EIGHT years ago today, the world of combat sports turned on its axis and tuned in to an event like no other, as undefeated pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. collided with the face of the UFC, Conor McGregor, in a bout focussed as much around money and who had more of it, as legacy and who wanted it more.
On the anniversary of that guilty pleasure, money-orientated clash, we at Boxing News took a look at the five highest grossing boxing events of all-time.
Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis (8/6/02) – est. $103m
Five years since his last title challenge, Mike Tyson went toe-to-toe with Lennox Lewis in Memphis, Tennessee, in a quest to return to the heavyweight throne and claim the WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles.
Yet, with his powers visibly faded, Lewis made relatively easy work of ‘Iron Mike’ and dispatched of the fan-favourite American after eight rounds of action.
Nevertheless, the public interest of the fight was such that it netted a cool $103 million in total PPV revenue, making it the best performing heavyweight affair of all-time and the highest grossing boxing event to not include Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather vs Oscar De La Hoya (5/5/07) – est. $136m
Floyd Mayweather first broke the record for PPV revenue when he moved up in weight and challenged Oscar De La Hoya for the WBC super-welterweight world title back in 2007, headlining a pay-per-view event that netted $136m in revenue.
In one of Mayweather’s few razor-thin victories, the American walked away with a split-decision victory to dethrone the ‘Golden Boy’. Although, some viewers felt as though the front-footed champion had done enough to at least retain his title, if not put an end to Mayweather’s unbeaten run.
Floyd Mayweather vs Canelo Alvarez (14/9/13) – est. $150m
In a well-aged win in 2013, Floyd Mayweather handed Canelo Alvarez the first defeat of his professional career, schooling the Mexican over the course of a majority-decision win, that was less close than the judges’ verdict makes it sound.
The young, well-backed Canelo learnt much through that defeat to Mayweather and has since gone on to conquer four weight-classes and establish himself as the ‘face of boxing’ in Mayweather’s absence. Although, he is yet to come close to the $15o million in PPV revenue that was generated when he lost out to the American as a 23-year-old.
Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor (26/8/17) – est. $400m
Even the most hardcore boxing fan felt engaged and obliged to watch the spectacle that was Mayweather-McGregor, as two of the most outspoken, loud-mouthed, loved yet loathed athletes of all-time went toe-to-toe and raked in an estimated $400 million in PPV revenue.
Whilst McGregor appeared to get the better of Mayweather throughout the build-up, it was a different story inside of the squared circle, as Mayweather comfortably weathered an attempted early storm from the Irishman before going through the gears and capping off a boxing clinic with an eighth-round finish.
Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao (2/5/15) – est. $425m
Suitably atop the ‘Money’ tree is of course Mayweather, and his pound-for-pound rival Manny Pacquiao, who met in one of the most hotly anticipated contests of all-time and generated a whopping $425 million in pay-per-view revenue.
Despite the enormous hype that surrounded the match-up, the fight itself was somewhat of a dud, particularly to the casual eye. Still, Mayweather landed the cleaner shots throughout and controlled the vast majority of the fight, scoring a famous unanimous-decision win to retain the WBA, WBC & WBO welterweight world titles.
