Boxers not only hunt for titles in their weight class, they also covet the title of Pay-Per-View King. Boxing debuted as a pay-per-view event in the 1980s and the popularity of a particular match is a barometer of a boxer’s influence on viewers.
The first boxing match at the card was the “Thrilla in Manila” starring Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and since then, paying to watch a match has become a tradition for boxing fans around the world. Friends and family gather for a la carte nights to watch their favorite (and often not so favorite – it’s fun to pick on someone too). Boxers win for a prize. Now with the Miami PPV Boxing Live you can see the matches like the ones below.
The current king of pay-per-view is boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather, Jr. In his last three fights, the boxer has made more money than any other boxer has in his entire career. Mayweather is also involved in the award-winning HBO 24/7 series, which gives fans a glimpse of the last weeks of a boxer’s life as he prepares for a fight. Mayweather may be the last king of Pay-Per-View, but there are many who have held this title before him. Let’s take a look at the top 10 boxing matches on the map.
Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno II
This fight of 1996 was the last of Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson made it memorable. The first two met in 1989. Tyson stopped Bruno in the fifth round. After that, Bruno won eight of his next nine fights before attempting a rematch with Tyson in 1996. The opportunity to take revenge on Bruno proved futile as Tyson got Bruno even faster this time. The fight was stopped in round 3.
Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman (Tied)
It’s easy to forget that George Foreman was once a great boxer now that he’s become synonymous with his Foreman Grids! In 1991, Foreman was in the middle of his second boxing comeback. His return to boxing was a resounding success – he won 24 consecutive bouts and got a shot on the then undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. Foreman was 42, and from the start, the youngest and fastest Holyfield dominated the veteran boxer. However, Foreman remained on his feet until the end of the last round to make sure Holyfield really won. Holyfield was guaranteed $ 20 million to present himself, Foreman, $ 12.5 million.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad (Tied)
Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad were both undefeated to come in this fight. It must have been a close fight. De La Hoya dominated the first eight laps before Trinidad took control. At the end of the fight, the judges’ scorecards revealed a majority decision for Trinidad. This result is still one of the most controversial decisions in boxing.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley (Tied)
Floyd Mayweather made a comeback to boxing in 2009. He wanted a fight with Manny Pacquiao but failed to make it, so he turned to welterweight star “Sugar” Shane Mosley. The 12-round bout was under Mayweather’s control. This fight was at the time the second-highest-paying box-office fight in boxing history, generating $ 78.3 million. Mayweather earned $ 30 million for the fight. Mosley earned about $ 10 million.
