Mayweather and Pacquiao square up for the most lucrative fight in history

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are only hours away from one of the most anticipated boxing matches in history. The fight is set to be the most lucrative in history with a $300m (£195m) purse which will be split 60/40 in Mayweather’s favour. Tickets for the bout sold out in 60 seconds. Mayweather goes into the fight as odds-on favourite with Sky Bet at ½, with odds of a Pacquiao victory put at 15/8. A draw is 16/1. The bookies expect the fight to go the full 12 rounds with a points decision deciding the victor.

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

Fans have been eager to see the boxers do battle since Pacquiao established himself as a legitimate welterweight power in 2009 by stopping Miguel Cotto. Former boxer Ricky Hatton, who fought both fighters during his career, told Sky News the bout promises to be “one of the biggest fights of all time”. 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. The fight takes place in Las Vegas at 9pm local time (5am BST on Sunday).

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

Manny Pacquiao

Sports Pacquiao