Tyson Fury has steadily risen in the United States Pay-Per-View market, as proven by his latest successful venture against Deontay Wilder.
As Top Rank boss Bob Arum confirmed to WBN then, Fury-Wilder II hit a mark of around 1.2 million PPV buys – all in.
“In regards to the Fury vs Wilder (II) Pay-Per-View, they don’t have the digital numbers yet. The digital is well over 300,000 buys,” Arum exclusively told World Boxing News in February.
“It’s probably accurate (the 850,000 reported). But then you add in the digital on top of that. So three hundred and change (to 850,000). It’s closer to 1.2 million.”
This means Fury is bettering his previous performance repeatedly with the stateside fans. A fact that is encouraging, with two more on the horizon.
Fury vs Wilder II
Beating 1.2m for the third fight with Deontay Wilder is already predicted once the ball gets rolling on the build-up. Hitting 1.5m this time around would be a massive success.
But it’s the Anthony Joshua fight that may be the most precarious. Joshua is largely an unknown quantity in the US, having only fought there once and not made it his priority to tap into that consumer scene.
When he ventured to New York for a fight, he was soundly beaten by Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden. Sadly, most US punters know Joshua as the Brit Ruiz knocked out.
Promoter Eddie Hearn certainly has his work cut out to make the Americans forget that fact and sell the Fury fight as a 50-50. He knows most won’t buy that.
Pay Per View buys
That could be why Hearn is looking into other venue options outside the US, and the UK, for that matter. The Middle East is seemingly the first choice of the Matchroom boss.
If Hearn does avoid the USA, beating the Deontay Wilder mark Fury hit would be nigh on impossible to do.
Updating on his site scouting, Hearn told Sky Sports: “We have not signed contracts because there are still things to be worked out.
“It’s the biggest fight ever in British boxing. It doesn’t get bigger. There will never be a bigger fight in our generation.
“Two guys, very different, who fight differently. They have experienced different things and have come back from adversity.
“There are discussions with various sites.
“From a common-sense point of view and without knowing how a deal works, everyone will say Britain is the place to hold the fight. But it is the world heavyweight championship. There will be all sorts of offers from across the world. There have been already.
“The venue is another obstacle to overcome,” he added.
