The countdown is on to Saturday's showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the $400 million "fight of the century" with a place in boxing's pantheon of greats on the line.
More than five years in the making, it's an epic clash of styles and personalities, pitting the craftsmanship and defensive savvy of "Money" Mayweather against explosive southpaw Pacquiao -- an iconic figure in his native Philippines.
The welterweight world title unification bout looks set to smash boxing records for worldwide viewership and revenue, with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum predicting it could generate as much as $400 million.
With a 60-40 purse split in favor of Mayweather, the unbeaten American stands to make an eye-watering $150 million and Pacquiao $100 million.
Fanned by instant Internet publicity and social media, global interest in the contest has skyrocketed.
The precious 500 tickets for seats at the 16,800-capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that were put on sale directly to the public at face values ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 sold out in minutes.
Promoters are even selling 10,000 tickets to Friday's weigh-in, at $10 a pop.
The audience on fight night will read like a who's who of A-list celebrities, casino high-rollers and others with the wherewithal to snaffle tickets that are going at secondary sales outlets such as StubHub for as much as $100,000.
The staggering financial figures and celebrity sideshows have only boosted the fight's cross-over appeal.
The build-up has focused on such minutiae as Mayweather's custom-made mouth guard, infused with diamonds and gold, and the $2 million-plus Pacquiao will rake in for advertising on his trunks.
Clash of characters
But once all that is stripped away, it will be up to the two men in the ring to deliver on the hype, in a duel that many feel has passed its sell-by date.
"The only thing the fighters can do is go out there and perform, and do what we do best," says Mayweather, who brings an impeccable 47-0 record with 26 knockouts to the bout, along with the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight world titles.
Mayweather, trained by his father Floyd Sr. and continuing a family boxing legacy that stretches back for decades, is closing in on the iconic 49-0 record of 1950s legend Rocky Marciano, who retired as an undefeated heavyweight champion.
The American has held 11 titles in five weight divisions, his untarnished record and unabashed swagger making him the highest-paid sportsman in the world, according to Forbes.
Underlining his gift for provocative self-promotion, Mayweather last week compared himself favorably to heavyweight icon Muhammad Ali.
"I know there will be a backlash, but I couldn't care less," Mayweather said.
But beneath the glitzy surface runs a darker Mayweather story, studded by incidents of domestic violence.
It only makes Mayweather the perfect foil for Pacquiao, beloved in the Philippines as a humble humanitarian who has put his own womanizing ways behind him with a return to his Christian faith.
A lover of music and basketball, Pacquiao is a two-term congressman who many predict will one day be president of the Philippines.
At 38, Mayweather is two years older than World Boxing Organization champion Pacquiao, who is nevertheless considered the more ring-worn of the two, with his record of 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts.
The only fighter to win eight world titles in as many weight divisions, Pacquiao's stock plummeted with two defeats in 2012, including a crushing one-punch knockout by Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez. There were rumors of impending retirement.
He has since won three fights, although in his last bout, in November, he was unable to finish off Chris Algieri despite knocking him down six times.
Pacquiao hasn't knocked out an opponent since a TKO of Miguel Cotto in 2009 -- the same year he crushed Ricky Hatton in two rounds.
Mayweather's last knockout win was back in 2011 and he too has showed signs of ring-wear, though that has not stopped him going into the fight as the favorite.
Big, but how big?
Even so, the bout tantalizingly brings together two of the most talented fighters of their generation in a clash that recalls such past classics as Joe Frazier's victory over Ali in 1971, the first fight of their epic trilogy.
"The whole country stopped," the promoter Arum recalled of the immense interest in that fight at Madison Square Garden.
Whether Pacquiao-Mayweather will surpass Ali-Frazier -- or any other "fight of the century" -- in lasting signficance is immaterial, Arum said.
"This fight is tremendous," he said. "The interest is tremendous. And we should really wrap ourselves around that fact rather than compare it to fights of another era.
"One thing is clear: it's the biggest fight of this century.”
AFP
Mon Apr 27 2015
Mayweather (left) will fight against Pacquiao (right) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab dari segi kemahiran dan keupayaan sosial.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya, seperti mahkamah syariah, pegawai penguatkuasa agama dan peguam syarie.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari bukti hari ini
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menggerakkan unit skuba (Unit Forensik) serta Unit Anjing Pengesan (K9) ke lokasi penemuan mayat Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah, 25, di Kampung Sri Kledang, Hulu Selangor, pagi esok.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Dewan Rakyat: Langkah meknoktahkan kemisikan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan hari ini
Langkah-langkah untuk meknoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah terutamanya di lapan daerah yang dikategorikan termiskin di Malaysia antara tumpuan persidangan Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Kagame, menang 99.5 peratus pilihan raya Rwanda
Paul Kagame meneruskan khidmatnya buat penggal keempat berturut-turut sebagai Presiden Rwanda, selepas memenangi 99.15 peratus undi dalam pilihan raya negara itu.
Polis kerah lebih 300 anggota kawal perlawanan Piala FA
Seramai 351 anggota polis ditugaskan bagi mengawal perlawanan separuh akhir Piala FA antara Terengganu FC (TFC) dengan Selangor FC di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (SSMZA) Jumaat ini.
Perisik Korea Utara berpaling tadah
Seorang diplomat Korea Utara berprofil tinggi yang ditempatkan di Cuba dikenali sebagai Ri II Kyu, 52 tahun, berpaling tadah ke Korea Selatan.
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di bilik hotel di Thailand
Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat ambil maklum mengenai laporan mengenai dua warganegaranya yang ditemui mati di sebuah hotel di Thailand.
Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul: Tiada KO, tiada pemenang, tetapi bawa pulang RM200 juta
Pertarungan pertunjukan di antara bintang tinju Floyd Mayweather Jr dan YouTuber sensasi Logan Paul berakhir dengan tiada pemenang.
KO pusingan pertama, Jake Paul tumbangkan bekas petarung UFC Ben Askren
Jake Paul mengejutkan dunia sukan tempur apabila menewaskan bekas jaguh MMA, Ben Askren dalam perlawanan tinju, pada Ahad.
Mayweather umum 'keluar persaraan' tahun depan, sedang bekerjasama dengan UFC
Bekas juara lima kategori itu membuat pengumuman tersebut di akaun Instagramnya selepas mengadakan perbincangan dengan Presiden UFC, Dana White.
Floyd Mayweather umum 'rematch' dengan Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather mengumumkan akan bertarung semula dengan seteru lamanya, Manny Pacquiao dalam satu perlawanan pertunjukan di Tokyo, Jepun.
Pacquiao kepada Mayweather: 'Rematch dengan saya kalau mahu terus relevan'
Manny Pacquiao mencabar Floyd Mayweather Jr untuk mengadakan rematch (pertarungan semula) dengannya jika bekas juara tinju dari Amerika Syarikat itu mahu kekal relevan.
Manny Pacquiao janji aksi penuh bertenaga, Matthysse tak gentar berentap idola sendiri
Kuala Lumpur bakal menjadi tumpuan dunia 15 Julai depan apabila Manny Pacquiao bakal berentap dengan pemegang tali pinggang Kejuaraan Welterweight WBA, Lucas Matthysse.
Profil peninju Floyd Mayweather dan Manny Pacquiao
Profil peninju Floyd Mayweather dan Manny Pacquiao termasuk rekod perlawanan terkini dan pendapatan serangan paling tinggi di dunia.