Boxing News 2015: Mayweather-Pacquiao Picks - With $250,000 Bet, Diddy Rooting For American, Wahlberg Backing Filipino
How big is the super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao? Even entertainment stars and celebrities cannot stop sharing their thoughts—and predictions—on the upcoming huge match-up set on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Two more celebrities have publicly announced their picks and are willing to put their money where their mouth is; actor Mark Wahlberg is backing Pacquiao while rapper/artist Diddy is rooting for Mayweather Jr. with a $250,000 bet between the two stars in the entertainment and music scene.
The sportsbooks have installed Mayweather Jr. as a slight favourite against the underdog Pacquiao. When the opening lines were released during the official announcement of the fight back in February, Mayweather Jr. was priced near 3-to-1 as the favourite; meaning, a $300 would have netted about $100 for the Mayweather Jr. backers. On the other side, a bet of $100 on Pacquiao will pay out about $300 if he manages to upset Mayweather Jr. in the super fight. Latest odds from various sports betting sites put Mayweather Jr as a 2.5-to-1 favourite.
In the video where the pair made their picks and bet, Diddy initially wanted just a $100,000 bet for the fight before Wahlberg goaded him into upping what was at stake with the Hollywood star challenging the rapper, “why so low?” Diddy suggested $250,000 and both agreed to the deal.
Wahlberg and Diddy are just two of the entertainment stars that have shared their Mayweather-Pacquiao picks. Other celebrities rooting for Mayweather are music stars Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, rappers Rick Ross and 50 cent; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan; former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal; singer Mariah Carey; actor Jamie Foxx; and host Bill Maher, among many others.
For Team Pacquiao are; actors Sylvester Stallone, Live Schreiber, Robert Duvall, Keanu Reaves and Jim Caviezel; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin, former NBA players Karl Malone and Charles Barkley plus Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry; Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
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The Mayweather-Pacquiao super fight is considered the “Fight of the Century” owing to the high anticipation and eventual record-breaking live gates sales and pay-per-view buys of the bout.
To contact author of this article, email j.quizon@IBTimes.com.au