The Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio megafight has scored another first in boxing history after it was announced that fans who want to watch the fight's official weigh-in on May 1 will be charged a fee.
Ticket for the weigh-in will reportedly cost $10 (Dh36.73) each, although the website of the fight's venue, MGM Grand, had not provided details as of Friday (Thursday in the US), except stating that fans "must purchase tickets in advance for entry" and to "check back (on the website) for purchase details".
The fight will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2. The weigh-in will be held at the same venue.
The promoters and MGM Grand, in consultation with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), have reportedly decided to charge for admission to the weigh-in with the proceeds going to charity.
Top Ranks executive event producer Brad Jacobs told ESPN that the nominal charge is part of efforts to control the crowd.
"What we wanted to do was avoid the craziness you've seen at the Mayweather and Pacquiao weigh-ins where you have people sleeping out in front of the arena the night before and basically camping out," Jacobs said.
"We want to avoid that. We want some orderly fashion to it so people needed to have a ticket like they need to a concert or a fight, so there's no reason for a big crowd to get there the night before. All of the money that is generated from the weigh-in, every dollar, is going to charity."
Top Rank and Pacquiao will reportedly donate their share of the proceeds to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which has a branch in Las Vegas and has done extensive studies on boxers.
Mayweather will donate his share of the ticket sales to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, a breast cancer charity the fighter has been supporting.
Jacobs also said that the tickets will be sold through the regular MGM ticket outlets.
