Boxing: Many seats remain unsold for Mayweather-McGregor fight
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor are both apt to flaunt their wealth outside the boxing ring and UFC octagon.
And with ticket prices set for their Aug. 26 fight at one of the highest price points in sports history, both fighters are counting on those attending to do the same.
Ringside seats cost $10,000 (U.S.) apiece at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the same price for a ticket to Mayweather’s fight against Manny Pacquiao in May 2015. A mid-level ticket in the 20,000-plus-seat are- na’s upper bowl will cost $3,500, while the cheapest ticket offered was $500, with those selling out quickly.
Mayweather had a prominent voice in setting the prices — despite some objections by those more astute in the ticket-selling business.
Still, Mayweather, his powerful fight manager Al Haymon and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe had reason to aim high in what’s expected to be the 40-year-old fighter’s farewell from the ring against the charismatic McGregor, a 6-1 underdog making his pro boxing debut.
Their four-city international press tour to Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and London last month proved they’d captured the world’s attention as more than 10,000 fans appeared at each stop to hail and jeer the fivedivision champion Mayweather and recent two-belt UFC champion McGregor.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said AEG President Dan Beckerman, whose company staged three of the tour stops and counts T-Mobile Arena among its sports empire. “I was blown away by the response for the press conferences. It was clear that the demand for this fight was going to be incredible.”
The question now is will that enthu- siasm fill the arena?
Officials connected to the public sale of tickets said that as of late last week, 3,000 seats remain, with brokers and ticketing agents estimating 4,000 more are still available to buy on their secondary market.
“This money grab fight is a promotion to see how much can be made off one night. When you see their commercial, hear (the participants) talk about the gate . . . it’s all about money,” said Oscar De La Hoya, the fight promoter and former six-division world champion staging a competing Southland fight card that same night and the Sept. 16 mid- dleweight title match between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. “Yes, this is a business, but everyone’s forgetting about the fight, which Mayweather-McGregor is not.”
Those involved in the sales aren’t expressing deep concerns.
“It’s getting unjustly beaten up in the press, but I’m seeing people buying tickets every day,” said Ken Solky, former president of the National Assn. of Ticket Brokers who heads a powerful ticket-brokerage agency, lasvegastickets.com and 1-800-LAS-VEGAS. “Let’s be honest: The place is going to be packed.”