Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martin: Fans lament expensive ticket prices

Tickets already selling for £3,500 on exchange websites

Shona Duthie
Saturday 20 February 2016 14:34 GMT
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(Getty Images)

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It started off with football fans across the globe protesting against prices for match tickets but it has now gone further than previously expected.

Borussia Dortmund fans kick started a protest when they disrupted a match in February over a ticket-price row, with fans throwing tennis balls onto the Mercedes-Benz Arena pitch as they began to feel that they were being taken for granted.

Liverpool fans managed to convince their owners to scrap the idea of a £77 top-priced ticket and it seemed a great step forward for all.

However, this does not seem to be the reality as Manchester United vented their frustration at being charged £71 against FC Midtyjlland when fellow Premier League Club Southampton was charged just £22 when they played in Denmark in August.

Unfortunately, this venture of pricing out families and friends from attending sporting events at the weekend with one another is not limited to just football.

Boxing fans in the UK awoke early on Friday to grab the elusive tickets between Anthony Joshua v Charles Martin.

The pair will face one another on April 9 at London’s 02 for Martin’s IBF heavyweight title.

But many were left disappointed as they disappeared like pixie dust as they were sold within a suprising 90 seconds.

Boxing Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed all the tickets had been sold out within a minute and a half during a press conference.

This is Joshua’s first shot at a title fight with the 26-year-old vowing to knock out Martin during their highly anticipated match.

The original prices of the tickets were justified due to the calibre of the event as they started off at £40 ranging to £300.

Priority tickets for the event on April 9 went on sale on Wednesday, with more becoming available on Friday, but the bitter taste of reality soon set in.

What is less surprising is they began to appear on ticket exchange websites almost immediately after they were all sold out.

Via Go Go and Stub Hub have now cashed in on the spectacular event with Stub Hub claiming they have a whopping 1,347 tickets available ranging from £144 to £3,500 on floor side.

It has left many feeling frustrated that once again a boxing match seems to be just given just to the financial elite and those that wish to cash in on fans desperate to see the fight live.

The general public may feel this is a repeat of Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio although the initial pricing of those tickets were on the larger scale.

Sports fan can no longer enjoy such events when some of the Mayweather tickets were being offered for as much as £85,000 on these ticketing websites.

It appears the pricing out of fans as well as them being taking for granted will not subsidise any time soon.

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