Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao: Referee Kenny Bayless to earn $25,000 from $500m superfight

Kenny Bayless, the American official chosen to referee the hotly anticipated Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao bout, will earn just $25,000 (£16,600) from a fight expected to gross $500m.

The 64-year-old will take charge of the Las Vegas contest after being preferred to Robert Byrd and Tony Weeks and is a veteran of over 100 professional fights, including Mayweather's last fight against Marcos Maidana.

Bayless has overseen five previous Mayweather bouts while he has stood in the ring seven times to officiate fights involving Pacquiao, including the Filipino's win over Timothy Bradley in 2014.

Dave Moretti and Burt Clements of Nevada and Glenn Feldman of Connecticut have been confirmed as the three ringside judges.

Nevada State Athletic Commission director Robert Bennett said: "Kenny knows the pressure and stress and responsibility. He's efficient and effective and has proven to be successful over a number of years working in Las Vegas and other parts of the world. He's one of the best referees in the world."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach added: "I think we have the best judges and Kenny Bayless is the best referee out there. I think he's going to give us a fair fight."

Worldwide television fees, hospitality and ticket sales are expected to see the fight gross $500m, with Mayweather likely to earn $150m and Pacquiao $99m regardless of the result.

However, despite the record-breaking purse on offer, Bayless's fee will be a small fraction of the total money being stumped up by media companies and boxing fans for a fight billed as the biggest in boxing history.

Fight promoters, in this case Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Boxing, are obligated to pay boxing officials based on the total purse of the bout.

The $25,000 fee that Bayless will receive, though understood to be the most ever paid to a referee, is close to the typical fee that would be expected to go to an official of a world title fight, however it still represents a small fraction of the overall purse.