...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
While this is a site covering the sport of mixed martial arts, we'd be remiss to not add some comments on what will be the biggest boxing fight possibly in that sport's history, as Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will square off on March 13th for Pacquiao's welterweight title.
Both fighters drew over a million pay-per-view buys for their respective last fights this fall, and this has the potential to break boxing's pay-per-view record of 2.44 million, set by Oscar De La Hoya against Mayweather in 2007.
This news affects the UFC as well, as March 13th is the tentative date for Georges St. Pierre's return against Dan Hardy for UFC 111, though it's possible that date can be moved this far out.
HBO and the fight promoters reportedly wanted the fight to take place on May 1st, which also would have gone head to head with a UFC Title bout, Pacquiao is going to run for a congressional seat in the Phillipines and needed the fight to take place earlier.
They don't have a venue set just yet, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been lobbying to get the fight into the new 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys Stadium. Both fighters are set to split the money from the event 50/50, and with this likely being one of the most lucrative fights in the history of the sport that's no small amount of money.
This is a fight that UFC President Dana White has repeatedly said is the only one boxing fans are interested in, and it's one he has admitted he wants to see as he is still a boxing fan. If the UFC can avoid going head to head with this they would be wise to do so, as this is a fight that even dejected boxing fans and some that perhaps haven't watched a whole lot of boxing will still likely tune in for. This is going to be a major event and it would simply make more sense to reschedule UFC 111 if it's a possibility.
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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