CEBU, Philippines - The cash register starts ringing for Filipino sports hero Manny Pacquiao as his recent blockbuster fight against Miguel Angel Cotto has reportedly netted a staggering US$120 million or roughly P5.8 billion in pay-per-view sales.
Boxing website fightnews.com, citing Rey Colon of the ‘El Vocero” of Puerto Rico as its source, reported that the Pacquiao-Cotto duel last Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas raked in an approximately 2 million pay-per-piew buys generating at least US$120 million.
While Cotto was guaranteed to receive a minimum of US$10 million, no word as to how much Pacquiao would be getting although the Pacman is expected to gobble a lion’s share of the PPV sales.
If the figures will be confirmed, the Pacquiao-Cotto duel will shatter the previous record set by the Pacquiao-De la Hoya showdown as only the fourth fight in boxing history that was not a heavyweight bout yet still brought more than one million pay-per-view buys.
In an electrifying display of blinding speed and superior power, Pacquiao turned Cotto into a human punching bag, turning the Puerto Rican’s face into a bloody mess forcing referee Kenny Bayless to stop the carnage late in the 12th round.
For snatching Cotto’s WBO welterweight belt, Pacquiao earned his rightful place in history as the first ever fighter to win seven world titles in seven weight divisions. The other collection of belts in his treasure vault include the WBC flyweight, IBF super bantamweight, Ring Magazine featherweight, IBF super featherweight, WBC lightweight and IBO light welterweight.
Pacquiao got US$13 million purse for the Cotto bout, while the Puerto Rican pocketed US$7 million. Expect a windfall of cash for both of them given the huge numbers in PPV revenue. (FREEMAN NEWS)