Boxing fans could be growing wise to Jake Paul’s controversial bouts, with thousands of tickets still available for his Anthony Joshua fight.
The two go head-to-head in the ring in Miami on Friday night, which is live on Netflix.
Paul versus Joshua is taking place at The Kaseya Centre, which has a capacity of around 20,000, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that the event will be far from a sellout.
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua struggling to sell tickets
Despite being dubbed one of the most controversial and curious boxing bouts in recent times, many fans would rather witness it unfold from the comfort of their own sofas.
Just a quick scan at the TicketMaster website, the official site selling tickets for the fight, shows swathes of blue empty seats.
At the time of writing, even the cheapest ticket, which costs $62, remain on sale to the general public.
Other tickets away from the action cost $99, and there is seemingly plenty available despite the fight being just days away.
Closer to ring side, where ticket prices range from $124 to $3,600, there is availability in each section of the sporting arena.
It’s evidence that despite the constant PR and promotional footage, there doesn’t appear to be an appetite to watch the Youtuber-turned-boxer stepping into the ring to fight a former two-time heavyweight world champion.
The lack of quality on the undercard, which includes the likes of Caroline Dubois, Alycia Baumgardner and UFC legend Anderson Silva pulling on the boxing gloves, may be having an impact on the lack of ticket sales.
Other boxing fans may have simply decided to pocket their money, given Paul’s recent history.
When Paul fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson, around 72,300 fans were in attendance at the AT&T Stadium, although Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 2 was also on the undercard.
However, many felt they were fleeced after the exhibition bout was deemed farcical and a money grab.
Anthony Joshua’s pay day
Despite struggling to sell tickets, millions are expected to tune in on Netflix to see the action unfold.
Against Tyson, Netflix saw the fight peak at 65 million concurrent streams, making it the most-streamed global sporting event in history.
Similar numbers are to be expected, which would undoubtedly provide the coffers that will line both of their pockets when the event is said and done.
It’s suggested that both Paul and Joshua could rake in around $70million for stepping into the ring.
Joshua was asked whether this bout would break his own record as his highest-grossing fight, in which he told TMZ: “Unfortunately not. I want it all, I want more.”
Joshua’s biggest fight purse topped £61m when he fought Usyk in August 2022 in Saudi Arabia.
That’s a similar figure he reportedly took home when he took on Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch six years ago.
Joshua has also reinforced the message that he will not be taking it easy on Paul and risk damaging his reputation.
