Boxing is certainly on the up and 2023 was proof of that. Tyson Fury, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford, among others, made it a year to remember in many different ways.
Some boxing events drew a lot of social media attention and buzz but failed to deliver on pay-per-view, while others overperformed. Here's a quick breakdown of the five biggest boxing PPVs of 2023.
Remember that these numbers are projections, some are more concrete than others. Only the broadcasters and distributors have the real genuine numbers, and they aren't always transparent with them. It's also possible that there could be other fights out there which drew bigger numbers. From what is public knowledge, these are the big five of 2023:
#5. Canelo Alvarez vs John Ryder - 450,000 PPV Buys
Despite garnering nowhere near the buzz as some fights from the influencer/crossover scene, and appearing to be a foregone conclusion before the first bell rang, Canelo and Ryder drew a whopping 450,000 PPV buys on May 6, no doubt almost entirely down to the Mexican superstar.
Brit John Ryder showed heart to go 12 rounds with Canelo in front of 55,000 in Guadalajara, but Canelo came away the worthy winner via unanimous decision.
#4. Canelo Álvarez vs. Jermell Charlo - 600,000 PPV Buys
Canelito is at it again. His more highly-anticipated clash with Jermell Charlo on September 30 chalked up an impressive 600,000 PPV buys.
It was another unanimous decision for Alvarez, who celebrated his 60th pro win by outclassing Charlo in Las Vegas.
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez chalked up his 60th professional victory in the ring when he out-classed Jermell Charlo to win by unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
#3. Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr - 700,000 PPV Buys
In arguably the most celebrated boxing match of 2023, Terence Crawford secured the undisputed welterweight crown by putting on a masterclass for the ages against Error Spence on July 29.
It was the summer blockbuster everybody wanted to see and it fully delivered, garnering 700,000 buys on pay-per-view.
#2. Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury- 800,000 PPV Buys
From the sublime to the less sublime, the king of influencer boxing Jake Paul finally gave in to the jeers and "fought a real boxer" in Tommy Fury. He lost a split decision to the younger brother of the 'Gypsy King' Tyson Fury in an eight-round bout on Feb 26 in Saudi Arabia.
Despite almost the entire year passing afterwards, Paul vs Fury remains one of the most bought boxing matches of 2023. What it lacked in boxing quality, it certainly made up for in hype and interest.
#1. Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia - 1,200,000 PPV Buys
Gervonta 'Tank' Davis' shocking knockout victory over 'King' Ryan Garcia was the most lucrative boxing event of 2023. It drew 1.2m pay-per-view buys. Despite taking place back on April 22, this fight still cannot be matched for numbers.
Garcia was unable to recover from a vicious body shot in the 7th round as Tank proved his mettle once again as one of the most talented boxers on the planet.
(Dis)honourable mentions
Some of the more hyped fights of the year may have delivered on Twitter (now known as X), and were likely very popular on illegal live-streaming sites, but failed to deliver on pay-per-view. Here are a few of the most notable flops of 2023:
Streaming service DAZN claim that the Misfits Boxing event on October 14 headlined by KSI vs Tommy Fury and Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis drew over 1m buys on PPV, but this has been widely disputed. Respected combat sports and pro-wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has put the number closer to 100,000.
Francis Ngannou's outrageous performance against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury shook the world and sent social media into a frenzy. The former UFC champ knocked down the man who many consider to be the GOAT, in what was a fascinating encounter. However, the Saudi Arabia event from October 28 is reported to have brought in less than 100,000 PPV buys.
Another Saudi event, Day of Reckoning from December 23, featuring Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker came with a lot of hype but did not live up to the billing. Reports suggest it attracted just 45,000 buys.
2023 was a wonderful year for boxing, but there is more to come in 2024, with some huge fights already in the pipeline. Tyson Fury is finally facing Oleksandr Usyk. Anthony Joshua will take on Francis Ngannou. Jake Paul continues his climb up the ladder.
There's a lot to look out for. Could 2024 end up being an even bigger year for boxing on pay-per-view than 2023? We will have to wait and see, but the forecast looks good.
