The 10 most-lucrative fights ever as Tyson Fury eyes £500m payday
Tyson Fury claims he wants to upgrade his purse from £30m to £500MILLION to fight Oleksandr Usyk… but it will be tough to match the 10 most-lucrative fights ever, with Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson the ring’s cash kings
- Tyson Fury wants to receive a £500m payday in order to fight Oleksandr Usyk
- He earned £30m when he defended his WBC title against Dillian Whyte in April
- If he does receive £500m, it would be the biggest purse for a single fight ever
- Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson have previously been the sport’s PPV stars
- Sportsmail takes a look at whether Fury can realistically surpass them now
The first undisputed heavyweight title clash in two decades is tantalisingly close after Oleksandr Usyk defended his belts against Anthony Joshua.
There is now only one fight to make – Usyk against Tyson Fury. Two unbeaten champions at the peak of their powers; it promises to be a historic matchup.
Yet there is one potential issue that could still prevent the fight from happening. Fury has made it clear that he wants to be paid an ‘obscene amount of money’ to come out of retirement to face the Ukrainian.
The 34-year-old has set a figure of £500million as the purse that he wants to receive. This would be some jump from the £30m he earned in his latest title defence against Dillian Whyte back in April.
This begs the question: are his demands realistic?
Sportsmail has taken a look back at the top 10 most-lucrative fights ever, according to World Sports Weekly, to see if Fury has any chance of moving past pay-per-view kings Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson to earn the single highest figure for a boxer in one night.
Tyson Fury has said he wants £500m to fight fellow heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk
Usyk is the only man standing in the way of Fury becoming undisputed heavyweight champion
10. Evander Holyfield-George Foreman, 1991 (PPV Buys 1.45m, PPV Revenue $80m)
This fight saw two legends of the sport face each other in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. It was clear to see the appeal with this contest.
Foreman was looking to become a champion for the second time at the age of 42, whereas Holyfield was only 28 and still undefeated.
Seventeen years after ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’, Foreman entered as the underdog, but his fighting spirit ensured that he saw the final bell, although Holyfield was handed the victory on points.
It was not to be for Foreman that night, but he would get his moment of glory when he became champion again in 1994 by knocking out Michael Moorer in Las Vegas.
Evander Holyfield’s (left) clash with George Foreman was a historic fight between two icons
9. Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr, 2020 (PPV Buys 1.65m, PPV Revenue $80.5m)
Two former heavyweight champions squared off in an exhibition bout in 2020 as Tyson and Jones Jr finally met in the ring.
This was a fight that could have taken place almost 20 years earlier, but it was never put together. When it finally did happen, Tyson had been out of boxing for over 15 years, while Jones Jr had also previously walked away from the sport.
Was it ever going to be an all-action bout with both men so far past their prime? It seemed unlikely. But were fans going to tune in to see what the two legendary fighters had left in the tank? Absolutely.
The contest took place behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was watched by millions on TV.
Over eight rounds, there was very little to split the duo, and the fight was scored a draw by the three ringside judges.
Mike Tyson’s exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr saw the two legends finally face each other
8. Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto, 2012 (PPV Buys 1.5m, PPV Revenue $94m)
Mayweather makes his first appearance on this list for his fight against Cotto a decade ago.
Cotto was an immensely popular fighter with boxing fans, especially in his homeland of Puerto Rico, and supporters tuned in from across the globe to see if he could upset the odds and finally end Mayweather’s unbeaten run.
Meanwhile, Mayweather had built his own loyal following by this point, with his trash-talking outside the ring and sharp skills in it proving a hit with fans.
Las Vegas was the setting for this clash, and Cotto bloodied Mayweather’s nose as he pushed the American in an entertaining contest.
However, Mayweather’s class shone through in the end and he claimed a decisive points win to move to 43-0.
The popular Miguel Cotto put in a brave effort but could not beat Floyd Mayweather in 2012
7. Mike Tyson-Peter McNeeley, 1995 (PPV Buys 1.55m, PPV Revenue $96m)
This was Tyson’s first fight in over four years after he left prison following his rape conviction in 1992. Fans wanted to see whether one of the most exciting heavyweights in history had still got it.
The fight was billed as ‘He’s Back’, and Tyson took little time in showing that his aggressive instincts were still intact as he knocked McNeeley down after 10 seconds.
McNeeley had only suffered defeat once before and tried to trade with Tyson, but this proved to be an unwise move as he was sent to the canvas again shortly afterwards.
With less than 90 seconds on the clock, McNeeley’s manager Vinnie Vecchione went into the ring to stop the fight, leading to the referee declaring Tyson the winner by stoppage.
Tyson (pictured right) ended a comeback fight with Peter McNeeley inside the opening round
6. Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield II, 1997 (PPV Buys 1.99m, PPV Revenue $100.2m)
Speaking of disqualifications, you might remember this one.
This fight didn’t need any hype. The pair had met the previous year, with Holyfield coming through some tough moments to pull off an upset by knocking Tyson out in the 11th round, causing pandemonium in the crowd.
Tyson had been unhappy with some head clashes during that fight, and wanted to settle the score this time. Could he do it? Millions of fans wanted to find out.
Again, Tyson became aggravated by what he felt were intentional headbutts, and he shockingly bit one of Holyfield’s ears. Referee Mills Lane seemed stunned by the incident, and deducted two points rather than disqualifying Tyson immediately.
Tyson wasn’t finished there, and he went back to bite Holyfield’s other ear. This time the fight was waved off at the end of the third round.
Bedlam ensued in the ring in the aftermath of the disqualification, and Tyson subsequently had his license rescinded and was hit with a hefty fine.
Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear twice in their rematch in 1997
5. Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis, 2002 (PPV Buys 1.95m, PPV Revenue £112m)
Fans had waited a decade for this fight. In an ideal world, it would have taken place in the early 90s when both men were nearer their peaks, but it finally got made in 2002.
At this stage, Lewis and Tyson were both in their mid-30s, but they remained the two biggest names in boxing’s blue-riband division, and the lengthy wait had only added intrigue to the contest. It was one that fans simply couldn’t miss.
The heavyweight showdown went ahead in Memphis, Tennessee, and Tyson looked to make his typical fast start.
However, Lewis weathered the storm, and gradually began to dominate. By the eighth round, Tyson had very little left, and Lewis ended their rivalry in stunning fashion by sending his opponent to the canvas with a devastating right hand.
Lewis would go on to have one final fight against Vitali Klitschko the following year before bowing out of the sport as a three-time heavyweight champion.
Lennox Lewis knocked out Tyson in the eighth round of their mega-fight in 2002
4. Floyd Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya, 2007 (PPV Buys 2.48m, PPV Revenue $136m)
This was the fight that turned Mayweather into a PPV star. All the pieces fell into place for this to be a mega-fight.
In order to get the big numbers, a good dance partner is always needed, and Mayweather certainly had that in De La Hoya. The Golden Boy had struck gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and had become one of the most popular boxers in the world ever since then.
By 2007, he was moving towards the end of his career, but had still shown enough to suggest that a clash with Mayweather would be competitive.
The date was also crucial in driving up PPV figures. The highly-anticipated bout was scheduled for Cinco de Mayo weekend, which is an annual celebration for the people of Mexico.
Given his Mexican heritage, De La Hoya unsurprisingly had the crowd on his side inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
De La Hoya started well, and looked to have opened up an early lead, but Mayweather began to take over down the stretch, and he was awarded the split decision nod after 12 rounds.
Mayweather (left) overcame a difficult start to outpoint Oscar De La Hoya (right) in Las Vegas
3. Floyd Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez, 2013 (PPV Buys 2.2m, PPV Revenue $150m)
Mayweather had long established himself as the face of the sport at this stage, but he had a young, hungry challenger that he needed to get past in Canelo.
At the time, Canelo had only just turned 23, but he had already emerged as the next big name in Mexican boxing. His passionate supporters wanted to see if he could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, with the fight scheduled for the weekend of Mexican Independence Day.
Mayweather was also stepping up in weight, with Canelo comfortably the bigger man on the night, and the American superstar was 36. Would this be the fight where Father Time caught up with him?
Not a bit of it. Mayweather delivered one of the best performances of his career to outclass his opponent from start to finish, much to the frustration of the partisan crowd in attendance.
Canelo has since gone on to win titles in four different weight classes, and is well on his way to the Hall of Fame, but on this night he was no match for Mayweather.
Mayweather rolled back the years to hand out a boxing lesson to Canelo Alvarez in 2013
2. Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor, 2017 (PPV Buys 4.3m, PPV Revenue $396m)
The two biggest names in combat sports met each other in Las Vegas in August 2017. On paper, it seemed like a no-brainer. McGregor had never boxed professionally, how could he possibly topple a great of the sport in Mayweather?
Yet McGregor was at the height of his popularity at this point, having become a two-weight UFC champion the previous year.
There was a worldwide press tour to promote the event, and neither man held back with their trash-talking. By the end of it, McGregor had convinced some fans that an upset was on the cards.
Those who had backed McGregor may have been getting excited after the first three rounds as the Irishman started brightly, while Mayweather hardly threw a punch.
Mayweather began to go through the gears, though, and round by round he started to put McGregor on the back foot.
The end came in the 10th round, with Mayweather delivering punishing shots and McGregor offering little in return, causing the referee to jump in.
The victory took Mayweather’s record to a staggering 50-0.
Mayweather and Conor McGregor fought each other in a money-spinning matchup in 2017
1. Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, 2015 (PPV Buys 4.6m, PPV Revenue $410m)
For many years, it looked like this fight between the two best fighters in the sport would never take place.
Negotiations had broken down time and time again, with the two men going their separate ways and taking on alternative opponents.
However, a chance meeting between Mayweather and Pacquiao at a basketball game appeared to finally speed up the process, and the fight was set for May 2015.
Just like the De La Hoya fight, it took place on Cinco de Mayo weekend – always a major date on the boxing calendar – and this was the contest that fans had waited over half a decade for. The numbers were inevitably off the charts.
As for the fight itself, it was something of a damp squib. Mayweather controlled the fight with his superior boxing skills, while Pacquiao struggled to have much success at all.
It was Mayweather who was given the unanimous decision victory in the biggest fight in boxing history, while Pacquiao would later complain that a shoulder injury had prevented him from performing at his best.
Mayweather got the better of long-time rival Manny Pacquiao as he won a unanimous decision
Can Fury really earn £500m by fighting Usyk?
Boxing’s biggest fights have traditionally taken place in Las Vegas, but the landscape appears to be changing.
Two of Anthony Joshua’s last four fights have been held in Saudi Arabia, a country that seems to have sets its sights on hosting major sporting events for a long time to come.
They are not afraid to splash the cash either, which will be music to Fury’s ears. It is understood that Joshua and Usyk both took home in excess of £30m from their rematch on Saturday, while Amir Khan earned £7m through fighting Billy Dib in Jeddah in 2019, despite the Australian being a couple of weight classes below him.
Speaking of Khan, the former world champion has claimed that he wants to help Fury get the financial package he is demanding, and has said that he will speak to Saudi ministers to see if it is possible.
Despite being a popular champion, Fury does not have the same appeal as Mayweather did
When you add in the fact that heavyweight fights tend to drum up more interest as they can change with just one punch, Fury may believe that he can actually secure himself a massive payday.
However, £500m still looks to be a significant stretch. Usyk has a case for being the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing, but he is some distance from being the biggest name in the sport.
In terms of marketability, Fury would have surely preferred to have fought Joshua for all the belts given that they are domestic rivals and the Watford man has built a huge following during his rise to the top.
Meanwhile, Fury himself does not quite have the same lure as Mayweather or Tyson. Mayweather’s mix of trash-talking and technical mastery made him the ultimate attraction, while Tyson remains one of the most ferocious punchers the sport has ever seen.
Fury can trash-talk with the best of them, and his popularity is growing, but he has been known to be in the odd forgettable fight, and this has held him back from developing into a superstar on the same level as Mayweather and Tyson.
Fury also can’t quite match the excitement that Tyson brought to the ring in his heyday
Then it’s about crunching the numbers. He got £30m for fighting Whyte, a similar figure to what Usyk and Joshua received in Jeddah. Is he really going to get more than 16 times this figure by taking on Usyk? Almost certainly not.
With regards to prestige, a showdown with Usyk looks set to be the biggest fight this century. Indeed, promoter Bob Arum has called it the biggest fight since Muhammad Ali took on Joe Frazier in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ in 1975. With this in mind, Fury can expect a career-high payday to come his way.
But if he really wants the fight to take place to give himself the chance to cement his legacy as the best heavyweight of his era, it seems very likely that Fury will have to compromise with his financial demands.
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