You can’t compare 2 lightweights to 2 heavyweights. The casual audience always gravitates to the heavyweight division.
You need to be at least 147 and up the hit the type of numbers you’re talking about.
Manny Pacquaio in the lower weight classes was way more popular then both of these guys. The most he buys he ever did was 400k during his time there.
Im very aware that we are in a different era, but i don’t think people realize just how difficult it is to sell ppv’s
You make excellent points, and while I feel that Tank and Ryan have greater potential PPV upside in 2021 than Pacquiao or the Fury/Wilder fight, the question of whether or not lightweights can actually generate those type of sales is a big one.
In my eyes, Pacquiao's numbers under PBC PPV are moreso an indicator of his fading drawing power, which has trended downward for years now. Pacquiao's best days as a draw are clearly behind him, and I don't believe his numbers should be seen as a ceiling for what contemporary fighters can draw, certainly not for upcoming stars in the sport.
Fury/Wilder was an interesting PPV fight, because their first fight drew absolutely abysmal sales, 325,000. In certain respects, I believe this shows that the days of heavyweights being king is long gone, or at least a long ways away from what they were in America. The success of their second fight, and I believe of other successful recent PPV events, is indicative of an evolving marketing strategy growing from the mold of traditional PPV marketing; i/e: there's a difference between how Showtime sold Fury Wilder 1, and how Fox-ESPN sold the rematch.
Furthermore, when looking at the following matchups and sales, I believe that they should prompt optimism for what boxing PPV's can gross:
Spence-Mikey @ 360,000. Not a great matchup, neither were truly established stars, debut PPV for both, and still sold fairly well thanks in part to the huge Fox promotional spots given to the event.
Tank-Santa Cruz @ 225,000. Again, not a great matchup, debut PPV, in a pandemic/ month following another PPV, super featherweight bout, still sold fairly well, establishing Tank as a legitimate draw with upside.
So what would a bout sell with:
A good matchup: Ryan vs Tank is a genuinely intriguing matchup. Undefeated fighters, neither is washed, no perceived disadvantage like weight differences, no waiting years for the fight to happen.
Strong marketing: DAZN and Showtime/Fox/PBC getting behind two of their most marketable stars, who basically already sell themselves.
African American-Mexican PPV sales boost.
I'm thinking they do 500,000 minimum.
Mix in my optimism, and I'm saying they can hit 1 million. Realistically,
@King P is probably on point with 750,000, which would still be great for lightweights; a remarkable increase for Tank; and an incredible debut for Ryan.
