Promoters of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather mega fight have taken the unusual step of charging for the weigh-in after a limited number of tickets for the fight were snapped up almost immediately on Thursday.
Tickets for the May 1 weigh-in, also at the Grand Garden Arena inside the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas, will go on sale Friday and cost $10 (Dh36) each.
“The weigh-in is always the grand finale of fight week activities.” said Leonard Ellerbe, chief executive of Mayweather Promotions.
“And with the massive interest in this fight, the number of fans looking to attend the official weigh-in is going to be something we’ve never seen before.”
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Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said Thursday the money from the sale of weigh-in tickets will to charity.
“The charge of $10 for the weigh-in will benefit two great charities. All proceeds will go right to them. This is a win-win situation for all,” said Arum.
Under Arizona law, weigh-ins are supposed to be free to the public. But promoters are hoping that by charging $10 they will discourage thousands of boxing fans from camping out overnight at the MGM to try and snag a ticket.
Mayweather against Pacquiao is the biggest boxing spectacle in recent memory and it will go a long way towards determining who is the greatest fighter of their era.
Both fighters are expected to make well over $100 million from the welterweight unification bout with 60 per cent of the purse going to Mayweather and Pacquiao collecting the other 40 per cent.
A very limited number of tickets for the richest fight in boxing history went on sale Thursday and sold out quickly. The Los Angeles Times reported that just 500 tickets in the 16,800 seat arena were made available to the general public.
The tickets for the public were priced as high as $7,500 with the cheapest going for $1,500.
The release of fight night tickets comes just nine days before the May 2 fight after their distribution was held up for weeks because of a contract dispute between Pacquiao’s camp, Mayweather Promotions and the MGM Hotel.
World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight champion Mayweather and Filipino superstar Pacquiao agreed to the fight in February after years of on and off again speculation over whether the two future hall of famers would ever meet.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20specs
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The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
LOVE%20AGAIN
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
