The National Rugby League's "record-breaking hold over Suncorp Stadium could come to an end in July" as Jeff Horn's bout with Manny Pacquiao "threatens to set an attendance record at the famous Milton cauldron," according to Phil Lutton of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Corporate tickets went on sale on April 20 for the July 2 WBO welterweight title fight, with general admission tickets on sale from Thursday. Some 27,000 of those tickets will be priced at A$100 ($76) or less. Promoters Duco Events and Top Rank are "testing the waters in some ways, with a fight of this magnitude never before staged in Australia, let alone Brisbane." But should ticket sales be as expected, the crowd is "set to exceed the record for a sporting event," which stands at 52,500, set during game one of the 2014 NRL State of Origin series. The format of the seating has yet to be finalized but a figure of 55,000 has been "widely mentioned." The actual capacity "could be even greater, depending on the final planning and demand for tickets, particularly at the higher end." The "big sell" for the fight began on Monday when Pacquiao arrived in Brisbane, but will officially start on Wednesday at Suncorp Stadium "when the fighters will face off at a press conference" (SMH, 4/19).
