The Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch last month captivated the boxing world, as Fury sought out revenge for his loss in May last year. Having once been defeated by ‘The Cat,’ the Brit distanced himself from his family and loved ones to focus on training in hopes of overcoming the Ukrainian’s skills. But alas, things didn’t go his way!
‘The Gypsy King’ lost their rematch even more decisively than before, with Usyk securing a unanimous decision win. Besides the success of the main event though, the card featured some action-packed fights, which left a mark on everybody in the arena and at home watching it unfold. Still, the question is, what kind of numbers did the event produce?
According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, their first encounter in May saw the fight generate upwards of $50 million in pay-per-view revenue with 1.5 million plus pay-per-view buys. Interestingly, the vast majority of those PPV sales seem to have come from the United Kingdom, where Usyk is the biggest name in boxing.
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Additionally, the event generated $40 million from sponsorships and another $30 million from ticket sales. Turning to the rematch, boxing insider Rick Glaser has disclosed that the pay-per-view sales for the December 21 event have comfortably surpassed 500,000 buys. Responding to a query on X, where a user asked, “Mr. Glaser, did Fury vs. Usyk 2 cross 500k PPV buys worldwide?” Glaser confidently replied, “Easily, without batting an eye!”
Meanwhile, a former WBA champion has shared Usyk’s shocking admission following his fight against Fury.
Oleksandr Usyk claims Tyson Fury rematch was much easier
The first time Usyk and Fury faced off in the ring—it ended with a hard-fought split decision win for the Ukrainian. Their second encounter looked even closer, as Fury was much more aggressive and determined to secure a win. While Usyk still managed to get the better of Fury, during the post-fight press conference, Usyk was quoted claiming their rematch was easy.
His claims now seem to have been backed by former light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. Kovalev and Usyk share the same manager, Egis Klimas, so in an interview with Seconds Out, Kovalev said, “[Usyk and I] have the same manager, Egis Klimas, and he said that Oleksandr said to him, ‘Listen, I can fight one more time tonight, easily.’ The first fight [with Fury], yes, he was tired. But the second fight, much, much easier.”
That being said, the exact pay-per-view numbers are still a mystery, but Rick Glaser has shared a glimpse into the success of the event on social media. But how many PPVs do you think the rematch sold?
Elite athletes often face time away from loved ones but it is a particularly felt theme in boxing, where fighters withdraw for long periods of time and demand unyielding focus of themselves.
How brave Tyson Fury could not solve the Oleksandr Usyk conundrum: JEFF POWELL’S verdict
Asked for his verdict on the rematch, Iron Mike told Fox Sports Radio: “Tyson Fury could have won that fight if he wasn’t playing around early in the fight.”
Fury added: “He beat me fair and square, give the man his props. I don’t understand why people have got an excuse like, ‘I lost the fight because I didn’t train great’. Or, ‘I lost the fight because the chef didn’t cook me the right foods’.
Following his defeat earlier this year, many boxing legends, including Ricky Hatton, have called for Tyson to remove his father John from his corner ahead of next weekend’s showdown. With a little over a week to go until the two heavyweight giants go glove-to-glove again, Crolla has weighed in on the corner debate in the first meeting – labelling it a ‘shambles.’
“When it’s time for Tyson to sit down in the corner, it might be time for one clear voice, and I believe that’s how it should be. I think Tyson will win the rematch, and I have always said I believe he is the best heavyweight in the world.”
