MGM Grand To Host Championship Boxing Event Saturday, May 5

Press release: Golden Boy Promotions is pleased to announce that the hottest ticket in sports, Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather, will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m.  The unprecedented battle between six-division world champion De La Hoya and unbeaten, four-division world champion Mayweather will be held Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Tickets are priced at $2000, $1,500, $1,000, $750, $350 and $150 and will be available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office.  Ticket sales at $2000, $1,500, $1,000 and $750 are limited to six (6) per person and ticket sales at $350 and $150 are limited to two (2) per person.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000.  Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The live gate could exceed a Nevada-record $18 million which would shatter the $16.8 million generated by the Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield rematch in 1999.  There is high anticipation that ticket sales will be brisk and could sell out quickly.

“We already have received an unprecedented amount of inquiries at our offices regarding tickets for the fight,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO for Golden Boy Promotions.  “The response is amazing and certainly reflects the excitement and magnitude of this fantastic event.”

Since winning a 1992 Olympics Gold Medal representing the United States, De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs) has become not only one of the premier boxers of this era, but a true star.  A champion in every division in which he has competed from 130 to 160 pounds, ‘The Golden Boy’ has faced boxing’s elite for more than 14 years including Julio Cesar Chavez, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Arturo Gatti, Genaro Hernandez, Jesse James Leija and Hector Camacho.  In his last fight, May 6, 2006, the 33-year-old De La Hoya destroyed two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga in six rounds to win the WBC junior middleweight championship.

Mayweather (37-0, 24 KOs), one of the most gifted fighters to ever step between the ropes, represented the United States in the 1996 Olympics and was on his way to a gold medal before a controversial loss forced him to accept the bronze medal.  ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’ won his first world title at the age of 21 in 1998 stopping Genaro Hernandez.  He later defended that title eight times including wins over Diego Corrales, Carlos Hernandez and Jesus Chavez.  In 2002, Mayweather added a lightweight title by beating Jose Luis Castillo.  Mayweather then went on to capture junior welterweight and welterweight championships when he defeated Gatti and Zab Judah, respectively.  In his most recent fight, November 4, 2006, the 29-year-old Mayweather won yet another 147-pound title by defeating Carlos Baldomir.

For room packages and availability at MGM Grand, as well as event ticket information, call (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777 or log onto the World Wide Web at www.mgmgrand.com

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound.  Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert.  The MGM Grand Garden Arena is also home to the annual FOX Billboard Music Awards, the annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA).