Marvelous Marvin Hagler backs Dubai to host Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight

Marvelous Marvin Hagler backs Dubai to host Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight

Former undisputed World Middleweight Champion, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, also wants United Arab Emirates to be the venue for the mega-fight between the pound-for-pound kings Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, which is finally expected to get real.

Earlier, UAE-based boxer Eisa Al Dah requested the authorities in Dubai to host Pacquiao-Mayweather fight and now another high-profile name from the world of boxing has backed him up.

The 57-year-old American pugilist, Hagler, who holds a distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%, in an interview with news site Gulf News, stated if a mega-fight like this takes place in a new market like Dubai, it could help in reviving the sport.

“Boxing fans from all over the world remember the ‘Thriller in Manila’ and the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ because those fights shocked the world and gave boxing its place at the number one spot in sport at that moment in time,” he told Gulf News.

The five-division world champion and the current WBC welterweight champion, Mayweather Jnr, has challenged his biggest welterweight rival Manny ‘Pac-Man’ Pacquiao to fight him on May 5 but it looks as if their bout will take place around November this year since Mayweather has to serve 90 days in jail for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Moreover, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum also wants to make as much money as possible from this dream-fight, which is in the making for the past several years.

However, Hagler reckons time wouldn’t matter much in a fight of this nature.

“A fight of this nature would be a great deal because the world would be watching no matter what time it is,” he said.

“I can’t say if money or the time zone factor will count Dubai out of the equation but regardless I would have thought Dubai has a good chance,” he added.

As per the reports from Gulf News, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has recently revealed that he is having negotiations with a group of emirates in this regard.

Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the biggest fight of this century, which is being rumoured to be worth up to $150 millions.

Nevertheless, all left to see is whether if the Dubai’s government will agree to finance such a big fight or not.

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Posted by Imran Shaukat Khan on Jan 25 2012. Filed under Middle East, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.