The winner of the long-awaited fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will be awarded a one million dollar diamond and emerald encrusted belt.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, alongside former champion Larry Holmes and current WBC light-heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, unveiled the belt in Mexico City.
The belt also includes the faces of both Mayweather and Pacquiao alongside Sulaiman and Muhammad Ali’s on the side plates of the belt, which features 3,000 miniature emeralds. The fans voted on the design and chose the Onyx design unanimously. Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony, which has a long history of use for hardstone carving, jewelry, and the creation of bowls and other pottery items.
In a statement, the WBC described the impending super fight – which is estimated to accrue over $400 million in revenue – as a unique bout that is already embellishing the pages of boxing history.
“This exquisite masterpiece is especially designed by the World Boxing Council, for a unique bout that is already graving the pages of boxing history,” said the WBC. “In order to appropriately recognize the winner of this titanic and epic event on May 2, emeralds have triumphed.”
Undefeated pound-for-pound superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. is expected to make $180 million on May 2 while eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao is expected to make around $80 million.
