There’s been quite the debate about the pay-per-view numbers from the Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin fight last month in Las Vegas. Acclaimed boxing journalist, Dan Rafael suggested in a report that the fight did somewhere between 325,000 and 350,000 pay-per-view buys across all platforms it was available on in the United States. 

Meanwhile, boxing matchmaker and promoter, Rick Glaser has previously claimed the fight would struggle to generate a mere 200K pay-per-view buys. But here’s the kicker! According to ‘Tank’ Davis’ head coach Calvin Ford, none of those numbers are real. The Baltimore coach appeared in an interview with Mill City Boxing today, where he debunked all the numbers on the internet.

Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin PPV: Controversy and Contradictions

It often takes a couple of weeks for the accurate pay-per-view sales figures to be released, so when Rafael’s report came out, it felt like perfect timing. However, speaking to Ford, the reporter from Mill City Boxing probed him about the numbers online, in response, Ford said, “That’s not true”. Even when asked whether the numbers were close to the real ones, Ford declined.

He said, “That number [isn’t correct]. That’s why I haven’t posted yet. [Those] numbers aren’t true yet”. The Martin fight, which Rafale’s report suggested was the second biggest fight in terms of PPV sales, now hides behind a veil of uncertainty. The PPV for Davis’ fifth title defence sold for $74.95 a pop, which, per Rafael’s report, made upwards of $26 million.

However, Calvin Ford has now debunked all of that, leaving fans eager to wait longer for the real numbers to surface. Meanwhile, Rick Glaser had previously voiced objections to Dan Rafael’s reports. Following Rafael’s report, Glaser took to X to share his thoughts on the numbers.

He wrote, “This is hilarious, it didn’t even hit 150,000 buys!!! More #PBC propaganda being floated to the media by PBC operatives like #LeonardEllerbe #TankDavis”. In the midst of all this chaos, a boxing commentator seems to have added a bit of clarity.

Boxing commentator’s take on 150K PPV buys

See, the thing is, Glaser has always been critical of everything PBC and Al Haymon do. The matchmaker, at one point, even claimed that PBC was about to go under. So, after Glaser claimed that Davis’ fight only did 150K PPV buys, YouTube star and boxing commentator ShowBizz, the Adult, hopped on X to share his thoughts on the matter.

He wrote, “You don’t have to believe me or Dan Rafael. Just remember that the 150 PPV buys was reported only 2 days after the Tank fight. The PPV numbers aren’t tallied that fast. It usually takes 10 days to tally and report the numbers”. He further added, “Dan is ESPN, Bizz is Warroom and Glazer hates PBC”.

With so many contradicting reports from various sources, it has become difficult to determine which one is true. Regardless, Calvin Ford seems confident that the available numbers lack merit. What do you think about this whole situation?