In the money: Everyone wins when Mayweather fights Pacquiao

There’s a long list of winners to be seen Saturday night, when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao square off in one of the most anticipated boxing matches in history. The fight is at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which expects somewhere between $60 million and $80 million in betting. Rooms at the MGM Grand went for almost four times a normal Saturday night rate when the fight was announced before quickly selling out. Then there’s Pay-Per-View on CBS’s Showtime and Time Warner’s HBO. It will cost most people about $99 to watch the fight at home. Bars are charged $25 multiplied by their maximum occupancy to show the fight. And then there’s the two boxers themselves: Mayweather will take home about $180 million, while Pacquiao will earn $120 million.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny and all the promoters did a great job in kind of stringing the public along for four or five years waiting for this fight to happen so when it finally did the demand was so pent up.

Marc Lichtenfeld, market strategist moonlighting as a boxing announcer

Las Vegas is already dealing with the influx of high rollers and celebrities filing in. Big names are scheduled to be at concerts and events before and after the fight — but be warned, it’ll be expensive to party with them. Earlier, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council champion Mayweather weighed in at 146 pounds (66.22 kg) - one pound under the welterweight limit. World Boxing Organization champion Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds.

I believe that the fight must happen because the fans deserve it.

Manny Pacquiao

Sports Pacquiao