data-mm-id=”_yyv1njbm4″>Can you believe Mayweather-Pacquaio was five full years ago? Like most things in right now's not-so-distant past, that seems both too recent and ages ago. How much would you give to watch The Kentucky Derby today and then finish your night off with a prize fight? What if I told you Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski did both in person? For normal people, you could watch those events on television. Throw in some second-round NBA playoff action and some random regular season baseball games and you just got lightheaded and passed out, didn't you?Considering our current situation, look at what Brady and Gronk did back in 2015. There was a huge sporting event where over 170,000 people gathered and ate and drank and gambled and they both went. Then they got on an airplane and traveled to Las Vegas and entered another building with more than 16,000 people in an enclosed space. Then two other men walked through the crowd with almost no one wearing a mask and had a fist fight for more than a half-hour. And all around the country and world, people gathered together in person to watch. At sports bars. In friends' homes. They paid money to watch sports on television. With 4.6 million pay-per-view buys , Mayweather-Pacquiao remains the biggest boxing match of all-time. Mayweather made $250 million and Pacquiao took home $150 million. And it was a huge disappointment. The fight was kind of boring. How much would you pay for them to have a rematch tonight? How good does a $99.99 PPV sound right now? And it's not just about the sports. It's about life. Imagine those environments. All those people traveling and spending money and not worrying about anything in the entire world for a few hours. Just look at all the people currently stuck at home right now who came out for Mayweather and Pacquiao. Like Beyonce for example. (Jay Z was also reportedly in attendance.)Jay Z and Beyonce attended Mayweather – Pacquiao. / Al Bello/Getty ImagesUnfortunately, not all the wealthy couples who attended the fight are still together. Tom Brady and Robert Kraft at Mayweather – Pacquiao. / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesHopefully, Gronk and his hat are still together. Gronk at Mayweather – Pacquiao. / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesTo go back to the Kentucky Derby real quick, Gronk and Brady were in attendance as American Pharoah won the first leg of his Triple Crown. They were part of a record crowd of 170,513. That was the first time since 1978 that a horse won the Triple Crown. That horse's name? Affirmed. And back again to the prize fight, Lil' Wayne was there with Christina Millian.Lil Wayne and Christina Milian. / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesMark Wahlberg was in attendance and was interviewed by Josina Anderson.Mark Wahlberg talked to Josina Anderson. / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesDenzel Washington was there in a tracksuit and became a meme. Denzel Washington Ringside At “Mayweather VS Pacquiao.” / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesTecate was the main sponsor of the fight, beating out Corona in a bidding war. Someone please go back in time and tell those brands where they'll be five years in the future. Speaking of brands, Mayweather walked out with the Burger King (the only person wearing a mask) and Justin Bieber, who used to be weirdly involved with boxing.Justin Bieber at the Mayweather – Pacquiao press conference. / ROBYN BECK/Getty ImagesAnd finally, if you want to know how long ago 2015 was, Getty identifies Donald Trump as a "celebrity businessman and media personality." Donald Trump and Melania at Mayweather – Pacquiao. / Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesThat was five years ago. Trump was a celebrity, athletes could travel from city to city and cross paths with tens of thousands of people and everyone else could just watch beautiful stupid sports and not worry about anything because tomorrow is just Sunday. Nothing more, nothing less. This day in sports history? Sports took place.
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Marco Asensio was considering leaving Real Madrid on loan before Carlo Ancelotti told the midfielder to stay with the LaLiga leaders.
The Spain international was concerned that his first-team opportunities would be limited this season due to the options at Ancelotti s disposal in his second spell as Madrid boss.
Liverpool were among the clubs linked with Asensio, but the 25-year-old was still with Los Blancos when the transfer window closed at the end of last month.
Asensio, who missed most of the 2019-20 due to a knee injury, marked his first start of the season with a hat-trick in a 6-1 LaLiga hammering of his former club Real Mallorca on Wednesday.
Horacio Gaggioli, Asensio s agent, has revealed it could have been a very different story.
L…
Lautaro Martinez s future continues to dominate headlines.
Martinez was tipped to leave Inter for Barcelona at the start of the season, but a move did not materialise amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, Manchester City are emerging as a serious suitor.
TOP STORY – CITY WANT LAUTARO
Manchester City are continuing their pursuit of Inter star Lautaro Martinez, according to the Mirror.
Martinez has been heavily linked with LaLiga giants Barcelona, as well as Real Madrid and City, where Pep Guardiola is eyeing a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero.
The Argentina international has made his demands clear to Inter, who are hoping to re-sign Martinez.
Initial contract talks had broken down
— Mirror Football (@Mi…
Jota on fire as Liverpool pass the test, home relief for Solskjaer – the Premier League weekend´s qu
After an international break that seemed to go on for months rather than days, the Premier League was back with typical gusto this weekend.
Tottenham and Liverpool earned impressive wins over Manchester City and Leicester City respectively to sit top of the pile on 20 points, with Chelsea and the Foxes hot in their wake.
But away from the more obvious facts and figures there are always some hidden gems that you may have missed.
With help from the geniuses at Opta, we have delved into some of the quirkier things to emerge from the Premier League these past few days.
Reds pass the test
Diogo Jota made history by becoming the first Liverpool player to score in each of his first four home top-flight appearances for the Reds.
More impressively, h…
Frank Lampard said he believes the standards at Chelsea have dropped after he signed off as interim manager with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle.
The result means Lampard failed to register a single home victory during his second spell in charge, with his last win as manager at Stamford Bridge still a 3-1 triumph over West Ham in December 2020.
It took a Kieran Trippier own goal, the defender deflecting the ball into the net midway through the first half, to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s early strike.
This was at least an improved performance from Chelsea, particularly in the second half where they played with an attacking initiative rarely seen under Lampard.
The young trio of Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and substitute Carey Chukwuemeka especially played with …
Erik ten Hag wants to concentrate on building a better version of Manchester United rather than growing talk of a Premier League title challenge.
United are five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, albeit having played a game more, after cruising to a 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford scored twice for United to take his tally for the season to a career-best 24 goals, giving the Red Devils control in a game that saw David de Gea twice prevent Leicester from taking the lead with fine first-half saves.
Jadon Sancho came off the bench in the second half to seal the points, sending United into a huge week on a high.
Ten Hag s men face Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League play-off on Thursday, having drawn the first …
Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed Denis Zakaria will leave the club at the end of the season.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Germany international Matthias Ginter revealed on Instagram that he will be letting his contract expire in 2022.
Switzerland international Zakaria has been with the club since joining from Young Boys in 2017 and has largely been a regular throughout his time with Die Fohlen.
The 25-year-old defensive midfielder, who can also play at centre-back, has been linked with several of the world s biggest clubs, such as fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus.
While no club has yet emerged as the favourite to land Zakaria, he has at least provided clarity to Gladbach as he prepares to en…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp faces a hugely-significant January without talismanic top scorer Mohamed Salah but is confident he can find an acceptable solution among the attacking options at his disposal.
Salah will leave for the African Cup of Nations after Monday’s visit of Newcastle, the first of at least six matches which includes an FA Cup tie at Arsenal and a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final with Fulham.
The 16-goal forward, second behind only Erling Haaland in the Premier League goalscoring stakes with 12 in the top flight this season, will link up with Egypt as they head to the Ivory Coast next week and will potentially be away for over a month.
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It has been another Premier League season full of drama and entertainment.
Manchester City wrapped up another title, with Leicester, Leeds and Southampton relegated to the Championship.
Here, the PA news agency looks at 10 of the most memorable moments of the 2022-23 campaign.
Fireworks at the Bridge
TUCHEL VS CONTE: ROUND TWO!!!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL)
When Tottenham made the trip to rivals Chelsea on the second weekend of the season, the early talk was of both being able to challenge City but what transpired on a hot day in August was tempers boiling over between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. The pair were involved in two heated exchanges and the now memorable handshake at the end of a 2-2 draw. It has largely been dow…
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Liverpool have a steep hill to climb in their second-leg clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals which is being played on Wednesday at Anfield. The Spanish giants won the first leg last week at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium by 3-1, courtesy of a brace from Vinicius Junior and a strike from Marco Asensio in between, along with Mohamed Salah scoring the only goal for the Premier League champions.
Liverpool
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Wembley will become the UK’s first dementia friendly national stadium in a bid to keep sports fans affected by the condition “at the heart of the action”.
The Football Association and official charity partner Alzheimer’s Society have collaborated to improve the match-day experience for people living with dementia, who can find sporting venues disorientating and overwhelming.
Football’s governing body has also backed Alzheimer’s Society’s new Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide, while both the Premier League and the Racecourse Association have pledged their commitment to becoming dementia friendly.
Alzheimer’s Society chief executive officer Kate Lee said: “We want to see all sports showing their commitment to giving fans with dementi…