By: Hans Themistode
The hype surrounding the Heavyweight rematch between Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) and Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) was unlike anything we had ever seen.
Throughout the history of boxing, there have been several big fights inside the sports glamor division. Yet, none seemed to have brung the sort of buzz and attention that Wilder vs Fury produced.
From the moment their rematch was announced, everyone wanted to be a part of the event. Who could blame them? After all, their first contest which took place back in 2018, left many unsatisfied as it was ruled a draw. If the sequel was even half as good, then it would be well worth the price of admission.
Well, not only did Tyson vs Fury 2 deliver in the ring but it also delivered from a financial standpoint as well. There wasn’t a single seat left in the MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as 15,816 screaming fans witnessed Fury drop Wilder twice before ultimately stopping him in the seventh round.
Not only did the fans fill the arena, but they also emptied their pockets as well. Wilder vs Fury 2 officially broke the Heavyweight gate record in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The live gate that was produced on the night in terms of ticket sales was $16,916,440. The previous record holder for a Heavyweight match was ironically enough, the contest that it was most compared to. Evander Holyfield vs Lennox Lewis back in 1999, at the Thomas & Mack Center. That event brought in an impressive $16,860,300.
Not only did Fury vs Tyson 2 produce the highest gate in Heavyweight history in the state of Nevada, but it now ranks seventh on the all-time list. The two highest grossing came in 2015 and 2017 when Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor respectively.
The numbers might be impressive but the two hard hitting Heavyweights could be given the opportunity to top those numbers once again. According to language in Wilder’s contract, he has up to 30 days to decide whether or not he will elect to have an immediate rematch.
With both men reportedly bringing home more than 25 million for their efforts this Saturday night, the lure of another lucrative payday could prove to be too much to pass up.