Filled with promise and unforgettable milestones, the boxing world is ready to embrace a new year. However, with just a few days left, it reflects on a whirlwind 2024. The year has been one of highs and, at the same time, of lows. Doors were opened to let in two undisputed champions. But the sport witnessed some major setbacks as well.

One of the biggest boxing events in recent times occurred a month ago. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson‘s magical showdown at the Cowboys Stadium finally forced everyone to take notice. ‘The Problem Child’ is perhaps no longer an afterthought. However, when it comes to pure business, especially the one related to the pay-per-view, the MVP-Netflix November 15 show had to make way for other boxing shows. Let’s take a closer look at the biggest fights and events of 2024, particularly those that excelled in pay-per-view (PPV) sales.

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 1

It had been 25 years since boxing’s prima donna division feted an undisputed king. After their first fight ended in a draw, Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield during the rematch in November 1999 and became an undisputed titleholder.

Enter 2024. On May 18, reigning WBC champion Tyson Fury and the unified champion Oleksandr Usyk clashed at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena to resolve the conundrum once and for all. At the Riyadh Season show, the Ukrainian champion defeated ‘The Gypsy King’ via a split decision and became the century’s first heavyweight undisputed champion.

The heavily stacked card was broadcast live by the streaming giant DAZN. On account of illegal streaming, several reports suggested a damaging loss of over $100 million. Nevertheless, the event billed ‘Reign of Fire’ managed to garner nearly 1.5 million pay-per-view subscriptions.

Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua

From Saudi Arabia’s capital, the PPV journey travelled back to the home of boxing—the United Kingdom. Usyk’s undisputed journey didn’t last long. A few days after his win over Fury, Usyk vacated the IBF title. He became a unified champion. In the meantime, on another high-octane Riyadh Season card, Daniel Dubois defeated Filip Hrgovic and snatched the interim IBF title. With Usyk vacating the championship, Dubois later became a full champion.

The division had already witnessed the resurgent return of Anthony Joshua. Following the consecutive defeats to Usyk, he had been putting his career on track. Hence the road to a third championship mandated a clash with Dubois.

On a Riyadh Season card, the two met on September 21 at London’s Wembley Stadium. In front of over eighty-five spectators and scores of viewers spread across the world, Dubois inflicted a crushing defeat on ‘AJ’ and retained the IBF title.

The event reportedly notched up 800,000 pay-per-view buyouts globally. But what triggered a major discussion was the lukewarm response in the United States, where it seems only 15,000-20,000 PPVs were purchased.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia

Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia‘s Cinco de Mayo showdown occupies the third place. Alvarez’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. already features among the top ten highest-selling PPV fights of all time. Despite the defeat, his profile soared over the years, establishing him as one of the sport’s top sellout artists. Therefore, it’s no surprise that a fight featuring Alvarez secured a spot among the year’s highest-selling PPV events.

The fight for Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed title raised many eyebrows. Despite David Benavidez‘s presence as the WBC’s mandatory challenger and the callouts from other prominent names, the Mexican icon settled for a face-off against the fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia. It was a no-brainer that Alvarez would win the fight.

If it’s a Canelo fight, a showdown at the T-Mobile Arena is bound to draw a full crowd. Additionally, the Mexican superstar’s fans are spread far across the globe. The fight reportedly fetched over half a million PPV buyouts. But the Amazon Prime-PBC show failed to capture the benchmark set by the earlier Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo fight that reportedly garnered nearly 700,000 pay-per-views.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga

For the past few years, it’s been a constant fixture for Canelo Alvarez. If the first coincides with the Cinco de Mayo weekend, then the second takes place around Mexican Independence Day.

Once again, a surprise, Alvarez stepped into the ring against Edgar Berlanga. The Brooklyn-born fighter of Puerto Rican heritage became the WBA mandatory for Alvarez’s title following his sixth-round knockout win over Padraig McCrory. David Morrell, then interim WBA titleholder, had also decided to move up a division.

Following his refusal to face the mandatory challenger William Scull, Alvarez was stripped of his IBF title. Hence, the fight on September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena took place for the latter’s unified titles. The Mexican superstar sailed through the bout, winning unanimously.

Following in the footsteps of the Munguia fight, the Las Vegas showdown reportedly racked up around 650,000 PPV buyouts. Additionally, it generated a competitive gate revenue of $17 million.

Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin

Over a year since his famous win over Ryan Garcia, on June 15, another face of boxing, Gervonta Davis, returned. The Baltimorean faced Frank Martin to defend his WBA lightweight title. The PBC-Amazon Prime card featured David Benavidez versus Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a light heavyweight clash as the co-main event.

True to his style, ‘Tank’ Davis started at a leisurely pace. As the bout crossed the halfway mark, he started gaining ground. The end came in the eighth round when a right and two lefts from the Baltimorean found ‘The Ghost’ floored on the canvas.

According to a report shared by Dan Rafael, the fight at MGM Grand Arena reportedly witnessed between 325,000 and 350,000 pay-per-view sales. With a reported price of $74.95, it is suggested that the revenue must have crossed over $26 million.

Honorary mentions

Garcia vs. Haney

Perhaps the year’s most controversial fight. Following months of pre-fight drama, on April 20, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney met at the Barclays Center in New York. Over three knockdowns, Garcia won the fight via majority decision.

However, things turned topsy-turvy when the results of the VADA drug tests came. Garcia reportedly returned positive results. As a result, he received a year-long suspension in addition to a slew of financial penalties. What’s more, the fight’s decision was changed to a ‘no contest’.

Keeping aside the controversy it sparked, businesswise the fight did ‘moderate business’, as promoter Oscar De La Hoya later suggested. According to ‘The Golden Boy’, whose promotions take care of Ryan Garcia, the fight with Haney, it seems, resulted in slightly over 300,000 pay-per-view sales.

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Though not a PPV showcase, the fight proved itself a big shocker. Not only did the match—between a 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion—raise several eyebrows, but the whole concept of live streaming the fight on the behemoth Netflix sent shockwaves across the world.

With over $18 million generated through live gate, the event had already broken the record for the biggest boxing or MMA show held outside Las Vegas. Aside from roughly seventy-two thousand spectators present at the AT&T Stadium, over 108 million tuned in to their television sets to watch the eight-round special rules bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.

Serrano vs. Taylor

Not far behind was the co-main event. After their historic headline clash at Madison Square Garden two years ago, Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor met once again on the Paul-Tyson card. Producing yet another unforgettable thriller, the battle for Taylor’s undisputed title went the whole distance. Proving why she is rightly regarded as one of the greatest women fighters of all time, the Irish icon won the rematch.

Rather than the headliner, many fans seemed more focused on the Taylor-Serrano clash. With over 47 million viewers watching it, no wonder the fight became the most-watched women’s sports event in US history. Likewise, across the globe, nearly 74 million people saw the duel.

With many exciting events and matchups lined up for 2025, fans can look forward to more business-generating fights that will provide the much-needed boost to the sport, enhancing its prestige and solidifying its status as a truly global brand.”

Do you agree with the list above, or do you think it should have included a particular fight event? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.