Mike Tyson’s exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr pulled in 1.2million pay-per-view buys, it has been revealed.
The former heavyweight champions went head-to-head at Los Angeles’ Staples Center last weekend, competing in an eight-round bout.
And at the end of the contest, both 54-year-old Tyson and 51-year-old Jones Jr had their hands raised after the fight was scored a draw.
It has since been reported that the exhibition, which cost $49, scored 1.2m PPV buys.
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The 1.2m figure includes television, satellite and online numbers, as well as other platforms such as Triller.
That figure makes the fight the most lucrative in boxing this year and the second most lucrative combat sports event of 2020 behind UFC 251, where Kamaru Usman defeated Jorge Masvidal to retain the promotion’s welterweight title.
Other top-selling combat sports events this year have included Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight title rematch in February, which was priced at $79 and pulled in between 800,000 and 850,000 PPV buys, and Conor McGregor’s comeback fight at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone in January, which achieved 1m sales.
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Tyson and Jones Jr’s PPV buys were likely helped by the card’s contest between YouTuber Jake Paul and former NBA player Nate Robinson, in which the 23-year-old vlogger brutally knocked out the 36-year-old in the second round.
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