faith in God. We can inspire more people, especially those children who are looking to us and supporting us.”

Mayweather, dressed in head to toe in red, white and black The Money Team apparel (topped by leather baseball hat that retails for $88 in the MGM lobby), spoke for half as long and said maybe a quarter as much. He thanked the sponsors, the media, the fans. The muted, measured tones that have become his calling card over the past 10 weeks bore little resemblance to the insufferable trash talker who incinerated hundred-dollar bills in nightclubs, tweeted photos of his six-figure betting slips and collected Maybachs like they were Silly Bandz.

Notably, he thanked longtime adversaries Arum and Freddie Roach – a chief instigator throughout the promotion who’s repeatedly invoked Mayweather’s domestic-violence record – underscoring the love-thy-enemies underpinnings of his latest iteration.

“It’s time to fight now,” Mayweather said. “You guys came out here to see excitement, you guys came out here to see a great event, and I think that’s what both competitors bring to the table: excitement.

“The biggest fight in boxing history.”

It’s not the final time the fighters will meet before Saturday’s career-defining showdown. That will be Friday’s weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, for which the promoters have taken the unprecedented step of charging $10 admission – though tickets on the secondary market were ranging from $136 to $446 on Wednesday afternoon.

So whatever theater remains in store was put on hold as Mayweather and Pacquiao – the two finest fighters of their generation – met downstage center and posed for photographs, then faced inward for a 13-second staredown that saw Pacquiao break into a wry grin midway through. As he does.

All it seems that’s left is the fight, which – though a tantalizing three days away after more than half a decade in the making – can’t arrive soon enough.

WATCH: Roach's honest analysis of Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight

Although he will be working in Manny Pacquiao’s corner on May 2 (May 3 in Manila), Freddie Roach gave a straight-from-the-heart analysis of his valued fighter’s chances against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Roach, who has been Pacquiao’s trainer since his title-winning performance against Lehlo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight belt in June 2001, broke down the heavily-hyped showdown into nine categories, which are power, speed, footwork, stamina, ring I.Q., heart, chin, experience and x-factor. The seven-time BWAA “Trainer of the Year” awardee believes Pacquiao has the leverage in punching power as the Filipino boxer has scored 38 knockouts out of his 57 victories.

On the other hand, the unbeaten American fighter has gone the distance in 21 of his 47 wins.“His punching power is really, really great. Floyd doesn’t have a long list of knockouts, and he has more decision wins. Manny is much better puncher,” Roach told Fight Hub TV. However, Roach surprised the interviewer when he stressed that Mayweather is faster than Pacquiao, who is recognized for his busy pace in the ring. “We are talking about movement, not just hand speed. I think he is more than a runner than Manny Pacquiao,” he stated. Even though he gave the speed advantage to Mayweather, Roach asserted that Pacquiao’s footwork could offset his opponent’s quickness as the 36-year-old southpaw’s feet allow him to move in all angles.


“Manny uses his footwork in-and-out and side-to-side. His opponents always try to guess where he is coming,” he said. “Mayweather has never seen this kind of speed before.” Meanwhile, the 55-year-old boxing coach has a draw when it comes to stamina as both pugilists have never appeared to lose their steams in all of their bouts. “These are dedicated people who train really hard. Manny is a machine. It’s the same with Mayweather,” Roach mentioned. In the “Ring I.Q.” category, Roach awarded it to Mayweather, who rose to stardom with his distinctive brand of defensive guile and ring generalship. “He is a little smarter and more experience to me,” he quipped. Despite Mayweather’s in-ring intelligence, Roach sided with his treasured pupil in terms of showing heart inside the squared-circle. “He has the biggest heart in the world. He will die trying. Look what he’s gone through his life just to survive,” he shared. Roach immediately switched his stance, suggesting that Mayweather has a durable chin that has been tested by several hard-hitting boxers such as Marcos Maidana, Miguel Cotto, Arturo Gatti and Jose Luis Castillo. In addition, Mayweather was only knocked down once in his career when he broke his right hand during the 12-round junior lightweight title tilt against Carlos Hernandez in May 2001 and then went down in pain after being caught off-balance by a glancing punch in round 6. On the opposite end, Pacquiao has been knocked out 3 times and has been dropped to the canvas on 8 occasions. “Manny has been shot a couple of times, and Mayweather hasn’t. I think we should give him a benefit of a doubt because even though he may not get hit that much, you could get hit along the way,” Roach pointed out. Roach also agreed that Mayweather has more experience than Pacquiao due to his stellar amateur boxing run and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics stint. “He won a lot of amateur fights and went to the Olympics to win a bronze medal,” he said. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Roach affirmed that Pacquiao has the ability to set the tone of the marquee match-up. “Manny Pacquiao has the left hand, and he is very dangerous. When he hits you with that, the fight will be over,” he ended.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather 2015 odds: Floyd the favorite, fight expected to go distance

Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather is now just four days away. The long-awaited showdown in Las Vegas is bringing in record amounts of money, and the betting odds for the big fight are staying fairly steady for the time being. As of Monday, Mayweather remains favored to win the fight and stay undefeated.

Generally speaking, Mayweather is a much bigger favorite for his fights than he is here. He was a -800 favorite last September for his rematch with Marcos Maidana, four months after their first fight, where Floyd was a -1000 favorite. For those fights, he was seen as four to five times more likely to win than he is against Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KO).

Mayweather (47-0, 26 KO) is listed between -215 and -300 on some major sportsbooks, having opened at -285. The American star has rarely even been seriously challenged over his 18 and a half year pro career, with but a handful of fights that have even been particularly competitive.

Manny opened as the underdog at +225, and is now available between +175 and +220. This is the first time Pacquiao has been the underdog in a fight since his bout with Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, which turned out to be a Pacquiao romp.

Bovada currently has the fight listed at -300 to go the distance, with +230 odds that it will end before the final bell of the 12th round. This seems a fairly safe bet, considering the fighters' recent histories. Mayweather has only gone under 12 rounds twice in the last decade. In 2007, he stopped Ricky Hatton in the 10th round. In 2011, he beat Victor Ortiz with the infamous "sucker punch" in round four.

As with most truly major sporting events, there are all kinds of goofy prop bets you can make, too. Who will throw the first punch? Mayweather is at -125, Pacquiao at -105. Which hand will it be? -130 for left, EVEN odds for right. You can get 65/1 odds on there being five or more knockdowns in the fight.

And despite his vaunted power, Pacquiao has no stoppage wins since 2009, going 7-2 over that time. The only fight that went less than 12 was a sixth-round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, a fight that was aggressive on both sides, and saw Pacquiao walk himself into a crushing, perfectly timed right hand.

Boxing legends talk about Pacquiao vs Mayweather

With less than a week to go before Manny Pacquiao collides with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring, cable network HBO has released another documentary to hype the highly-anticipated bout on May 2. An elite group of prizefighters who have gone toe-to-toe with both Pacquiao and Mayweather share their thoughts on the upcoming megafight.

The half-hour special entitled “Mayweather/Pacquiao: The Legends Speak” is hosted by HBO Boxing commentators Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman and features an elite group of prizefighters who have gone toe-to-toe with both Pacquiao and Mayweather.



Lampley sits down with Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley to know their respective opinions and assessments regarding the 12-round welterweight title unification match, while middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto and former British boxing sensation Ricky Hatton give their individual insights on the heavily-hyped showdown. On the other hand, Kellerman spearheads a roundtable discussion with high-profile panelists such as George Foreman, Lennox Lewis and Bernard Hopkins to lend their historical perspective on the aforementioned super-fight.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Betting Preview, Fight Stats

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is considered the best pound-for-pound boxer of this era with a 47-0 all-time record, and he has won each of his last five fights by decision. Mayweather will get one of the toughest tests of his career on Saturday, May 2 against Manny Pacquiao. At the MGM, three times more bets have been placed on underdog Pacquiao than Mayweather, but more money overall had been wagered on the favored undefeated champion as of Thursday. Rood said the biggest bet he's taken at this point was "just shy of a half a million" on Pacquiao. Bettors have inquired about placing even larger wagers as the fight approaches. Mayweather is a -210 favorite to win the big bout according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Pacquiao would pay +170 on an upset of the pound-for-pound king.

The line on the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao matchup has remained pretty steady over the last few months, and that is mainly due to the even action that both sides are receiving. Kevin Bradley, the Sportsbook Manager at Bovada, stated that "at our current line we are seeing a pretty even 50/50 split of money, but with Pacquiao paying out almost 2/1 the risk is growing on him and no question we will need Mayweather." Many boxing fans and analysts see the fight going one of two ways; either the technically precise and methodical Floyd Mayweather does what he has over his last five fights and defends his way to a decision victory, or Manny Pacquiao delivers one big punch to score an elusive knockout win over Mayweather. While Pacquiao is known for his heavy punches with 38 career knockouts, it is worth noting that each of Manny's last seven wins have come via decision. A Pacquiao knockout win would pay +400 while a decision win would pay +375 at the sportsbooks. While a Mayweather decision win seems to be the fight's most likely scenario at -140, it is actually what the sportsbooks are hoping for. "Props will determine a big part of how we do on the fight", Bradley says. "Ideally we will need Mayweather by decision which is currently priced at -140. A first-round knockout by Manny would be a disaster." With most props veering towards neither fighter being knocked down (one fighter getting knocked down is a +160 underdog to neither at -200), a Pacquiao knockout would pay hundreds of underdog bets to the public. Bradley indicated that this fight has already taken on far more money in bets than any other fight he's seen since he's been in the business. This really is the "fight of the century" for fans and bettors alike.

Pacquiao Vs Mayweather tickets sell out in 60 seconds

Just like that, the fight of the century and most coveted boxing tickets in the world are gone. Before anyone could say “Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr.” all available tickets for the May 2 mega fight were sold out. According to TMZ all tickets that Ticketmaster put on sale sold out immediately.

It took nearly a month to straighten out the ticket deal, and the contract itself, between Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions and MGM. It took a major nudge from CBS Corporation CEO Leslie Moonves and Senator Harry Reid (Democrat-Nevada) to finalize the fight contract of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena to unify the WBO, WBC, and WBA Welterweight titles in a match of this era’s greatest pound-for-pound boxers. Tickets ranged from $1,500 to $7,500 and only 500 were up for public selling. Anyone looking for tickets in the arena can try their luck, and moolah, in the secondary market which sells the tickets for an absurd $80,000.

Floyd Mayweather shows off brand new $210,000 Mercedes-Maybach

Floyd Mayweather said September is the month he waves goodbye to the world of professional punch throwing. “It’s not fun as it was back then. It’s business now. I don’t really enjoy it any longer,” he said. However, that is clearly not stopping him from spending hundred of thousand of dollars on new cars. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is the latest vehicle to be added to his fleet of sports cars. And Mayweather, widely considered to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, posed for a video with his new toy after taking a break from training, which he posted to his Instagram page. With the video, he posted: "I just added a new toy to my car collection. 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600. $210,000.00."

Las Vegas fighter Mayweather is expected to earn around £120million for taking part in the fight with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand, as he looks to extend his unbeaten record to 48-0. With his title of the highest-earning sports star in the world, Mayweather has been keen to show off his impressive collection of expensive buys in the past. Earlier this year, he posed on Instagram alongside his private jet and numerous sports cars. He is already known to own two Bugatti Veyrons, a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, two Ferrari 458 Spiders, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Porsche 911 Turbo S and a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The 38-year-old's fight with Pacquiao will be his penultimate - and will call to and end his career following another fight in September. If you are tempted to head to Vegas for the fight, tickets are available from Ticket Network and Viagogo, check hotel availability with Trip Advisor and compare flight prices with Expedia.

Floyd Mayweather Admits He Does Not Enjoy Boxing Anymore

Mayweather Jr admitted that he does not enjoy the sport of boxing anymore like he did in the past. The undefeated American made the revelation during the open media workout in preparation for the big bout against Manny Pacquiao in May in Las Vegas. “I don't enjoy it like I once did. It is at a point where it is business," Mayweather said via sportal.com during the open media workout."It is my job. I go to the gym. I train. I know what I have to do. There was a time when it was fun but I am at a point now where I am really over all of that stuff." Mayweather’s admission comes a bit of a surprise weeks before the $300 million showdown against Pacquiao, which is considered one of the best fights to be made in the sport.

Mayweather will earn $180 million for the fight and the boxer nicknamed “Money” will assuredly enjoy the biggest payday of his colourful career. Pacquiao will also earn big and reportedly will get more than $100 million as well. During the open media workout, Mayweather also admitted that this is an important fight for his career but stated that it won’t define his legacy saying that his previous 47 wins is as important. He also promised that his battle against Pacquiao will be enjoyed by boxing fans. “Our names are way bigger than five years ago. You have the two best in the world fighting each other, at the pinnacle of their careers. And our styles should work. It'll be exciting,” Mayweather added. Meanwhile, at the Pacquiao training camp, the Filipino stated that he’s ready to go to battle against Mayweather with less than two weeks before the big bout. In various interviews, Pacquiao said that he is happy with how they are working in the training camp mentioning his trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and conditioning coach Justin Fortune as the key guys for a successful camp. The Mayweather-Pacquiao bout will be held on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Two Blueprints for beating Pacquiao - Mayweather

I think that fight boosts the idea of Mayweather that he can stop Pacquiao. Going toe to toe against Pacquiao just doesn’t make sense and is a certain way for Mayweather to get knocked down. Also the idea of Mayweather winning on points just doesn’t run very well to his mind even if he can defend very well, the high volume of unpredictable punches that Pacquiao usually unleashes in fights makes this scenario to become very, very distant and is another way for Floyd to lose. For Mayweather to win on May 2nd, he must stop Pacquiao, period. Unless the judges favor Mayweather, I don’t see him winning this fight on points, and I think Mayweather knows well this too. Pacquiao will be just too much to keep up with. There is no other way but to stop Pacquiao sooner or later. And this will be the best statement for the number 1 pound for pound king of boxing. Otherwise I really see big trouble coming for Mayweather. His record 47-0 will be put on real test.

The blueprint in beating Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2) seems to be out there available in his 5 defeats in the past. The one blueprint that seems to stand out of them more is also his most recent one: it is in the 4th fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. In that fight an impatient and reckless Pacquiao got knocked out and stopped in the 6th round by Marquez. I believe this is the general idea that runs into Floyd Mayweather Jr’s mind and of course to his training team. I believe this is also the main focus of his training, and that’s why he has gone into all these different types of training: to make him become stronger. Why else would he hire Pacquiao’s former strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza and spend so much time in strength training? I think the reason is obvious. And, yes, Ariza might know a few things about Pacquiao, but the real reason is this: Strength. Feeling the hatred that Pacquiao appears to have about him, makes Mayweather to expect a full attack from round 1. Mayweather also expects Pacquiao at some point in the match to become impatient and reckless just like he did against Marquez. Pacquiao dropping his defenses while fighting has happened a lot of times but not all his opponents could capitalize on that. Mayweather believes he has the necessary skills to do it. He may also use as an advantage his bigger size even though that bigger doesn’t mean stronger. There is also another blueprint that Mayweather may put in use and it comes not by the defeats of Pacquiao but by the victories of Mayweather. Mayweather has another good example that might help him with this idea and it comes from his fight against Ricky Hatton in 2007. While Ricky Hatton obviously is not Pacquiao still the way he started that fight against Mayweather and the way he fought was somewhat similar with Pacman’s style. Hatton created problems in the early rounds and made Mayweather very uncomfortable but began to lose strength and stamina as the rounds passed and when finally he dropped his defenses for a desperate attack on round 10 he got easily knocked down and lost the fight.

Mayweather has a different defense than Juan Manuel Marquez - Bob Arum

Sports Analyst tend to use Juan Manuel Marquez, a common opponent of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather as a measuring stick on how the pound-for-pound superstars will do against each other when they finally meet inside the ring on May 2. After three close encounters with Pacquiao, Marquez ended his rivalry with the Filipino ring icon with an exclamation mark by knocking him out in six rounds in their final encounter in 2012. Mayweather, on the other hand, made fighting Marquez look easy by virtually dominating the latter in every round in 2009.



Despite their contrasting performances against a common opponent, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum reminded the people that Mayweather doesn't fight like Marquez at all. "Floyd has a different defense than Juan Manuel Marquez," said Arum. "His defense is primarily his shoulder roll. A lot of his defense is geared against a right handed fighter. With that said, I think Manny is going to surprise a lot of people with how he is going to be able to reach Floyd." Arum is optimistic that the long awaited showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather will not disappoint. Come fight night, the Hall of Fame promoter says that Pacquiao's footwork, speed and power will spell the difference in the fight. "It's a very interesting fight because Floyd is a defensive specialist who has a good right hand and picks off his opponents. He's an extraordinarily good fighter," told Arum. "Pacquiao's strength is speed, particularly his foot speed and the fact that he throws so many punches and attacks from low angles. He really hits harder than Floyd does, so that's really what it's going to be about."

Sylvester Stallone visits Manny Pacquiao at Wild Card

After going against Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in his fight with an American boxer in November last year, Sylvester Stallone has learned his lesson and is now rooting for the Filipino boxing icon. Best remembered for his mega-hit “Rocky” series, Stallone visited Pacquiao during his training at Wild Card Gym on Saturday afternoon (Sunday in Manila). e man who played the ultimate boxing underdog in the movies stopped by to visit a man looking to beat the odds on May 2. Sylvester Stallone, who brought boxing to its cinematic height through the Rocky films, stopped by to visit Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym as he trains for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Stallone watched as Pacquiao punched the mitts with trainer Freddie Roach, and even got around the rumored "No Selfie" rule with the 8-division boxing champion.

Relive the moment in these photos by Top Rank's Chris Farina. Still fit and sprightly at 68 years old, Stallone was accorded the privilege of watching Pacquiao spar for 12 rounds against two partners. He left convinced that Pacquiao deserved his support. Pacquiao has been tagged the underdog in his much-awaited collision with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Though he liked Pacquiao as a ring warrior, Stallone threw his support behind the unheralded Chris Algieri in their showdown in Macau last year. As it turned out, however, Algieri proved to be no match for Pacquiao, who sent the New Yorker down to the canvas six times en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. On his way out of the Wild Card parking lot, Stallone, driving his Mercedes Benz, stopped briefly, rolled down the car windows, and obliged for a quick chat with Philippine journalists. Asked about how Pacquiao fared (in sparring), Stallone replied: “He’s the best, he’s the best.” On whether Pacquiao could beat Mayweather, Stallone muttered, “Of course, of course.” Then Stallone, also noted for his “Rambo” series, stepped on the gas and left. Stallone thus joined the celebrities who have paid Pacquiao a visit in the course of his preparation for the fight with Mayweather. Actors Mark Wahlberg, Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall, NBA great Karl Malone and UFC superstar Ronda Rousey earlier paid homage to Pacquiao.

LIVESTREAM: Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao's media workout

Watch Live! Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao from Wild Card Gym in Hollywood as he opens up training camp to media members around the world. It all leads up to his mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather Saturday., May 2 live on pay-per-view. The Filipino Champ ring icon will host his lone media workout at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Wears Philippine Flag Shirt

Foyd Mayweather Jr had a public workout session on Tuesday in Las Vegas which was attended by hundreds of journalists all over the world. For the event, Mayweather surprisingly wore a shirt with an image of him printed on a Philippine flag-inspired design. He will be facing Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao in their much-awaited megafight on May 2.

WATCH: Jimmy Kimmel sings Pacman's entrance song for Mayweather fight

Manny Pacquiao took time to record an entrance song for the May 2 event in Las Vegas. The music video was released a few days earlier and immediately went viral. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who has welcomed Pacquiao several times on his program, certainly took notice. But rather than just playing the video, Kimmel took things to the next round: taking over singing duties of the song in Tagalog.

It isn't everyday that Jimmy Kimmel sings in Filipino, but he did just that when he performed boxing champ Manny Pacquiao’s song “Lalaban Ako Para sa Pilipino" (I Am Going to Fight for Filipinos) on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live in a video posted on April 15.
 

"To inspire himself, to get himself fired up for the fight, Pacquiao just released his own walkout song," Jimmy said before showing the music video. Jimmy then performed the song, with the audience members actively waving along to the music. He joked that he would want to submit this performance for consideration in next year's Grammy Awards. Manny has appeared on Jimmy's show before. Manny is currently training for his fight with Floyd Mayweather scheduled this May.

Referee for Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao fight to earn £6.8k

Floyd Mayweather jr. and Manny Pacquiao expected to earn £82 million and £54.5 million respectively with Kenny Bayless and Tomny Weeks favourites to referee. The referee for the Floyd Mayweather Jr megafight with Manny Pacquiao, which is expected to gross $400 million (£273 million) will earn $10,000 (£6,800) for handling the contest. Mayweather and Pacquiao are expected to earn £82 million and £54.5 million respectively.

Kenny Bayless and Tony Weeks have emerged as the frontrunners from six possible referees. It will be the most important fight in the career of ‘the third man in the ring’ with the Nevada State Athletic Commission expected to name the official in charge, and the three judges sitting ringside, in the coming week. Apart from Bayless and Weeks, Robert Byrd, Jay Nady, Russel Mora and Vic Drakulich are also in the running to get the assignment. In Mayweather's last ten fights at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Bayless has refereed four of them and six of Pacquiao's last ten fights in Nevada.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will want a referee whose style fits with both fighters. Pacquiao likes a free-flowing, open fight; Mayweather does not mind being in the centre of the ring, or on the ropes, clinching. Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, has voiced his concerns over who will get the assignment to referee on May 2. “I know all of the referees, I know the good ones, I know the great ones,” Roach said recently. “I think they all respect me and Manny enough to give us a fair fight. That’s all I’m asking for. Whoever refs the fight, all I’m asking is please, give us a fair fight, and let the best man win, and I think they’ll do that.”


The greatest refereeing controversies in previous Mayweather fights were officiated by Joe Cortez, who retired in 2012. Cortez warned in a recent ESPN podcast that the referee must be at their best because the world will be watching their every move.

"No room for error," said Cortez. "Any referee or judge who is on the wrong side of this fight will be criticized. It could be the end of the official's career. Honestly, that could be it."

Referees for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao's last ten fights in Las Vegas:

Floyd Mayweather Jr:

Opponent Referee

Marcos Maidana - Kenny Bayless

Marcos Maidana - Tony Weeks

Saul Alvarez - Bayless

Robert Guerrerro - Robert Byrd

Miguel Cotto - Weeks

Victor Ortiz - Joe Cortez

Shane Mosley - Bayless

Juan Manuel Marquez - Weeks

Ricky Hatton - Cortez

Oscar De La Hoya - Bayless

Manny (PACMAN) Pacquiao:

Opponent - Referee

Timothy Bradley - Kenny Bayless

Juan Manuel Marquez - Bayless

Timothy Bradley - Robert Byrd

Juan Manuel Marquez - Tony weeks

Shane Mosley - Bayless

Miguel Cotto - Bayless

Ricky Hatton - Bayless

Oscar De La Hoya - Weeks

David Diaz - Vic Drakulich

Juan Manuel Marquez Bayless

WATCH: Pacquiao sings walkout song for fight vs. Mayweather

The boxer just dropped his music video for his new song "Lalaban Ako Para Sa Filipino" which he recorded specifically for his walkout music for the Floyd Mayweather fight. The video combines footage from his earlier fights and his training plus shots of cheering supporters in his native Phillipines.

And of course there's the Pac-Man, who fancies himself a musician, standing before a microphone belting out the lyrics. It roughly translates to "I Fight for the Filipino People"  and the video is essentially a touching tribute to the people of his home country. The video has everything from dramatic montages of children street fires, stray pigs and of course, all the Manny training footage you could want! And it's Awesome Because Manny directed the whole thing.

"Lalaban Ako Para Sa Filipino" OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO!
Posted by Manny Pacquiao on Sunday, April 12, 2015

He won't survive against shark-like Pacquiao - Freddie Roach

Floyd Mayweather's latest video doing drills in a swimming pool is an indication of him knowing that Manny Pacquiao will take him into deep water on May 2 (May 3 PHL time), according to Freddie Roach. "Sounds like we should start calling him Floyd “Flipper” Mayweather," said Pacquiao's Hall of Fame trainer.

“Team Mayweather would be wise to add a lifeguard to their corner on fight night because Manny is taking ‘Mr. 47 and 1’ into deep water." Pacquiao's former conditioning coach Alex Ariza was also seen in Mayweather's pool training session, which the fighter posted on social media. But according to Roach, no amount of training will save the unbeaten pound-for-pound king from his top pupil when they finally meet inside the ring. "Swimming lessons or whatever he thinks he is doing will not help him survive the shark-infested waters he will be entering on May 2."

WATCH: Official Promo Video and Poster for Pacquiao vs Mayweather

Top Rank Boxing has released the official promo video for the much anticipated Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas live on pay-per-view. Both parties have stepped up their preparations and trainings in the recent weeks as heat intensifies nearer the much-awaited showdown.

“This is what you are waiting for since five years ago,” said Manny Pacquiao, during the official announcement of their fight. “The fight is on and we’re very excited we will do our best on May 2 to make you happy.” Pacquiao, who has held world titles in eight different weight divisions, said in an interview with a group of reporters that he was not as concerned about this upcoming fight with Mayweather as compared to his previous fights with Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya. “(Mayweather) had a better chance of winning five years ago,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “He has slowed down. I think Manny knows how to beat him.” “For me to be in the biggest fight in boxing history … I kept my fingers crossed and here we are today,” said Mayweather. The $300million mega-fight will take place in Last Vegas on May 2. Here is the official promo video for Mayweather vs Pacquiao: