The six-years wait to see two of the world’s most glamorous boxers,
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, square up in a commercial match
eventually ended on Saturday, as the two treaded punches at the MGM
Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.The match rated as being worth $300 million would go down as one of the most expensive boxing bouts of all time, raising businesses across various parts of the world. Although the Philippines and America felt more of the buzz, being home countries of Pacquiao and Mayweather respectively, others still had some profitable tales to tell.
Nigeria is no exception as, as inestimable number of fans and curious people kept vigil till early hours of Sunday to watch the match.
A week to the epic fight, proprietors of football match viewing centres in Nigeria had made arrangements to accommodate boxing fans, following the hype the fight generated in Nigeria.
The owners of the numerous viewing centres that dot the country were almost overwhelmed by the passion Nigerians showed for boxing, as their establishments were jam-packed with viewers who turned up to witness the fight live on cable TV.
For Eric Okonkwo and his colleagues, who operate viewing centres in several parts of Lagos, the fight was a money-spinner as they stayed up all night till early Sunday morning .
“It was as if Nigeria played Brazil in a football match. I could not sleep all night; fans trooped in to watch the boxing match and I had a rough time attending to them. I charged N150 per seat because of the fuel scarcity and the fans paid to watch the match. I don’t know what others charged in other places,” Okonkwo said.
It was also brisk business for proprietors of sportswear shops at the National Stadium and Ojuelegba areas in Lagos, who sell boxing memorabilia involving the two boxers weeks leading to Sunday’s fight. They said it was an experience similar to what obtains during top football matches involving such teams as Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid, “But for boxing, it was amazing,” said one of the shop owners.
Analysing the business side of the bout, former Nigerian middle-weight champion, Jerry Okorodudu, told Sunday Independent that Nigerians love boxing a lot and could sacrifice anything to watch a good boxing match, no matter who was involved.
“I also profited from the bout because some of your colleagues in the media paid me to analyse the fight on their radio and television stations,” he said.
Another Nigerian boxing legend, Obisia Nwakpa, said, “Mayweather versus Pacquiao bout was a top-of-the-bill bout that could make any business thrive if well-packaged. I’m not surprised that Nigerians seized the business opportunities that came with it.”
Also speaking, another Nigerian boxing champion, Joe Lasisi, said he too reaped rewards from the bout, having got paid for providing minute-by-minute analysis of the fight on a television.
“I wish they would be fighting every week. I had fun and some cash in my pocket; I pray for such bouts in our country, so that former champions like us could benefit through analysis and other activities. I love it so much,” he said.
In Owerri, Imo State, and its environs, entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector, fast food restaurants, bars and beer parlours made adequate preparations for increased patronage from sports enthusiasts and promoters because of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
The proprietors stocked assorted drinks and food for the refreshment of guests during the bout, while car parks in hotels and rendezvous were given a facelift, especially within Owerri.
Cars meant for hire service were refurbished to cope with the influx of visitors to the hotels in the city.
Sunday Independent’s investigations showed that viewing centres, especially those adjacent the Dan Anyiam Stadium had a full house throughout the night until the fight ended.
Special viewing centres were also created for those who could not afford the relatively high hotel charges.
Petrol stations were not left out in the high tempo of business as buyers came in search of petrol and diesel in large quantities to run their generators for the great event.
Security was also beefed up around viewing centres and other strategic locations in the city to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Establishments such as the popular “40-40”, All Seasons Hotel, Rock View
Immaculate Hotel and City Global were a beehive of activities, with guests pouring in for lodging and
entertainment
ahead of the historic boxing event.
The frenzy over the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout was given extra voltage by the boast of Mayweather, who promised that there would be no slow start from him when he stepped into the boxing ring to face the Filipino fighting machine Pacquiao.
A few hours to the fight, Mayweather had about his game plan, saying that the usually cautions start he adopts to figure out his opponents’ rhythm would not be part of his plans for the fight. On the other hand, Pacquiao said he would fight like a warrior from beginning to end. All these helped to make the match a must-watch for many sports enthusiasts and onlookers alike, and businessmen in Nigeria took advantage of the “fight of the century” to make a ton of money.
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