Source: ABS-CBN News
-- A veteran sports journalist for US channel ESPN lauded Manny Pacquiao’s soaring pay-per-view (PPV) numbers during his fight with Joshua Clottey.
Dan Rafael, who has been covering boxing for ESPN, said the 700,000 PPV buys generated by the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has highlighted the Filipino’s capability to attract a huge following.
“Make no mistake about it: Pacquiao -- admittedly with an assist from an exotic venue, the absolutely incredible Cowboys Stadium, which was hosting a fight for the first time -- is the reason the fight sold so well,” Rafael said in his blog for ESPN.
Pacquiao clashed with Clottey last March 13, retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title in the process.
Aside from defending the title, the congress-hopeful Pacquiao was also able to generate $35.3 million in revenues.
Rafael said that the PPV buys and the record crowd of 51,000 who watched the fight have shown that the fleet-footed Filipino from General Santos City has not only attracted “fight freaks” but casual fans as well.
The sports scribe also cited the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has managed to generate the numbers despite only 2 months of promotion, the absence of a “24/7” HBO series and the fact that both boxers were non-American.
“For those of you who have said (and lots of you have) that the 700,000 pay-per-view buys and $35.3 million he generated for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey was a disappointment: You are insane,” Rafael said.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
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