By David "Los Gatos" Rosenberg
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, welterweight champions Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. - combined with other sporting events in the state of Nevada, generated $4.76 million in revenue for the state's general fund in 2011. The number was nearly double of what the state gained during the same time period in 2010 - $2.87 million.
The paper states that boxing events produced $2.5 million of the $4.76, and 70% of it came from revenue gained from Pacquiao's fights against Shane Mosley in May and Juan Manuel Marquez in November, and Mayweather's fight against Victor Ortiz in September. All three fights were held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In 2010, Mayweather fought once in Las Vegas, against Shane Mosley, while Pacquiao's two fights were held at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
"It was one of our best years ever," said Keith Kizer, Nevada Athletic Commission executive director, to the LVRJ. "We had a lot of very good fights this year, but the big fights generate a lot of money."
