Fight fever packs a punch for businesses

The MGM Grand maybe the best place to watch the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior bout, but nightclubs, sports bars and pubs hope to come close for atmosphere when it starts in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The fight has been a major talking point for boxing fans for a number of years and at one point it looked as though the pair may never get in the ring together.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered to be the best pound for pound fighters in the world and their records speak volumes about why this match is so highly anticipated.

Mayweather, nicknamed Money currently stands at 47-0, with 26 knock-out blows landed in a career that has earned the 38-year-old Michigan man approximately £260m over his 19-year career and made him the highest-earning athlete in the world for the past three years.

Pacquiao, the more experienced of the two, has only lost five of his 62 battles in the ring.

The 36-year-old Filipino, known by fans as Pacman, has banked around £171m during a career that seen him named 'fighter of the decade' for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America. The blue touch paper for the conflict between Pacquiao and Mayweather was lit by Floyd Mayweather senior, who said of his son's opponent back in 2009: "I don't think he can beat Lil' Floyd with steroids in him or not.

"He don't have that kind of talent.

"He don't have that kind of skill, whatever he has in him."

The comments riled Pacquiao up enough for him to file a lawsuit against Mayweather junior and his camp which was settled out of court in 2012.

From this point on, it was inevitable that the two would eventually square up in a super fight inside the ring.

In the time since, one potential fight fell apart due to Mayweather's insistence that strict blood and urine testing be carried out right up until the weigh in day for a fight in 2010.

After numerous contractual issues and disagreements over television rights, fans finally got the news they wanted to hear after Mayweather posted a photograph of a contract signed by the pair on a social networking website. At this week's pre-fight press conference, Mayweather said: "You guys came out here to see excitement, to see a great event and I think that's what both competitors bring to the table - excitement.

"This is the biggest fight in boxing history and I'm a part of it, that's the great thing. I'm truly blessed and feeling strong."

Pacquiao said: "I invite everyone to witness this Saturday a good fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao.

"It's going to be a good fight. Both of us, Floyd and I, have worked hard to entertain you on Saturday, to give a good fight on Saturday.

"I believe he will do his best on Saturday and I'm going to do my best to put our names in boxing history."

Mayweather and Pacquiao are fighting for the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight titles.

It will be a night that is set to pack a punch for businesses and punters across the Black Country, as lovers of the sport look ahead to the most highly anticipated boxing event of the year.

Some of the area's pubs and bars will be keeping their doors open way past the normal early hours to show the fight, which is worth an estimated £150 million to the fighters.

Coverage of the event begins at midnight on Sunday and as Las Vegas is eight hours behind the United Kingdom, the battle will not begin until 4am on Sunday at UK time.

While the bout will no doubt be fiercely contested, venues are competing to draw in the biggest crowd.

In Wolverhampton, Rileys, The Hogs Head and Molineux's WV1 Bar will be showing fight live, offering people the chance to drink in the atmosphere on a big screen in their home city.

For £10 people can enjoy the spectacle at the WV1 Bar, where staff will be joining together four 8ft x 6ft screens along with 24 plasma screens so customers can get a great view of the fight whilst tucking into a breakfast bap and chips.

Manager Julian Britton said: "I can't wait for the fight personally.

"We have sold 106 tickets so far so it should be a good turn out. This is the fight of the century." Snooker and pool bar Rileys is selling tickets for £5 and offering customers a disco before the fight kicks off, keeping its doors open until 6am.

Staff member Ben Pearce said: "The demand for our tickets has been really high, the phone has not stopped ringing all day. We have sold 100 tickets so far. It is a very big sport event so it will be a great night for both staff and customers."

The Hog's Head has sold more than 160 tickets so far. At £1.50 a ticket customers can enjoy the match with food served until 3am and doors closing 30 minutes after the final blow is struck.

Manager Johnathan Jenkins, said: "We are expecting a really busy night especially with it being match day for Wolves beforehand. It is going to be a very long night, but a good one. I am looking forward to it."

Elsewhere in the Black Country, Bar Sport in Cannock is also putting on the event. It will show it using more than 60 screens with a fully licensed bar until 6am.

Scott Murray, founder and managing director of Bar Sport Franchise, the venue had sold all 800 tickets for the event.

Fabulous

The former amateur boxing champion said: "It is a fabulous boost for the business, but also boxing fans who will be able to enjoy our top facilities while watching one of the biggest fights in recent times.

"We have people coming from across the country, from as far as Gloucester and London."

The venue will open its VIP and banqueting suites for the bout. Breakfast will be served at 3am.

And in Stourbridge The Britannia is also showing the bout. Customers without the £7.50 priced tickets will be asked to leave at midnight when the pub in High Street, Wollaston, will be turned into a boxing venue. Among the dozens watching it at home or in sports bars across the region is Paul Nutting, secretary of the Central Midlands Boxing Association.

The 58-year-old, who lives in Codsall, said: "I will be watching the fight with members of the boxing community in Rileys."

Bob Dillon, aged 58, of Wall Heath is GB high performance potential coach and works at Lions Boxing Club in Dudley.

He said: "Its going to be a great fight, its a great advertisement for the sport of professional boxing."

For those sporting fans looking to find a local fight following the bout this weekend, PJ Promotions is hosting You Asked For it at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on June 6. A quartet of Midlands Area Titles will be up for grabs at the event.