Boxing journalist Dan Rafael and boxing advisor Rick Glaser seem to hold two very different opinions about Gervonta Davis’ PPV buys for his June 15th fight against Frank Martin. The two reporters are both known as substantial sources for relevant information pertaining to the boxing industry, but the June 15th event has now appeared to pit the two in a battle for credibility.
How much Gervonta Davis’ (30-0, 28 KO’s) fight against Frank Martin (18-1, 12 KO’s) made is of little actual relevance when it comes to competitiveness in boxing, but it might serve as a way to assess Davis’ value as a pay-per-view (PPV) star―compared to more prominent names such as Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s) and Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KO’s) who have both reached the Forbes’ list of richest athletes and are currently regarded as the #14 and #16 richest athletes in the world. Davis, notably, is not on the list.
With Davis also regarded as one of the most popular fighters in America, the PPV numbers further serve as a way to validate Davis’ perceived position as a superstar, or as the “face of boxing” as some have proclaimed him to be.
For that reason, both Dan Rafael and Rick Glaser have brought forth their own estimates of Davis’ PPV numbers which heavily appear to contrast one another.
“Gervonta “Tank” Davis’ highlight-reel eighth-round knockout of Frank Martin to retain the WBA lightweight title for the fifth time on June 15 generated between 325,000 and 350,000 pay-per-view buys across all platforms it was available on in the United States, three sources with knowledge of the numbers told Fight Freaks Unite.”
Dan Rafael (Fight Freaks Unite)
Rick Glaser, who responded to Rafael’s numbers, indicated that Davis’ numbers had significantly decreased to lower-than-average numbers.
“😆😄😂 This is hilarious, it didn’t even hit 150,000 buys!!! More #PBC propaganda being floated to the media by PBC operatives like #LeonardEllerbe. #TankDavis #Baltimore #Boxing.”
Rick Glaser
Glaser’s post had been a response to Dan Rafael’s original report surrounding Davis’ PPV numbers, and he maintains that the June 15th fight had not done more than 150,000 PPV buys―approximately a 25% drop from Davis’ average of PPV fights barring his April 2023 bout against Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KO’s)―which reportedly did more than 1.2 million PPV buys.
The actual calculated average of Gervonta Davis’ last five fights prior to facing Garcia averages 220,000 PPV buys, based on the following fights:
- Gervonta Davis vs Leo Santa Cruz – approx. 200,000 PPV buys
- Gervonta Davis vs Mario Barrios – approx. 210,000 PPV buys
- Gervonta Davis vs Isaac Cruz – approx. 200,000 PPV buys
- Gervonta Davis vs Rolando Romero – approx. 275,000 PPV buys
- Gervonta Davis vs Hector Garcia – approx. 215,000 PPV buys
There is no consensus on the veracity of the PPV numbers, and both Rafael and Glaser have been known to be mostly correct in regards to their sources. The main issue is that none of these sources can be verified, thus there has always lain a shadow over how much fights have actually made―as this information is not publicly divulged by the relevant parties.
While the exact PPV performance of the Davis-Martin fight will continue to be a matter of debate, the proposed numbers of Davis’ fights do not compare to either Canelo Alvarez’ or Anthony Joshua’s numbers whose PPVs have [reportedly] regularly reached numbers of a million PPV buys.
In that sense, Davis cannot be considered a global star on the same level as the aforementioned fighters, but he nonetheless appears to hold a distinguished position as a PPV star in America since his first PPV event against Leo Santa Cruz in 2020; being known as one of a couple American fighters, including Errol Spence Jr (28-1, 22 KO’s), who have headlined PPV events over several years.
