As Super fights become more common and the profile of boxers continues to rise, so do the ever-inflating gate receipts being generated by the biggest fighters.
As the sport has grown over the years and ticket prices soar, records continue to be broken and new legends are made when looking at the biggest gates in boxing history.
As Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford looks to make history with their incredible gate receipts, we’ve ranked the top five largest gates in boxing history, starting with another one of Canelo’s greatest bouts.
5. Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin II ($24.4 million)
The rematch between Canelo and Gennady Golovkin in 2018 drew a whopping $24.4 million, making it the fifth-highest-grossing boxing fight of all time.
After the controversial draw in 2017, they returned a year later to battle in the same arena to determine the real top Middleweight champion of the world.
The bout was incredible, as the two fighters went toe-to-toe over twelve rounds, winning Fight of the Year in the process.
It was once again an incredibly close fight in front of a sell-out crowd of 21,965, with the judges struggling to choose a winner. In the end, a majority decision was reached, and Canelo was given the victory.
4. Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin ($27.1 million)
The pair’s first bout outdrew the rematch, despite the controversial finish marring what was a spectacular evening of boxing.
Fans crammed into the T-Mobile Arena to see the two Middleweights battle to become the unified champion, following Canelo’s win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr earlier that year.
The fight was ruled a draw on the judges’ scorecards, a result nobody was happy with. Both fighters swore they won the bout, with GGG looking the better of the two throughout the bout.
The rematch determined who the real top fighter was, but this fight still had boxing’s fourth-highest gate ever.
3. Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford (Undisclosed)
The bout between Canelo and Terence Crawford can make history when these two legendary fighters clash over the Super Middleweight title, but the live gate is already making waves.
While the exact figure is unknown, promoter Dana White has let slip that it is already the third-largest gate in boxing history, which is a huge achievement considering it is White’s debut in boxing promotion.
The fight is a dream match for boxing fans everywhere, and the atmosphere will be electric when they finally face off on September 13.
2. Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor ($55.4 million)
While Canelo has dominated the early parts of this list, Floyd Mayweather is still boxing’s biggest money maker when it comes to live gates.
For the legendary former champion’s final professional bout, he battled UFC Champion Conor McGregor in a crossover fight to prove who was the best athlete in the ring.
While McGregor battled valiantly, he couldn’t put “Money” away, getting knocked out in the 11th round in what was a spirited performance from “Notorious”.
The bout drew massive pay-per-view numbers and a huge gate, earning over $55.4 million from ticket sales alone, making it the second-largest gate in boxing history.
1. Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao ($72.2 million)
All boxing records were smashed when the dream fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally took place in Las Vegas in 2015.
While it was a few years later than it should have been, the battle between two of the all-time greats captured the public’s imagination, making it one of the biggest boxing fights of all time.
It smashed pay-per-view records, becoming the most-bought event in history, and drew a larger gate than any fight in history, generating over $70 million in ticket sales alone.
Mayweather walked out that night as the winner, cementing himself as not only one of the greatest fighters of all time, but the biggest drawing one, too.