How did Tito get $10mil/500k ppvs for the Roy Jones fight??

[Assteroid Field]

http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/...videos-962903/

Primera hora article about PR boxers who retired only to come back. Before the first highlight it says King offered Tito "over 10 million reasons to come back".

Is this accurate? If it is, that's just mind boggling. Boxrec says that fight sold around 500k ppvs, which is a modest success for anyone not named Mayweather/Pac/DLH.

As popular and beloved as he was, and as successful as his fight vs DLH was, I don't really remember Tito as a HUGE draw like the guys I just mentioned. May I remind you that this fight happened in 2008, after nearly 3 years of inactivity from Tito, and after multiple KO losses by Roy, at a weightclass Tito had never even come close to fighting at before.

I guess my question is, how in the hell did they sell this fight?
I mean, hell, just a few months later we got Cotto vs Margarito one of the most anticipated fights in boxing at the time, and I think it got about the same number of ppv buys.

I dunno, maybe I'm underestimating these guy's popularity, but the whole thing just makes no sense to me. It's just flat out crazy

[Sugar Adam Ali]

It was 2 huge names,, albeit shot and old and inactive but big names regardless,,,

If tito got his 10 million it is because he sells out MSG, and also is a pretty big ppv draw, I think 500k or more with comeback fight vs mayorga and the winky fight,,,

Jones-tito was a matchup of big names that had been discussed since 01,, If tito had beaten hopkins, he would have moved up to challenge jones,,,

How they sold the fight was basically off the big names, plus the interest of how a chinny roy jones would deal with a power puncher like tito,,

The fight itself was mildly entertaining but not much more than that,, it would be like if they finally made jmm-morales,, or hopkins-toney now

[big_james10]

http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/...videos-962903/

Primera hora article about PR boxers who retired only to come back. Before the first highlight it says King offered Tito "over 10 million reasons to come back".

Is this accurate? If it is, that's just mind boggling. Boxrec says that fight sold around 500k ppvs, which is a modest success for anyone not named Mayweather/Pac/DLH.

As popular and beloved as he was, and as successful as his fight vs DLH was, I don't really remember Tito as a HUGE draw like the guys I just mentioned. May I remind you that this fight happened in 2008, after nearly 3 years of inactivity from Tito, and after multiple KO losses by Roy, at a weightclass Tito had never even come close to fighting at before.

I guess my question is, how in the hell did they sell this fight?
I mean, hell, just a few months later we got Cotto vs Margarito one of the most anticipated fights in boxing at the time, and I think it got about the same number of ppv buys.

I dunno, maybe I'm underestimating these guy's popularity, but the whole thing just makes no sense to me. It's just flat out crazy

You have to realize that, before Mayweather came along and raised the PPV bar to significantly new heights, 500,000 PPV buys was considered a huge success. Prior to his fight with Mayweather, ODLH biggest selling PPV was 1.4 million against Felix Trinidad. Felix Trinidad was a hugely successful boxer and PPV success. He was more popular and more successful in terms of PPVs that Cotto has been in his career. Trinidad wasn't quite as big as Oscar, but he was still a huge seller. The 500,000 against Roy Jones was about what most experts expected. Trinidad was very popular and Jones was still considered a quality opponent at that time.

[Assteroid Field]

yeah, i kinda figured 1mil ppvs were not that common before mayweather took over.

I looked around,and 500k seems to be about the average for tito fights. Still surprising they sold that much in 08 for the reasons I mentioned, but I guess popular fighters remain popular until the day they die.

[AddiX]

Don king also promoted the heck out of this fight.

And if my memory is correct king also ripped Roy off so and I don't even think he made any $ from the fight.

[richardt]

Jones-tito was a matchup of big names that had been discussed since 01,, If tito had beaten hopkins, he would have moved up to challenge jones. How they sold the fight was basically off the big names, plus the interest of how a chinny roy jones would deal with a power puncher like tito.

First off Roy was not chinny and was still on top of his game in 2001 when Tito fought Hopkins, second off Tito was the smaller man who had not shown power above middleweight, let alone at 175.

[dynomyte1444]

Tito was a huge draw and yes you underestimated there popularity. they are two of the biggest stars in the sport and some of the most entertaining

[Assteroid Field]

First off Roy was not chinny and was still on top of his game in 2001 when Tito fought Hopkins, second off Tito was the smaller man who had not shown power above middleweight, let alone at 175.

I'm pretty sure he meant some of the fight's original hype from 2001 may have carried over, and that Roy was chinny by 2008, not 2001.

Although I agree with you, I have a hard time picturing a blown up welterweight hurting anyone at light heavy.

[edgarg]

I heard Trinidad SAY-through interpreters of course- that he would not fight again for Don King unless he was paid his price, which was $10 mill per fight. It was also published. This was during and after a period where it was publicised that King had found ways to badly underpay Trinidad with a lot less than the contracts said and there were speculations that Trinidad would leave King..

That was his price, and on enquiry at a later time, when fights came up and he was asked about it, he said he got his price.

[WARQUEZ]

The hype for the fight was big even for two shot guys. The countdown show they did on HBO was tremendous.