Top-dollar ringside tickets have almost sold out for the big
fight between Sonny Bill Williams and Clarence Tillman III
but plenty of the cheaper seats appear to be left.
As Hamilton's new $68.4 million Claudelands Event Centre
gears up to host its first big fight, on Wednesday, sales of
corporate tables have closed, according to Ticketek's online
booking website.
The most expensive seats in the platinum hospitality
packages, priced at $5750 for a table of 10, have sold out
but there were still single seats for sale before the
cut-off. Hospitality packages include a four-course meal and
alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Sonny Bill Williams' manager and fight promoter, Khoder
Nasser, could not be reached for comment yesterday, and both
Claudelands Event Centre and broadcaster Sky TV were unable
to release details of how sales were going both for the live
event and the TV broadcast ($39.95).
There are a few ringside platinum seats left for $104, but
the gold, silver and bronze seats priced between $43 and $78
can still be purchased online and there is no indication of
tickets in these rows getting low. Claudelands Arena seats a
maximum of 6000.
Hamilton City Council, as with previous events in the city,
including the 2009 David Tua fight, refused to comment on
whether it had tapped into its $450,000 partnership fund -
aimed at bringing events to the city's facilities - to lure
the event, citing "commercial sensitivity''.
However, there was no funding from the council's $1 million
events sponsorship fund, which has to be approved by a select
group of councillors.
The Herald understands the council has been reassured there
is no financial risk and the deposit for the event was
received before Williams' original opponent, Richard Tutaki,
was axed after a raft of criminal allegations were revealed.
Williams, 26, will now fight American Clarence Tillman III
for the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association title.
Premium table tickets for the All Black's fourth fight were
more expensive than the $4995 tables for the David Tua vs
Shane Cameron fight at Mystery Creek Events Centre in October
2009. But the cheapest tickets are going for $43 compared
with $50 for the 2009 fight, which was watched by about
11,000 people.
Hamilton boxing trainer and previous New Zealand amateur
titleholder Dion McNabney said he had decided against
attending because he was disappointed by the undercard fights
so had opted to watch it on TV. He said Williams and Tillman
were the best pairing and would put on a good fight. "It's a
really big step up for Sonny Bill.''
FIGHT SEATS
Platinum $104 (running out)
Gold $78
Silver $63
Bronze $43
Corporate hospitality - cost of table which seats 10:
Platinum (first row) $5750
Gold (second row) $4542
Silver (third row) $3737
Bronze (fourth row) $3162
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