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MANILA, Philippines – Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao said the brisk ticket sales shows that people are interested in boxing even if the match is against an "aging" fighter, Shane Mosley.
In his Philboxing.com column,“Kumbinasyon”, Pacquiao said he was pleased to hear that tickets for the Mosley fight on May 7 were nearly sold out just 3 hours after they were released the other day.
“Nakakataba ng puso, hindi po ba? Na ngayon pa lamang ay marami na ang interesado sa aming laban. (It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? To know that so many people are interested to see us fight) Imagine, 16,000 tickets sold in just 3 hours,” he said.
“Ang pagka-sold out ng tiket sa unang labas pa lamang ay matibay na ebidensiya na buhay na buhay talaga ang larong boksing (The tickets being sold out is a strong evidence that boxing is alive and well),” he added.
Pacquiao is set to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Mosley when they clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The pound-for-pound king assured his fans of a thrilling fight.
He said this is his way of showing his gratitude for their support.
“Susuklian ko ang pagmamahal na iyan ng ibayong paghahanda upang muli na naman nating makamit ang tagumpay (I’ll payback the love they gave me with thorough preparation to make sure that we’ll win),” he said.Top Rank Inc., which handles the promotion of the Pacquiao-Mosley fight, earlier reported that it sold approximately 16,000 tickets 3 hoursafter its release on February 1.
“Incredible, simply incredible,” Top Rank chief, Bob Arum, said. “I have never promoted a fight that has sold so many tickets so quickly.”
The tickets were released at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time). By 1 p.m., there were only 1,000 tickets left.
Arum said the ticket sales prove the drawing power of Pacquiao, who is now considered a crossover star.
“Manny Pacquiao never ceases to amaze the world with his achievements. The excitement he generated today with the initial ticket sales makes it feel like fight week already,” Arum said.
On February 10, Pacquiao and Mosley will begin their 5-city press tour to promote their match. The tour will begin in Beverly Hills, California followed by stops in Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York and Washington.
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