Canelo-Golovkin 'Have Just Done 1.2 Million': Wilder-Fury Pay-Per-View Numbers Don't Impress Hearn

While he still wants to book a huge title unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was unimpressed with the numbers the latter's heavyweight contest with Tyson Fury brought in.

Wilder and Fury clashed earlier this month for the World Boxing Council (WBC) title in what turned out to be one of the fights of the year, though it would later be judged as a split decision draw with many believing Fury had won.

The Briton had dominated majority of the rounds and other than the two where he was dropped by Wilder, was outboxing the American and making him look sloppy and average.

Hearn, who promotes the unified champion in Joshua, wants Wilder to ignore a potential Fury rematch and face "AJ" at Wembley Stadium in London in April instead. He also believes Wilder's performance against Fury makes a title unification fight with Joshua much easier to book, considering how talks broke down earlier this year.

“It's now easier to make the Wilder fight vs other circumstances,” Hearn told The Independent. "So if Wilder would have won devastatingly, he would have been a f-----g nightmare [to deal with during negotiations]."

"Everyone thought he lost so he drew and although his stock has gone up because he is well-known, it's not like he was this phenomenon," he said.

Hearn then pointed to the pay-per-view numbers. According to various estimates, the fight did upwards of 300,000 buys — the best buyrate for a heavyweight boxing pay-per-view in the United States since the 525,000 buys Roy Jones Jr. and John Ruiz's fight pulled in 2003. Regardless, the 39-year-old was not impressed.

“To do 300,000 buys is terrible, absolutely terrible. 300,000 is absolutely abysmal," Hearn said. "Dillian Whyte against Joseph Parker did more than 300,000 buys in England. I mean we're talking about across the US. You can't say it's good. Canelo and Golovkin have just done 1.2 million and they're middleweights.”

While 300,000 buys does seem low, there are many things Hearn is not taking into account.

For one, the pay-per-view cost $74.99 in the United States, so it generated around $23 million in comparison to the Whyte vs. Parker fight which was priced at £19.95 ($25) and brought in around $8 million in revenue, according to BoxingScene.com.

In addition, those estimates do not include digital sales or purchases on BT Sport Box Office in the United Kingdom where Fury is very popular — just Showtime pay-per-views ordered through traditional cable and satellite providers.

Add in the fact that Canelo Alvarez is arguably the biggest pay-per-view draw in the sport today, not counting Floyd Mayweather, and that this was Wilder's first pay-per-view event while Fury is not a major name in the U.S., factoring all this, 300,000 buys is a success in reality.

Still, a fight with Joshua would be the biggest in the sport today, and while the WBC are okay with sanctioning a Wilder vs. Fury rematch, Hearn thinks this is the right moment and chance to book a fight many have wanted to see for a while.

“It [WBC's sanction] doesn't change anything at all, but Wilder may choose to rematch Fury, it's a big fight," Hearn added. "It just all depends how much Wilder wants to be undisputed champion. He's always gone on about 'one face, one champion' well this is it."

“We may never get another chance. Wilder may get beaten by Fury, Joshua may get beat. Who knows? But this is the chance for all the belts on the line," he said.