HBO's Ken Hershman and Showtime's Stephen Espinoza are two of the many behind our finally getting to see Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao on May 2, with the two networks combining for a joint PPV broadcast of the historic event. And both men are, of course, quite happy to make the biggest fight they can, and have praised the two fighters for finally coming together and giving the boxing world what it wants.
"Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen," Espinoza said earlier. "All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world.
"Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he'd never face. We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013, and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2."
Hershman added, "Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other. And now, on May 2nd, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all-time, fight fans have been granted their wish.
"May 2nd will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective."