Biggest PPV Sports Events in History
Our countdown to the year's biggest pay-per-view fight, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, got us thinking about the past. The question we begged was simple: What other PPVs were deemed financial and cultural blockbusters?
Boxing may dominate this list, but we also threw in other combat sports just for good measure. Analyzing the dollars made, the amount of times each PPV was bought and the significance of each show, we came up with some of the biggest PPV sports events in history.
Without waiting around anymore, it's finally time get this show on the road.
WrestleMania X-Seven
1 of 11WrestleMania X-Seven marked the end of something special for the WWE. It was one of the last true Attitude Era events in the company's history.
In front of a packed house in Houston, the WWE roster put on a thrilling show. The card was stacked from top to bottom with interesting stylistic matchups that resulted in nonstop action for fans.
Fans that watched WrestleMania X-Seven were left in awe,especially when it came to the main event of the evening.
A grueling battle between two of the biggest WWE superstars proved to a perfect ending to WrestleMania X-Seven.
The Rock defended his heavyweight title against Stone Cold Steve Austin in a riveting contest. Constant twists and turns left people gasping for breath as each man trekked forward.
In the end, WWE's villainous boss—Vince McMahon—would help Austin win the gold. That shocking turn of events ushered in Austin as a heel and officially ended that time period in the company's history.
For all of the hype that surrounded the event, WWE sold an estimated 1.04 million PPV buys, via Nate Pickering of Cageside Seats. It may not be the top-grossing Mania in history, but it's easily one of the best.
Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley
2 of 11
Mike Tyson has always been a huge draw in terms of combat sports. When the ferocious heavyweight got out of prison in 1995 after serving three years behind bars, he immediately jumped back into the ring.
August 19 of that year was the official return of Iron Mike. His opponent would be Peter McNeeley, a power puncher with little national recognition.
McNeeley's headfirst, reckless style was perfect for a colossal puncher like Tyson. The brutal puncher proved that to be true when he made quick work of McNeeley in front of a Las Vegas crowd.
Even though the fight lasted less than a round—McNeeley's corner threw in the towel after he was knocked down—it still was a blockbuster in terms of PPV buys. According to a report in 2002 by Don Kaplan, who was writing for the New York Post at the time, the fight was purchased 1.58 million times.
By all accounts, Tyson's comeback was a success.
WrestleMania XXVIII
3 of 11To this day, WrestleMania XXVIII is the best-selling PPV in WWE history with 1.25 million buys.
Held in Miami's Sun Life Stadium—home to the Dolphins—WrestleMania XXVIII's main attraction was a generational showdown between The Rock and John Cena.
The Rock was one of the WWE's golden boys during the Attitude Era. By the time WrestleMania XXVIII rolled around, he was also a movie-making machine in Hollywood.
Cena was the current generation's star. He was the ultimate babyface, one who took the torch from guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.
When Cena and The Rock finally got to grappling, it was The Rock who prevailed in a war of attrition. The match was so well received that the company decided to do it again the following year. Cena prevailed in the sequel.
The duel for WWE supremacy was greatly anticipated, and those 1.25 million PPV buys, per Pickering, proved that the company's marketing strategy worked.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson I
4 of 11
Tyson's return to boxing ultimately led to a showdown with Evander Holyfield. Considered two of the greatest heavyweights of their generation, Tyson and Holyfield met for the first time in November of 1996.
The stage was set, and the dollars that wound up being collected reflected people's anticipation. An estimated $79 million in revenue came in thanks to 1.59 million PPV buys, per BoxRec.
Those expecting to see Tyson destroy Holyfield were sorely mistaken. Holyfield outworked Iron Mike at every turn, leading to an 11th-round stoppage.
Considering how lucrative the fight turned out to be, both sides agreed to rematch.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya
5 of 11
It's time to talk about the cash king himself, Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather has become boxing's biggest draw, and it's not even close. His fights constantly generate whopping amounts of revenue, and you can be sure promoters love that.
One of Floyd's biggest bouts was against another famous fighter in Oscar De La Hoya. The two men went to war in May of 2007 and put on a show.
According to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, the PPV was purchased more than 2.15 million times, which was a record at the time.
The fight itself was competitive, and that was rewarding for those who bought it. Instead of seeing a fighter bite another one, we got to watch two generational talents stick and move for 12 rounds of action.
Mayweather wound up winning a split decision that further cemented his legacy. Thanks to this superfight with De La Hoya, he became a bigger household name.
WrestleMania 23
6 of 11WrestleMania 23 was the one that saw Vince McMahon get his dome shaved by the belligerent personality we've come to know as Donald Trump. The promotional materials at the time labeled it as "Hair vs. Hair."
This edition of Mania was took place in Detroit at the lovely Ford Field. Despite being a bit gimmicky, the matchups for the evening were put together well.
Highlights included The Undertaker beating Batista for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, John Cena submitting Shawn Michaels, retaining his WWE Championship in the process, and Mr. Kennedy winning the coveted Money in the Bank match.
WWE fans responded to the event, as it finished with an astounding 1.18 million buys, according to Pickering.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II
7 of 11
From a financial perspective, the rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield was a smash hit. It's too bad that the match itself wasn't as glamorous.
Unless you've been hibernating for the last 20 years, you probably know by now that while Holyfield was pounding away on Tyson, Iron Mike decided to take a bite of his opponent's ear. The fight was brought to halt in Round 3 when referee Mills Lane disqualified Tyson for constant chomping.
Though it was a brief and gruesome affair, the fight drew huge numbers. CBS Los Angeles reported it to be the fifth-highest grossing fight in boxing history, raking in $100 million and 1.9 million PPV buys.
Shockingly, this wouldn't be the last time Tyson would turn a huge profit for the boxing industry. He still had one more megafight left in him.
Felix Trinidad vs. Oscar De La Hoya
8 of 11
At the same time that Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad fought to unify the welterweight championship, heavyweights were still the sport's biggest draw.
But thanks to careful marketing and two popular fighters, this bout became a trendsetting one for the future of boxing.
De La Hoya vs. Trinidad pitted two unbeaten talents against one another. And as you would expect, that storyline was critical to the success of the brawl.
When the bell rung, De La Hoya showed off why he is considered to be one of the top fighters of his generation. He outboxed and outworked Trinidad every step of the way.
Instead of forging on with that strategy, Oscar started to peddle backwards, going on the defensive in the last few rounds. That proved to be a fatal mistake, as Trinidad went ahead on the judge's scorecards.
Many still believe that De La Hoya should have won because of his brilliance.
At the fight's conclusion, it was revealed that the bout has mustered up 1.4 million PPV buys and $71.4 million in revenue, per Box Rec.
De La Hoya vs. Trinidad set the tone for a younger group of fighters and the dollars that followed them around.
UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II
9 of 11
Not to be forgotten, the UFC has had some huge fights in terms of PPV buys and significance as well.
Dana White's company has manufactured and hosted a lot of household names over the years. Brock Lesnar was one of the biggest.
Lesnar is a WWE guy. His fame was created by sports-entertainment. When he left WWE to join the UFC ranks in 2007, he brought a killer vibe with him.
The first order of business was putting Lesnar in the cage with Frank Mir in 2008. Mir proved to be a true veteran, submitting Lesnar in the first round.
But The Beast wasn't done yet. He got his rematch with Mir a year later.
This was a different Brock Lesnar, and it showed. He was now the UFC heavyweight champion after beating Randy Couture in his previous bout. Lesnar came in and flattened Mir, earning a technical knockout in the second round.
The PPV finished with 1.6 million buys, according to the data MMAPayout.com compiled. To this day, that card remains the biggest seller in UFC history.
*Since the UFC keeps their PPV data close to the vest, sites like MMAPayout.com have become sources for buyrate information.
Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis
10 of 11
The last fight in Mike Tyson's career that manufactured an earth-rattling buzz was when he faced longtime heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 2002.
Spawning just about 2 million PPV buys, per CBS Los Angeles, Tyson vs. Lewis was a smashing success in terms of dollars and cents.
If we talk about the fight itself, it's not quite as entertaining. Despite a crazy buildup filled with Tyson rants and threats, Lewis pummeled his foe and eventually dropped him for good in the eighth round.
This would be final superfight Tyson would ever get to participate in.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez
11 of 11
We've already touched on the fact that Floyd Mayweather is a machine in the PPV world. His contest against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is the crowning jewel of his brand (not including his forthcoming war with Manny Pacquiao).
Mayweather vs. Alvarez pitted the unbeaten, veteran champion against the young bull. Alvarez is known for his heavy hands and calculated style of aggression. That was supposed to bother the older Mayweather.
In classic Mayweather form, he picked Canelo apart. The fight may have ended up with Mayweather winning by a majority decision, but anyone who watched it will tell you that wasn't the case. This was a vintage display of the champ badgering his opponent with pristine blows.
Dan Rafael of ESPN.com relayed the info that the fight "shattered the all-time record for highest-grossing pay-per-view fight of all time, generating $150 million in revenue from 2.2 million pay-per-view buys."
That's big-time money for the sport's biggest name.
_0.png?w=480)
