Jake Paul’s flair for setting venue financial benchmarks has now surpassed his knockout to win ratio.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has revealed that Paul’s clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr will now top the highest grossing boxing event to take place at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The final figure was not yet confirmed by venue officials, since tickets remain on sale. However, it has already surpassed all boxing cards ever held at the Southern California hotpot in its 32-year-history.
“Breaking the all-time boxing gate record at Honda Center is another milestone in Jake Paul’s unprecedented run as a headliner,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said in a quote provided to BoxingScene. “[It is] further proof that he is one of the most valuable draws in combat sports.”
Honda Center – previously known as Arrowhead Pond and simply ‘The Pond – has hosted more than 60 boxing shows since it opened its doors in 1993. Paul-Chavez Jnr tops a list that most recently included the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal event last July 6, won by Diaz.
Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) and Diaz have their own shared history, as their August 2023 clash set the sport’s box office record at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was also the second-best performing combat sports event, trailing only UFC277.
Saturday’s PPV card marks the ninth consecutive show in North America where a Paul-driven event set a venue record. The most blockbuster feature by far came in his most recent appearance, when he defeated a very aged version of former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Their November 15 Netflix headliner amassed a live gate of $18,117,072 at AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.
While the novelty bout was criticized as a boxing side show, its commercial appeal was enough to more than double the previous mark at AT&T Stadium. The record was held by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, whose May 2021 technical knockout win over Billy Joe Saunders generated $9,002,920 in revenue from 66,065 tickets sold.
Paul has once again surpassed Alvarez, whose first major title win took place at Honda Center. A 20-year-old, unbeaten version of the Mexican icon defeated Matthew Hatton via unanimous decision in their March 2011 vacant WBC junior middleweight title fight.
Paul’s record-breaking run began with his second career headlining act, which was his first fight with Tyron Woodley. Their August 2021 meeting – won by Paul via split decision - was the highest boxing gate ever at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It is also the site’s second-best performing combat sports event, behind only UFC 203.
Paul-Woodley II became the biggest combat sports event to ever take place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. His December 2023 knockout of Andre August holds the mark for a boxing event anywhere in the greater Orlando area.
Paul’s October 2022 victory over combat sports legend Anderson Silva remains the best-selling boxing event and second for any combat sports card at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The social media influencer and aspiring cruiserweight contender also owns the gate record for any boxing event to take place in Puerto Rico, where he currently resides.
Paul’s first-round knockout of Ryan Bourland last March 2 was elevated to the main event of a show that generated $1,500,000 in ticket sales. Amanda Serrano’s featherweight championship title defense against Nina Meinke was the original headliner, but Serrano was medically scratched at the eleventh hour due to a hair chemical which dripped into and burned her eye.
The event surpassed the island’s previous mark held by four-division champ Miguel Cotto, who established the previous record in his first title win – a September 2004 knockout of Kelson Pinto to claim the WBO junior welterweight title.
Paul’s latest feat finally trumps Honda Center shows topped by Alvarez, Diaz, Masvidal and Ryan Garcia. He has now set site records in nine of his thirteen pro fights.
“This venue has seen headliners like Canelo Álvarez, Ryan Garcia Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal—fighters with deep amateur pedigrees and years of professional experience,” noted Bidarian. “Now, in just his 13th pro fight with no amateur background, Jake is not only headlining but generating three to four times the ticket revenue of past marquee events.
“He’s not just breaking records, he’s changing the business of boxing.”
