David Tua will fight Shane Cameron weighing 105kg-110kg, significantly lighter than some previous bouts. Photo / Getty Images
When it was first announced, October's Fight Of The Century' in Hamilton was greeted with some scepticism. It wasn't just the over-blown title but the feeling that a $1 million purse might not be sustainable.
However, the organisers, Duco Events, say they on track with financial arrangements for the big
night at Mystery Creek on October 3. If that is right, and it is understood that the $1 million purse - evenly split between David Tua and Shane Cameron - is already being paid to the boxers, the event is already a new benchmark for boxing in this country.
David Higgins, of Duco, admits he and his partners have a large amount of cash invested and that, as the popular saying has it, certain soft portions of their anatomy are "on the line".
There are many other enormous costs involved in staging such events, ranging well beyond the cost of the fighters. Higgins wouldn't comment but the overall cost is thought to be in excess of $2 million.
Revenue also comes in many forms, however, including ticket sales, corporate tables, broadcasting rights, sponsorship and pay-per-view rights.
"It is a risky game," says Higgins, "but we are where we want to be right now and we are happy with how it is all going."
Hamilton's sponsorship of the event; a range of other sponsorships, including naming rights; increasing broadcast interest from across the Tasman and, possibly, the US also mean the event is not dependent on selling large numbers of $40 pay-per-view packages of the event on SKY.
It is understood that selling of the SKY coverage is slow at present, although pay-per-view audiences typically gather momentum right up to the day in question. The inclusion on the undercard of world-ranked New Zealand-born but Australian-based fighter Kali Meehan - who will take on NRL bad boy John Hopoate - has stirred broadcast interest across the Tasman.
The US market could also be interested if Duco firm up an opponent for two-time world title holder Hasim Rahman as the lead undercard bout. Rahman has been pencilled in but, at the time of writing, no opponent has been confirmed.
Speculation still exists that Rahman and Tua may be paired in the next such event - all going well with this one - but the counters have a few beans to pore over first.
