Manny Pacquiao takes home more than $20-million for last fight
For pounding the bigger, beefier Antonio Margarito, boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao made between $20-25-million dollars.
The figure was reported by The Philippine Star, which also included quotes from Top Rank promoter Bob Arum confirming the number.
“It could be between $20-million to $25-million, but at least $20-million,” Arum was quoted as saying.
According to numbers, that means that “Pacman” made approximately $2-million for each of the twelve rounds, $694,000 a minute, or $11,574 each second.
The Philippine congressman was guaranteed no less than $15-million for the fight, but profit was packed on thanks to successful Pay-Per-View figures. HBO recently announced that the card did upwards of 1.15 million buys, generating revenue of approximately
$64-million dollars.
The numbers were particularly surprising for many, including ESPN’s Dan Rafael, since neither fighter was American, and Margarito, a Mexican native, had recently become one of the most despised fighters in the sport.
In January 2009, Margarito was accused of trying to put Plaster of Paris in his hand wraps prior to a fight with “Sugar” Shane Mosley. The incident met harsh criticism from many in the sport, who called for his lifetime ban, resulting in his license being
revoked.
Margarito was only able to fight Pacquiao because he applied for a boxing license in Texas, a state notoriously known for its lax licensing policies.
Pacquiao and Margarito clashed at the Cowboys stadium in Arlington. While many considered it a good fight, it was hardly competitive, with the much smaller Pacquiao dominating with quick footwork and lightning combinations.
After the fight, Margarito was rushed to a hospital where he had surgery for a broken right orbital bone, a testament the power of Pacquiao’s shots.
Arum took the numbers as a sign of larger boxing strides to come, saying, “There are bigger and better things to come. These Pay-Per-View numbers only show the incredible popularity of Manny Pacquiao in the United States and outside the United States."
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