Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Weigh-In: Fans to Be Charged Admission for 1st Time Ever

Weigh-ins before major boxing matches have become nearly as iconic as the bouts themselves and have become a tradition for fans who can't afford to pay the exorbitant ticket prices to attend the fights themselves, as the weigh-ins are traditionally free. 

That won't be the case for the weigh-in before the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight, however. 

"For what is believed to be the first time in Nevada history, admission will be charged for fans to attend the weigh-in on May 1 in the MGM Grand Garden Arena," Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports wrote. "Francisco Aguilar, the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said he sought the advice of the Nevada attorney general's office before permitting the charge."

Iole added, "The charge is not, however, because the fighters are looking to milk every last cent from the promotion. Rather, it's going to be tried as a form of crowd control. All of the ticket sales from the weigh-in, Aguilar said, will be donated to charity."

On April 21, Mayweather Promotions announced which charities would be receiving the money collected from the tickets, and confirmed the price: 

"

Are you ready for the #MayPac weigh-in? Tix will soon be on-sale for $10 & all proceeds will go to the @SusanGKomen & #LouRuyo charities.

— MayweatherPromotions (@MayweatherPromo) April 21, 2015"

With a huge crowd expected for the weigh-in event, organizers are hoping the mandatory tickets will ensure the environment remains safe and doesn't become overcrowded or unruly. And given that the fight will be the highest-grossing bout in boxing history, it certainly would have been egregiously greedy had Mayweather and Pac-Man been looking to squeeze every penny out of the weigh-in. 

Just consider the hotel rates in Las Vegas, per Darren Rovell of ESPN:

Folks are certainly thrilled to see the undefeated Mayweather face the other top boxer from his generation, Pacquiao, in a fight that boxing fans have desired for years. Though both fighters are now somewhat past their primes, many still expect the fight to be one of the most compelling and hyped fights in years, and it should help to revitalize widespread interest in the sport of boxing.