LAST month’s fabulous Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez fight that saw the Mexican outpoint Puerto Rican idol Cotto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center generated a live gate of $12,470,200 according to ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
That was from 10,198 tickets sold at the box office making the battle Las Vegas’ 13th biggest ever grossing gate.
It was Cotto’s best performing gate in Sin City, just pipping his fight with Floyd Mayweather from 2012 which did just over $12m.
Canelo’s date with Mayweather did a staggering $20m in 2013, which made it – at the time – a record breaker.
It was also a success on US PPV: “At 900,000 buys and $58 million in PPV revenue, Cotto-Canelo performed superbly,” HBO senior vice president Mark Taffet told ESPN’s Rafael. “Not since [Lennox] Lewis-[Mike] Tyson in 2002 has a pay-per-view fight generated at least 900,000 buys without featuring [Floyd] Mayweather, [Manny] Pacquiao or [Oscar] De La Hoya.”
Here’s the top 15 biggest grossing gates in Las Vegas’ history courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
15. Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III
Where: MGM
When: 12 November, 2011
Paid attendance: 15,498
Gross sales: $11,648,300
Result: Pacquiao won a very tight decision over his fierce rival.
14. Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto
Where: MGM
When: 5 May, 2012
Paid attendance: 14,612
Gross sales: $12,000,150
Result: Bloodied Mayweather edged Cotto via decision in one of the toughest fights of his career.
13. Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez
Where: Mandalay Bay
When: 21 November, 2015
Paid attendance: 10,198
Gross sales: $12,470,200
Result: Canelo’s size and strength the deciding factor in a tremendous battle. Cotto boxed beautifully, but the heavier blows landed by the Mexican. Ludicrously wide scoring mars enthralling fight.
12. Bernard Hopkins vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Where: MGM
When: 18 September, 2004
Paid attendance: 15,672
Gross sales: $12,782,650
Result: After a good start, De La Hoya knocked out with a body shot in the ninth round.
11. Felix Trinidad vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Where: Mandalay Bay
When: 18 September, 1999
Paid attendance: 11,184
Gross sales: $12,949,500
Result: De La Hoya boxed beautifully for the majority of the fight, before appearing to coast the final three rounds which effectively cost him a contentious decision.
10. Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley
Where: MGM, Don King, PPV
When: 19 August, 1995
Paid attendance: 16,113
Gross sales: $13,965,600
Result: Tyson’s first fight in four years after incarceration saw McNeeley disqualified in the first round when his cornerman entered the ring.
9. Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson
Where: MGM
When: 9 November, 1996
Paid attendance: 16,103
Gross sales: $14,150,700
Result: Sensational Holyfield – a heavy underdog – stopped Tyson in the 11th round of a terrific fight.
8. Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II
Where: MGM
When: 28 June, 1997
Paid attendance: 16,279
Gross sales: $14,277,200
Result: Astonishingly a frustrated Tyson was disqualified in the third round for biting a chunk out of Holyfield’s ear.
7. Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Where: MGM
When: 6 December, 2008
Paid attendance: 14,468
Gross sales: $14,380,300
Result: Weight-drained and old, De La Hoya was battered for eight rounds – and in to retirement – by smaller, vicious Pacquiao. Huge shock.
6. Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana II
Where: MGM
When: 13 September, 2014
Paid attendance: 14,859
Gross sales: $14,899,150
Result: Mayweather fought much better than in the first fight to be a clear winner after 12 rounds.
5. Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana
Where: MGM
When: 3 May, 2014
Paid attendance: 15,718
Gross sales: $15,024,400
Result: A tough, competitive fight saw aggressive Maidana pressure Mayweather for 12 rounds but lose the decision.
4. Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield II
Where: Thomas and Mack
When: 13 November, 1999
Paid attendance: 17,078
Gross sales: $16,860,300
Result: Lewis edged a spirited Holyfield on points.
3. Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Where: MGM
When: 5 May, 2007
Paid attendance: 15,432
Gross sales: $18,419,200
Result: A past-his-prime De La Hoya faded down the stretch to lose a razor-thin decision after a bright start. Also marked the first of HBO’s brilliant 24/7 documentary. At the time, was the biggest, most lucrative fight in history.
2. Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez
Where: MGM
When: 14 September, 2013
Paid attendance: 16,146
Gross sales: $20,003,150
Result: An uninspired Alvarez was dazzled by Mayweather for 12 rounds despite one judge, CJ Ross, scoring it a draw. Broke the record set by De La Hoya-Mayweather in 2007.
1. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
Where: MGM
When: 2 May, 2015
Paid attendance: 16,219
Gross sales: $72,198,500
Result: Mayweather outboxed Pacquiao in hugely disappointing affair over twelve uneventful rounds. General consensus it happened five years too late. Pacquiao claimed shoulder injury for sub-par showing.
