The famous Iron Mike was a box office magnet in each of his fights since he was champion.
Mike Tyson and otherworldly earnings for his time
Throughout his professional career, Mike Tyson was that box office magnet that boxing needed, and which made Don King and several of his trainers tremendously rich. With earnings close to 500 million dollars in his career thanks to fights, the 58-year-old boxer proved to be a great candidate in his prime. He filled stadiums and achieved great deals for his promoters. Fans also flocked to the stadiums to see him put on a show; the figures also back up these claims.
Mike Tyson and his million-dollar PPVs
Mike Tyson was famous for taking out his rivals in the early rounds, but that did not affect his box office magnetism, both in the arenas and on pay-per-view. One of the first fights on the list that was a resounding success was when Iron Mike fought Bruce Seldon in 1996 with the WBA heavyweight title at stake.
It ended with a first-round knockout and 1.15 million PPV buys, but the fight is most famous for being one of the last public appearances of Tupac Shakur.
The New York native defended his title against Frank Bruno in 1989 and there we saw an inexplicable combination of 13 punches in the third round and sent his opponent to the canvas. It produced 1.37 PPV purchases. Tyson would then do better on the economic front when he returned from his four-year layoff after serving a prison sentence. The Brooklyn native’s return to the ring after a prolonged absence created a buzz and interest among fans to see if Tyson was still at his former level.
Iron Mike’s return to the ring made it clear that he was far from dropping his magnet for PPV and he fought Peter McNeeley and grossed 1.55 million pay-per-view. This comeback fight grossed more than $96 million worldwide, including a record $63 million in the U.S. for television.
Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor II — 1.6 million PPV buys
Dustin welcomed Conor back to the octagon in Abh Dhabi.Dustin finished Conor by KO in the second, Conor’s first and only KO loss in his career. pic.twitter.com/QOZDMA98TZ
— Bry The MMA Guy (@BryTheMMAguy) November 22, 2023
It set records for both viewership and PPV revenue. One of the most important fights of Tyson’s career was against Evander Holyfield, when he put his titles on the line. Holyfield rose to the challenge and his aggressiveness handed Tyson his second defeat. The fight offered fireworks for the fans, and the same was reflected in the PPV figures, which recorded 1.59 million PPVs.
