Pacquiao vs Ugás The Show Must Go On Boxing Match to be Commemorated Through NFT

Jun Aquino, the "Painter of Champions," is releasing a limited edition painting to celebrate the upcoming boxing match between two of the most famous welterweight fighters, Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugás. Thanks to the content creator supporting platform PowerFan, the paintings will be auctioned, backed by NFTs.

While sports and NFTs are gaining traction, most think of games such as NBA with its Top Slots becoming the most valuable sports NFT marketplace. However, boxing is also a popular sport that is expected to touch $600 billion by 2025 and the match is one of the most anticipated ones in 2021. Dubbed as The Show Must Go On, the two titans will face each other inside the ring on August 21 in Las Vegas. The event is expected to attract a huge crowd and live to view as the two boxers are forces to be reckoned with. Pacquiao is a former eight-division world champion while Ugas is a WBA Super Champion.

Jun Aquino will unveil the original painting made for the Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr. fight, personally signed by Manny Pacquiao on August 20. The auction will last until August 27 at 6:00pm PST. The highest bidder will not only get the rights to own the NFT but a physical copy of the signed painting as well. Along with this, the new owner will have exclusive access to a behind the scene video where the artist will show how the painting came to be, and early access to any future works by the artist. Proceeds from the sales will go towards The Manny Pacquiao Foundation, a charity created to elevate the less fortunate.

Apart from the painting depicting the main event, PowerFan is also releasing limited editions of four different boxing paintings. Unlike the main art, these can be bought immediately:

A total of 10 paintings are available as NFTs, each will be sold for $2,500. Buyers also get a physical print, a note of thanks from the artist and future access to NFT launches. The revenue generated from these will also go towards the Manny Pacquiao Foundation.

15 custom prints backed by NFTs of Flyweight & Bantamweight World Champion can be bought at $850 each. Early access and behind the scenes video comes as a standard.

Dubbed as The Golden Bantam and One of the Greatest Punchers of All Time, 20 fans can buy the NFTs and prints at $500 per item along with the artist’s video on the painting and accessibility to upcoming NFT sales.

Made famous by titles such as The Most Victorious Filipino Boxer of All Time, a total of 25 NFTs of Garcia’s painting can be had for $250 per high-resolution print. VIP access to other NFTs and behind the scenes video is also a part of the NFT sales.

Though NFTs are largely associated with digital art, these have found an increasing adoption in the sports arena. Boxing fans are very passionate about their favorite players and memorabilia and collector’s items are hotly sought out. Recently, a painting of another boxer, Tyson Fury became the most expensive sports NFT ever sold, touching nearly $400,000.

The NFTs of The Show Must Go On boxing match and other boxers are a creation of the artist Jun Aquino. The artist is amongst the many content creators who have been able to find a PowerFan, a marketplace to monetize their creations and help seek a global audience.

Filipino Artist Jun Aquino is the First Asian Artist to be inducted by the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame, the Art of Boxing category.

Jun Aquino learned his basic anatomy drawings from the clippings and posters of Muhammad Alis "Thrilla in Manila in 1975" inside his grandfathers basement at the early age of 8. Since then his passion in drawing and paintings inspired him to learn more about Fine Arts in the University of the Philippines. He was the art director and editorial cartoonists of the Philippines Free Press magazine, for 25 years, from 1987 to 2011.