Fury Vs. Ngannou Pay-Per-View Numbers Were Terrible – Says Dave Meltzer
In some top boxing news, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s crossover fight on October 28th, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reportedly failed to deliver the numbers that were expected on pay-per-view.
The anticipation for the fight had been building following reports that the pre-fight trailer did over 100 million views across social media.
“If things play out we expect them to, this will be the world’s biggest upset in all the sports’ history. If there’s one person that deserves it, if there’s one person that can do it, it’s definitely ‘The Predator’ Francis Ngannou. I’ve seen him go through obstacles, so many different roadblocks; I see this being no different. Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou is coming to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh to take the crown,” Ngannou’s coach Dewey Cooper
Meanwhile, the pre-fight build up also showed some of the biggest celebrities around attending, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Eminem and Kanye West. And the fight delivered more than what was expected by way of a competitive nature.
Ngannou defied the worries that may have emerged over his boxing skills to take Fury to the final bell and knock him down in the process in round three.
Fury-Ngannou PPV Numbers
The former UFC heavyweight champion did not appear like a man making his boxing debut. However, the performance was still not enough to take the win as Ngannou suffered a split-decision loss.
And yet, there was a perception that he should have been given the win. Although that may have been the case, the spectacle ultimately failed to resonate with the viewers at home.
According to Dave Meltzer in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the numbers were far less when compared to Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz.
Meltzer on Observer Radio – discussing the #FuryNgannou PPV buys: "I will have the exact numbers tomorrow, but they were terrible. Way below an AEW PPV. Possibly 10k for TV orders. I will have the streaming tomorrow. It was nothing close to Canelo or Diaz-Paul buys." #BOXING
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) November 2, 2023
“I will have the exact numbers tomorrow, but they were terrible. Way below an AEW PPV. Possibly 10k for TV orders. I will have the streaming tomorrow. It was nothing close to Canelo or Diaz-Paul buys.”
Paul Vs Diaz/Fury PPV Numbers
This can be seen by Paul’s numbers in the fight with Diaz. Reports indicated that Paul and Diaz generated over 400,000 PPVs in a fight where Diaz was making his boxing debut.
And at a time when crossover fights are dividing the fanbase, Paul has shown an ability to bring in the audience. This was also reflected in Paul’s fight with Tommy Fury, which allegedly had over 800,000 PPVs. And that pulling power has been there for all to see.
“Just to share, we had a gate of $3.1 million, making this the No. 2 combat sports event in American Airlines Center history. That includes six UFC pay-per-view events. The only event to have done better than us was one after the pandemic, obviously, which was the last pay-per-view here. So very proud of Jake and Nate for what they accomplished,” Nakisa Bidarian (Paul’s business partner)
Nevertheless, Fury and Ngannou did receive the highest purses of their career. And in a fight where both fighters escaped without getting too much damage, the spectacle was not an entire failure given the huge talking points that emerged.
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