Boxing Economics 101: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao Fans, Listen Up

This article is for those who insist on debating pay-per-view numbers without a clue to what is a "good number" and what is a "bad PPV number."

I think we can all admit that in terms of non-Heavyweight pay-per-view numbers, Oscar De La Hoya is truly the gold standard up until this point. So let's start with the Golden Boy.

Here are Oscar's pay-per-view numbers over the years:

1. Rafael Ruelas (May '95) 330,000 buys = $9.9 million

2. Genaro Hernandez (Sept. '95) 220,000 buys = $6.6 million

3. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (Jan. '97) 345,000 buys = $12.1 million

4. Pernell Whitaker (Apr. '97) 720,000 buys = $28.8 million

5. Hector Camacho (Sept. '97) 560,000 buys = $22.4 million

6. Wilfredo Rivera (Dec. 97) 240,000 buys = $9.6 million

7. Julio Cesar Chavez II ( Sept. '98) 525,000 buys = $23.6 million

8. Ike Quartey (Feb. '99) 570,000 buys = $25.7 million

9. Felix Trinidad (Sept. '99) 1.4 million buys = $71.4 million

10. Shane Mosley (June '00) 590,000 buys = $29.5 million

11. Javier Castillejo (June '01) 400,000 buys = $16.0 million

12. Fernando Vargas (Sept. '02) 935,000 buys = $47.8 million

13. Yory Boy Campas (May '03) 350,000 buys = $17.5 million

14. Shane Mosley II (Sept. '03) 950,000 buys = $48.4 million

15. Felix Sturm (June '04) 380,000 buys = $19.0 million

16. Bernard Hopkins (Sept. '04) one million buys = $56.0 million

17. Ricardo Mayorga (May '06) 935,000 buys = $46.3 million

18. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (May '07) 2.15 million buys = $120.0 million

19. Manny Pacquiao (Dec. '08) 1.25 million buys = $70.0 million

As you can see, while Oscar got close to the one million mark several times he only surpassed it four times: against Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Manny Pacquiao.

For comparison, let's look at the totals for the much-hyped and well-regarded UFC pay-per-view numbers of the recent past.

In the last 20 PPV events, the promotion has topped the 600,000-buy mark 10 times, three of which garnered over one million buys (UFC 91, 92, and 100 ). In the 20 previous PPV events, the promotion had six top the 600,000-buy mark and one (UFC 66) surpass one million buys. Prior to UFC 60 (the first to break 600,000 buys) the UFC had not had an event go over 500,000.

A PPV number over one million is a lot!

To further put one million buys in perspective: The highest total for a boxing event previous to the record-setting ODH-PBF fight was 1.99 million buys for Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield II. Those two fighters have the two highest pay-per-view averages of any fighters in history. 

In fact, Tyson and Holyfield have the second and third highest PPV totals behind Oscar, in terms of both money and buys. 

That's why, when first Floyd Mayweather (in his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez) and then Manny Pacquiao (in his fight with Miguel Cotto) both topped one million buys over the course of a couple of months last year, eyes popped and dollar signs popped all over the sports world.

Granted that PBF's fight was his return to fighting after a short retirement, and Manny's fight was against a top-ranked well-known champion, but still—those are frickin' great numbers for both men. Especially in a down economy.

Even with advances in technology and more homes set up to buy PPV, those are great numbers. 

Having said that, anyone expecting those kinds of numbers every fight is being a bit silly and/or disingenuous. Manny Pacquiao's 700,000 buys against the virtually unknown Josh Clottey is amazing.

And anything approaching or topping one million buys for the upcoming Mayweather-Mosley fight would be more than satisfactory for Floyd Jr.

The fact is, if either fighter is going to approach the lofty numbers of the De La Hoya-Mayweather or Tyson-Holyfield fights, they are going to need each other. 

Which is why a lot of boxing fans like myself have been rooting hard for that to happen.