By Eli Grant: How many articles can you possible write about the super-hyped Mayweather-Pacquiao fight? A lot! Especially when we get news from the ever-changing negotiations that are knocking on the door of the three month barrier. Finally, the two best pound for pound fighters have agreed upon a venue. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Vegas…again. Was there ever any doubt? MGM Grand will be the site of what may become the greatest fight of all time.
Sure, the action inside the ring will be electric, reminiscent of legendary fights such as Leonard-Thompson. But that’s old news. What we really want to know is how the tailors of big shots like Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer are going to find enough thread to sew new pockets that can handle their next primetime payday.
Expert analysts predict that this legendary dance is going to put the revenue of Mayweather-De la Hoya to shame. Just to remind you, De la Hoya and Mayweather together were able to rack up $120 million just in pay-per-view sales. Hoya!
It has been a long time since Mayweather and Pacquiao agreed upon a 50-50 prize split, unusual territory for Mayweather. But let’s do the math. Rumor has it, that 50 is going to be worth $25 million. If predictions are correct, that’s going to leave at least another $100 million up for grabs. Forget dreaming about becoming a professional athlete. Forget all the glitz, glamour, and glory of victory. I want to know how to get to know the guy behind the guy.
Lil’ Bobby was born on the streets of New York and eventually graduated from Harvard Law. Personally, I would have stopped there. Apparently there wasn’t much money to be had as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, so he finally decided to get into boxing at the age of 34. He must have learned a lot at Harvard, like how to become a smooth talking sailor, because it wasn’t long before Bob was in the circle so-to-speak and giving Don King a run for his money, while making the big bucks off of “ever-lasting” fighters such as Duran and Hagler. The rest, as we know, is history.
Unlike the prestigious background of Bob Arum, Schaefer has had to slap on that blue collar and dig his way out of the dirt. No, wait, Schaefer is pretty much the same person. He was born into an extremely wealthy family of bankers in the Swiss lands. And much like Arum, millions just wasn’t cutting it. So he hopped on his puddle jumper, navigated over the treacherous waters of the Atlantic, and landed in the Graceland, that is the United States of America, to finally make something of himself. Clearly, his billionaire father wasn’t exalted just yet, but as fate would have it, Richard played a round of golf with the Golden Boy Oscar De la Hoya and became the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions virtually overnight. I knew I should have learned to play golf.
I used to want to be Tiger Woods, but now that that’s out the window, I’ve been dreaming about doing away with this 135lb frame of mine and becoming a fat man in a suit. I will gladly dish out 50 bucks to see the legend-in-the-making on March 13. But I sure hope these big dogs believe in charity, because after seeing these numbers, I’m going to need a new pair of shorts. Viva Las Vegas!
Comments are closed.