Top 4 biggest PPV sales of all-time in boxing

Foreman / Ali was and still is the biggest fight in my lifetime.

As Perry says.....you had to live through those times to appreciate just how big that event was.
Not just the fight itself but the lead up to it.

 

IMHO, limited to the OP's question:

1. Ali
2. Floyd M
3. Foreman
4. Manny Pac
5. Frazier
6. Conor

 

Foreman/Ali and Ali/FrazierIII were not PPV; closed circuit maybe (probably), but PPV did not become a mainstream thing in the US until the 80s I believe. And even then it was not until the late 80s/early 90s that it became really viable.

[Edit]; looking it up Ali/Foreman was premium cable; Ali/Frazier was indeed sold as a PPV.

 

Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman was on Closed Circuit Television, in my hometown it was telecast at the local Drive Inn, we did not have cable television in the city where I reside, in 1974. The Fight Of The Century was also telecast on Closed Circuit Television as well at the local indoor theater in 1971. My hometown did not have cable tv until 1982, and even then the big fights were on HBO or Closed Circuit Television.

 

See this is why I never moan about PPVs. Too often in the 80s I was stuck in some Town Hall or Sports Hall watching a 24" TV (tops), normally with no sound, often cutting out, and flicking between black and white and colour, with 200 other people. Terrible bathrooms, and no bar...

We (in the UK) got our first big PPV show in 96 (Bruno/TysonII), and I have not been to a closed circuit show since!

 

Tyson fights were events, there was a electricity in the air that we all felt the moment of the ring walk. Back then we paid to see an execution; we wanted to see Tyson maul his opponents, but were often happy when it turned out to be a fight.

 

A dollar today is not a dollar than. I am pretty sure Ali's payday for the Foreman fight was more money than Dempsey, Louis or Marciano made in a entire career. That Ali is still in the top 4 TODAY is pretty shocking. Of course I think it took about 30 or so years for the Dempsey Tunney II record to finally get broken money wise.

 

LOL


I came back from a wedding a little worse for wear, and looked for the result, and saw Tyson/Savarese was about to start. So I booked it there and then, and my picture literally came on as the bell rang to begin the fight.


£17 for 30 odd seconds... I had to laugh, but I sobered up pretty quick!

 

I respectfully disagree. Ali-Frazier 1 is called the FOTC for a reason. Definitely Ali-Foreman was widely anticipated but Ali-Frazier was out of this world.

 

Lies, damned lies, and statistics. OF COURSE it reached more people; it was in Africa, not NYC as was A-F 1.
But as far as drama and historical perspective, it's not it the realm of A-F 1.

BYW I saw both at the time on closed circuit or whatever it was.

If the Rumble in the Jungle was the big deal you make of it, why isn't it called the Fight of the Century?