The first fight was big, and exciting – but the rematch will likely be bigger. Much bigger. Heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, set to do it again following their drama-filled but controversial draw of December 1st, can look to generate seriously big numbers via Pay-Per-View in either April or May when the sequel goes down. The first fight generated well over 300,000 P-P-V buys in the U.S, but the return fight could break a million buys.
Even promoter Eddie Hearn concedes how the profiles of both Wilder and Fury went up in America due to the December clash, Hearn admitting how AJ is currently less well known in America in comparison (Hearn aims to make this change, with AJ “80 percent sure” to fight Jarrell Miller in New York in June).
Most people agree the return between Fury and Wilder will be big, and will generate big business, and the achievement of a million P-P-V buys is entirely realistic. And at around $70 a pop, it’s clear the rematch would make a small fortune if it did do a million or more buys.
Wilder/Fury II is THE big fight of the heavyweight division right now, with fans waiting and waiting, for Joshua to get a deal done to fight either man. This may come later this year, we can only hope, but coming off the back of a million-seller on P-P-V, either Wilder or Fury would of course have every right to demand a big slice of the purse. Would a 50/50 split be fair for a Wilder/Joshua or a Fury/Joshua (just who is the A-side in either match-up now?) fight later in 2019?
Hearn is excited about the prospect of AJ boxing his U.S debut, at Madison Square Garden, against “Big Baby,” this summer, but the lion’s share of the paying fans are far more interested in the sequel between Wilder and Fury. Just who will be the top dog of the heavyweight division come the end of the year? And who will be the richest?
