When it was announced that Mike Tyson would be returning to the boxing ring to fight former champion Roy Jones Jnr, it became the most anticipated sports events of 2020.
Recently released data reveal the viewership lived up to the hype.
According to the figures released by USA Today, Tyson’s Legends Only League, which promoted the event, reported that it generated more than 1.6 million pay-per-view buys and over $80 million in revenue based on numbers provided by Triller.
While Triller did not confirm the numbers, Triller spokesman Michael Goldberg said the card ranked in the top 10 all time among combat sports events in pay-per-view buys.
Tyson, 54, who was fighting for the first time in 15 years, earned a guaranteed $1 million after the eight-round exhibition with Jones at Staples Center in Los Angeles ended in a draw, as judged by the World Boxing Council.
According to documents provided by the California State Athletic Association, which sanctioned the fight, both fighters are expected to get an equal share of the pay-per-view money.
Another boxing great, Evander Holyfield, 58, recently told TMZ Sports his team has been in contact with Tyson and they may be fighting in the near future.
“I’m a very confident person. I think it’s gonna happen,” Evander told TMZ Sports. Tyson – who made history as the youngest fighter ever to win the heavyweight belt in 1986 – also mentioned the two camps were in talks but said they hadn’t been able to reach a deal.
After his fight with Jones, Mike Tyson sat down with media and spoke about how much he’s learned since his youth, which he said he took for granted. He also praised Jones’ fighting skills and said he wants to continue to do exhibition fights for charity.
“He (Jones) was very smart and it was very difficult to hit him with a solid punch. I was just happy to be in there with him and just go the eight rounds,” Tyson said.
“Everybody knows I can knock somebody out … I think going the distance, that’s real fighting. … I just want to continue to do this from a humanitarian perspective. … God willing I’ll be better the next exhibition.”
