It can be pretty tough predicting the pay-per-view buys a big fight will pull in, how many buys the fight will generate. Sometimes, even a perceived smash of a P-P-V success winds up hitting well below the expected mark. Other times, a fight that is expected to be pretty big, turns out to be absolutely huge. And then we have seen some complete PPV flops. Speaking of expected pay-per-view buys for a big fight – indeed a modern day super-fight – Mexican star Canelo Alvarez has said that he believes his September fight with fellow pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford will eclipse the PPV numbers his losing fight with Floyd Mayweather – “Money” really being the PPV king of the sport, still – generated back in 2013.
The Mayweather-Canelo fight generated a massive 2.2 million PPV buys, but Canelo says he thinks the September showdown, that will also take place in Las Vegas, will top it.
“I think it’s going to be bigger, even than the Mayweather fight [against myself],” Canelo said this week. “It’s going to be bigger than that. Yes, I think so (it will sell more PPVs). Just look how much he’s accomplished and how much I accomplished. So imagine two fighters with those accomplishments. It’s huge. Huge.”
And to think, there was a time, not all that long ago, when Canelo, 62-2-2(39) was saying a fight with Crawford, 41-0(31) wouldn’t do anything for him and his career, what with “Bud” being so much the naturally smaller man. Things sure have changed now, and fan interest in this one is indeed big. But big enough for over 2.2 million fans to buy the fight? The PPV record for a fight is still held by the Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight, with the so-called “Fight of the Century” generating a whopping 4.6 million PPV buys.
Other monsters include: Mayweather-Conor McGregor, with 4.3 million buys. Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya, with 2.44 million buys. And Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II, with 1.99 million buys.
Now, can Canelo Vs. Crawford match those numbers, even surpass them? It might seem doubtful, but there is plenty of buzz surrounding Canelo-Crawford. Can the smaller man, who is, as the saying goes, daring to be great, manage to pull off a win up at 168 pounds? Or will Canelo assert his physical strength, his power, and his sheer aggression to get the stoppage win?
It’s a fascinating fight for sure, but is Canelo-Crawford fascinating enough to generate over 2 million pay-per-view buys?
