The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Ticket sales concerns played down by promoter
Ellerbe dismisses reports of lack of interest in Mayweather-McGregor fight
Leonard Ellerbe has dismissed concerns that Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Conor McGregor is yet to sell out.
Tomorrow’s fight at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena has long been billed as the biggest and richest in history, but suggestions it could prove a greater commercial success than Mayweather’s bout with Manny Pacquiao appear premature.
It was reported that as of last week 7,000 seats at the 20,000-capacity arena remain unsold, but Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, is adamant the notion other fights sell out almost instantly is a myth.
At Tuesday’s surprisingly low-key grand arrivals, an advert could be seen for the September 16 fight between Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin at the same venue, which said it had sold out.
Ellerbe, however, has accused rival promoter Oscar De La Hoya of “lying” about their ticket sales, and claims tomorrow’s fight will surpass the pay-perview take-up of Mayweather-Pacquiao, which remains history’s richest match-up.
Press Association Sport understands there has already been a significant number of pay-per-view bookings throughout the UK and elsewhere, and Ellerbe said: “Internationally we’ve already surpassed where we were with ‘MayPac’. So we’ve got something very special. We’re going to break all the records, in all the pay-per-view markets, internationally.
“Actually (Mayweather-Pacquiao) didn’t sell out in seconds. What you’ve got to understand is that I don’t see what people are making a deal about. I haven’t checked in the past day; I’m sure we’re probably close.
“The only thing that sells out like that, realistically, is like the Rolling Stones. This ain’t nothing like the Rolling Stones: this is a massive event, people are talking about this thing across all genres.
“From music, to sports, to entertainment: everywhere everybody goes, that’s all they’re talking about: Mayweather versus McGregor.
“It took a while (for MayweatherPacquiao to sell out), for a number of things. If you’re making reference to Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya, he lied to you guys.
“He’ s good at tricking the fans, but that’ s what his objective is.”