On Saturday 5th May 2007, boxing fans gathered at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the highly anticipated WBC World Super-welterweight Title fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, the fight was broadcasted on HBO Pay-Per-View and was the subject of HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning reality series 24/7.
De La Hoya, the reigning champion, had hired Freddie Roach to train him for the Mayweather fight. At the official weigh-in, Mayweather came in at 150 pounds, four pounds below the junior middleweight limit, while De La Hoya weighed in at a fighting-fit 154 pounds.
Mayweather was making his debut at 154 pounds, and held the WBC welterweight championship, while De La Hoya had not fought in 12 months and had only fought once in the previous 20 months. Despite Mayweather being a 2-1 favorite when the fight was announced, a lot of money poured in on De La Hoya, making Mayweather a 3-2 underdog by the time of the fight.
The fight generated a record 2.45 million pay-per-view buys and a then-record $136,853,700 in domestic revenue, with De La Hoya becoming the all-time leader in pay-per-view sales with 12.8 million buys. After pay-per-view percentages were included, De La Hoya made $52 million, the highest purse ever for a fighter at the time, while Mayweather earned $25 million.
The fight made a total gross revenue of $165 million, making it the richest fight ever. Despite the hype and excitement leading up to the fight, the actual fight itself was a tactical battle, with Mayweather outpointing De La Hoya in a split-decision victory. The fight was named the 2007 Event of the Year by The Ring Magazine, cementing its place in boxing history.
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