Pacquiao Lands the First Blow in Pay-Per-View Numbers
by Corey E
Inevitably, everything in the world of boxing boils down to two men right now: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. The dream match, which hasn't even been officially announced, already has produced boxing odds on the BetUS sports book, and speculation in the sports pages across the world on a daily basis. Everything that the two superstars do at this point is scrutinized, and compared to the other.
So when the numbers were announced for the pay-per-view buyrate of Pacquiao's latest conquest over welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, it was naturally viewed as a small victory in the ongoing battle leading up the proverbial war.
The 'Pac Man' and his enormous following garnered a massive 1.25 million buys, as compared to Mayweather's 1 million buys for his tilt against Juan Manuel Marquez.
A fair comparison? Maybe not.
As boxing betting sharps will note, Cotto has been a far bigger draw both in terms of gate numbers and especially pay-per-view numbers in the past than Marquez has. In fact, while Pacquiao and Mayweather battle for the largest pay-per-view numbers, Marquez holds the dubious honor of having produced the lowest number in the history of HBO, for his bout against Joel Casamayor. Meanwhile, Cotto has had strong television showings against the likes of Shane Mosley, and a very loyal fan following from his native Puerto Rico.
The all-time pay-per-view record is still held by 'Money Mayweather's whopping 2.4 million buys in 2007 against Oscar De La Hoya. Some may also argue that the large number produced by Pacquiao and Cotto was aided by the buzz created by Mayweather and the overriding interest in this mega fight. When placed against the same opponents, Mayweather has dwarfed Pacquiao in terms of television numbers. In addition to his killer showing with De La Hoya, the Michigan native also drew bigger numbers than the Pac Man against Ricky Hatton.
The fact is that everyone is going to weigh the credentials of these two superstars every single day until they find themselves in the same ring as one another. Boxing lines will be analyzed and shifted to death, but the one certainty in all of this is that pugilism has made it back to the mainstream. You can argue who is the bigger draw all you want, but in the end, putting the two together will create absolutely monstrous money.
