Boxing · 2015 · Las Vegas, USA
The Fight of the Century
Six years after fans first demanded it, boxing's two biggest stars finally meet in the richest fight ever staged, a bout whose broadcast revenue records still stand.
Mayweather def. Pacquiao, unanimous decision
Result
~$400 million
PPV revenue (est.)
48-0
Mayweather record after
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao had been boxing's two most bankable stars through much of the 2000s, but repeated attempts to arrange a fight between them collapsed for years over contract and drug-testing disputes, frustrating fans and turning the eventual matchup into arguably the most anticipated bout in the sport's modern history.
When it finally happened on 2 May 2015 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, marketed heavily as the 'Fight of the Century', Mayweather used his trademark defensive technique to largely neutralise Pacquiao's aggression, winning a comfortable unanimous decision on all three judges' scorecards. Pacquiao revealed after the fight that he had been carrying a significant shoulder injury.
The bout generated roughly $400 million in pay-per-view revenue, still among the highest grossing fights ever staged, even though the action itself was widely seen as a letdown relative to the years of hype. It remains the standard reference point for the commercial scale a single boxing match can reach.
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