‘F**k Them’: Canelo Alvarez PPV Reports Roped In as Mayweather Promotions CEO Slams “Narratives” Against Floyd Mayweather, Gervonta Davis

On September 14, 2013, 36-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. met over a decade junior Canelo Alvarez at the MGM Grand Arena. The former, displaying clinical precision, won the bout hands-down. Additionally, the fight created a record. In terms of PPV buys, it stood below the 2007 Mayweather Jr. versus Oscar De La Hoya fight. But with $150 million in revenue, it became the highest-grossing boxing match of all time. Though it was the first setback for 23-year-old Alvarez, he went on to establish a legacy of his own, winning belts and securing bigger paydays.

But did any of Canelo’s other fights do good business just like the Mayweather fight? In certain sections, talks emerged about how well Canelo Alvarez’s subsequent fights with Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara did in terms of PPV sales. Perhaps it was time to share where it all began. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe concurred with an observation discussing the unwarranted deference given to Canelo Alvarez’s PPV buyouts.

The starting point

@Boxingego took up Dan Rafael‘s 2014 write-up titled ‘Canelo Alvarez scores on PPV.‘ In the piece, Rafael said, “Many wondered if Alvarez, carrying a pay-per-view by himself for the first time and coming off a resounding defeat, would still generate enough fan interest to warrant becoming a PPV regular as he envisions. After the returns came in for the fight with Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, the answer is a resounding yes.”

With over 350,000 pay-per-view sales, the bout did a business of nearly $20 million. However, BoxingEgo reminded everyone that streaming techniques took over and piracy bounced back in the modern era. Hence, people usually don’t remember after the Mayweather Jr. fight how quickly Alvarez versus Angulo and later versus Lara were huge successes with 300–350k pay-per-views.

They said, “And how soon they forget AFTER fighting Floyd Mayweather, Canelo Alvarez vs. Angulo/Lara was doing 300-350k ish PPVs, and it was labeled a massive success lol Streaming methods have increased since that time, and piracy has gone up in this current age.“

Hence, if a comparison is made with Gervonta Davis, then all that the lightweight champion has done so far would appear to be mere fighting. Soon Leonard Ellerbe joined and quipped that everyone knew the source of these ridiculous stories. However, it is also a fact that he never bought any of those accounts. “Boss, you know where the bs narratives come from, but you know my thoughts are f**k em,” Ellerbe said.

It’s a record that will stand the test of time. Earning five slots in the top-ten fights with the highest pay-per-view sales is no easy feat after all. But that’s what Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s magic is all about.

A record that’s not meant to be broken?

Mayweather Jr. PPVs have generated close to $2 billion in revenue, starting with the still-in-record Manny Pacquiao bout. The champion definitely reaped the most from the hauls. But as it appeared, others also benefited. Two years after the Mayweather bout, Canelo fought former world champion Miguel Cotto. The match reportedly saw 900,000 PPV buys; a year later, a fight with Amir Khan witnessed 600,000 pay-per-view sales. Alvarez’s latest bout against Jermell Charlo reportedly saw 700,000 subscriptions. But Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s record prevails.

Read More: Leonard Ellerbe Warns Fighters About Losing: Remember, “There’s Only One Floyd Mayweather”

What’s your take on the argument? Do you believe that Canelo Alvarez became a household name after the Mayweather fight? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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