16,000 seater for Hatton v Pacman

[Old bones Ian]

Thats a bit crap really, is that the biggest place they could find in Las Vegas?

[Poncey]

What's the venue mate? I' guessing from the figure Mandalay Bay?

There isn't a venue that much bigger in Vegas. Grand Garden Arena is 15000 and T & M is 19000. Pearl is 8000 I think. Not sure what Planet Hollywood's is.

[Old bones Ian]

its at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

[metropol]

As it goes thats a big crowd for a boxing event but i suppose hatton brings 20,000 people so some are going to have to make do with the telly

[Smit]

As it goes thats a big crowd for a boxing event but i suppose hatton brings 20,000 people so some are going to have to make do with the telly

Most tickets will not go on sale to the public either. I would guess only half of the tickets will go on sale to the public at most.

[TerribleTerry]

What's the venue mate? I' guessing from the figure Mandalay Bay?

I think the Mandalay Bay is around 10,000 - as you say Vegas venues aren't as big as you would think.

That said, if you get a ticket for the MGM you are guaranteed a great view and a fantastic night..

[Poncey]

Best venue for views.

[Evander]

I prefer the UNLV.

Still whatever works.

[jamesmcdonnell]

There are no really big venues in the casinos, which is a shame, because they could easily get 35000 if they had the arena to hold those numbers.

[Poncey]

Tickets on sale Friday. I'll try and find out prices. Max is $1000. Been told only 5000 tickets are available.

[neil hibbert]

im off to vegas if i can get my hands on tickets!!

[BigGar]

Am definitely going to Vegas that week. Not done this before so can someone tell me what route I need to go down to try and get the tickets at face value (or as close as possible to) ??? Thanks!

[Poncey]

Find out the second the MGM Grand Arena ticket line opens and pray. My guess is they'll be sold out in 3 to 5 mins.

[bennie]

The bluff and counter-bluff, the distance gap, the politics, the accusations, the outright insults, the rumours... Manny Pacquiao's superfight with Britain's Ricky Hatton was well and truly off a few days ago, they said, but then it was a 12-round 'goer' for May 2 in Las Vegas, and the hideous negotiations were a thing of the past.
"Hitman" Hatton will take over a huge crowd from his native Manchester, where he drew an astonishing 55,000 for a routine 12-rounder last year. Pacquiao, the Bruce Lee of the sport, enjoys the same adoring support in his native Philippines (he draws a crowd when he puts out the rubbish), and a sizeable following in the States, and their fight is guaranteed to pack out the MGM Grand Garden Arena. That's a no-brainer.
Southpaw Pacquiao kicks off as the betting favourite after his brilliant eight-round dismissal of a much bigger Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas in December but Hatton has never lost at light-welterweight, at which this fight takes place, and put in a pretty good performance himself in his last outing in November, also in Las Vegas, with an 11-round mauling of flashy New Yorker Paulie Maliganggi, although Malignaggi is hardly a victim of De La Hoya's stature.
Those odds may narrow.
Hatton looked better defensively under his new trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr and is firmly re-established at light-welterweight, having flirted with welterweight a couple of times, quite poorly. Pacquiao, in contrast, jumped up from lightweight to welterweight to trounce De La Hoya. "Pac Man" is not the favourite for nothing, a quick, punishing, slippery, complete-looking fighter.
Hatton brings his usual sharpness, aggression, workrate and just one defeat in 46 fights, to Floyd Mayweather Jnr in 10 relatively one-sided rounds at the MGM Grand in December 2007. Ominously, welterweight Mayweather was pound-for-pound No. 1 at the time (he retired afterwards, unbeaten) and that mantle now belongs to Pacquiao, especially after Antonio Margarito's shock nine-round stoppage to "Sugar" Shane Mosley over the weekend in Los Angeles.
The best fighter in boxing should beat the best light-welterweight.
Imponderables belong to a later date, however, closer to the fight. One thing is for sure: the announcement of Hatton-Pacquiao heralds a heady few months for British boxing, with Mick Jennings against Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan against Marco Antonio Barrera, Carl Froch against Jermain Taylor (possibly) and an equally big fight looming for David Haye.

[flaha4]

So any ideas on how to get tickets? Ticketmaster doesn't say anything about the fight going on sale yet. I heard Friday though and I heard only 2000 to 3000 will be on sale to the public. I definitely am going to try for them. Would it be best to use the phone or internet? Anyone know the exact time they go on sale? 12PM EST or 1PM EST? Thanks


Oh, and I doubt they'll sell out in 3-5 minutes, considering the De Le Hoya vs. Pacquiao fight sold out in just under 2 hours. So I'll say in an hour or so it'll sell out. The cheap tickets will sell out first, then the 500-1000 dollar ones will quickly follow.

[chris s]

According to LVRJ (I think that was the source) 3000 via Ticket master, the casinos have paid $2 million for an allocation and the rest between the fighters and Top Rank.

I. On the day at Mayweather scalpers were selling for face value.

[BigGar]

Just booked 8 nights at the MGM. Flying out on 26th April and back on 4th May. Can't wait! Wouldn't mind a ticket though!

[Poncey]

Enjoy Gareth. I'm waiting to see if I can afford a house first.

flaha, there is someone on the forum that can get them at face value, but you might have to buy the package.

[chris s]

Try ticketmaster on friday. think they go on sale 6pm our time. Check their american site and it will give the time.

[flaha4]

what is included in the package and how much is that?


also, why isnt there any info on ticketmaster? i cant even find the event, i searched everyway possible.

[BigGar]

Enjoy Gareth. I'm waiting to see if I can afford a house first.

flaha, there is someone on the forum that can get them at face value, but you might have to buy the package.

No way! Nightmare...wish I hadn't booked the hotel now!! 1st trip to Vegas and probably my only one so my pal and I desperate for a ticket!!!

Sure it's going to be expensive when I'm there so I'll be starving myself until I go to save the dosh!

[Poncey]

If you need tips for cheap food and free beer Gareth, PM me. If I go I'll let you know as I've been there 4 times in the last 18 months so happy to show you around. I also know of a website to get guanrateed tickets for clubs at decent prices.

Never, ever queue

With regard to the package flaha, no idea as I haven't asked him yet. But it'll probably be around £1200+ for an average ticket included.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I have a theory about Hatton fighting in smaller arenas. Ray Hatton personally sells a good share of the tickets at much higher prices, the smaller arena means they can jack up the price further because less are available and the fans with the most money to spend will be relieved to get a ticket even if it costs 5-10times the price. Overall they make more money from fighting in higher arenas and bumping up the price.

I remember my micro economics teacher once said 'When they say Oasis tickets sell out in 2hours and they could have sold the stadium out 10times over its rubbish because if they put the price at the optimum level (high enough), they'd only just sell out and make far far higher revenues'

[mrbassie]

Why are they doing it in Vegas at all? They should do it in Manilla. One of the reasons fights like Ali-Foreman and Ali-Frazier 3 are so romantically remembered is the locale. I'm sure it all comes down to money of course.....boring sods

[Chambers2]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7858517.stm

Hatton relishes Pacquiao showdown

British boxer Ricky Hatton believes he can beat the "best" when he takes on Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton takes on Pacquiao, who stopped Oscar de la Hoya last month, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on 2 May.

"It will be an honour to meet Manny, the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and I'm brimming full of confidence," said Hatton.

"It's doesn't get better than this. I'm the biggest attraction in boxing," the 30-year-old from Manchester added.

Hatton suffered his only defeat as a pro when he met Floyd Mayweather Jr, then rated the best pound-for-pound fighter, in December 2007.

But the Mancunian says he will be better prepared this time around with the fight at his preferred 10 stone weight.

"I've challenged the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world once and came second. Now I've got another chance and I'm not going to let you down.

"That fight was at welterweight but I've always said that at light-welterweight there is no-one better than me in the world," he said.

"With perseverance and hard work I believe I can become the best boxer in the world."

Hatton predicted that his showdown with Pacquiao will be a classic.

"It's going to be a cracking fight, if I wasn't fighting Pacquiao I'd be a fan of his, and Ricky Hatton fights are never dull," he said.

The fight was in danger of not going ahead after weeks of legal wrangling between the pair.

Pacquiao was insisting a greater share of the purse but Hatton's camp never wavered from a 50-50 split and the Filipino boxer eventually agreed.

"It has been a very difficult few weeks. We had agreed the deal so two weeks ago I was delighted," he said.

"I was devastated when I thought it was not going to be on and I told Gareth Williams (Hatton's lawyer) I didn't want to go back into training now knowing.

"I said 'As much of an honour it is to be fighting Manny Pacquiao I don't want to be sat around thinking who am I going to fight?'

"I said if it was not done in the next few days I would look for someone else."

Looks like Manny had to agree to the 50-50 split rather than the 52/48.

Cracking fight!