Inside the ring, Ryan Garcia remained perfectly composed, picking apart Conor Benn. But outside the ring, the Victorville native grew a bit rattled when someone raised doubts over the event’s profitability.
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“FALSE – The numbers are coming in; no one has them. Why do you have to put out fake reports?” he wrote while replying to a tweet.
His comments followed a user’s tweet. Purportedly based on combat sport journalist Dave Meltzer’s report, the user claimed that Garcia’s event, promoted by Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, was a big disappointment, especially for broadcast partners Paramount+.
“The show didn’t enter the top 10 in any country, and the rating was lower than the same-day UFC card. It didn’t do well at all. There’s just not that much interest in boxing,” they wrote.
In his first title defense as a welterweight champion, Garcia defeated Benn at the T-Mobile Arena. By all accounts, the second-round knockout was a convincing victory. Given the controversy surrounding the Devin Haney fight, which was followed by the year-long suspension and the loss he suffered to Rolly Romero, Garcia badly needed a turnaround that would put him back firmly as boxing’s biggest draw.
Considering what he had been through during the last two years, it was frustrating for Garcia to see baseless rumors just after fighting his way back.
It usually takes some time for stakeholders to arrive at a definite number and determine whether an event was a success.
FALSE - The numbers are coming in, no one has them why do you have to put out fake reports.
Even if the reports were true, it would be a stretch to believe that someone of Meltzer’s stature would arrive at such a conclusion about a show that took place only days ago.
Meltzer himself later offered a strong rebuttal to the tweet, saying, “Incorrect. It was top ten in many countries, including the U.S., on Saturday. It was not top ten anywhere on Sunday, just showing people didn’t watch it on delay.”
Meanwhile, the live-gate numbers suggested a different picture.
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn: why the big win has raised questions
Shared by the UFC, the figures revealed that with a sold-out attendance of 18,855, which aligns with the arena’s reported capacity to accommodate up to 20,000 spectators for boxing, MMA, and WWE events, Garcia vs. Benn generated gross total revenue worth $8,030,075.85.
The doubts, therefore, likely stem from the broader business landscape surrounding the deal between Paramount and Zuffa.
It was in January this year that reports emerged that Paramount would pay $100 million to Zuffa Boxing to stage 12 fight cards. Helmed by White, the new promotion is partly owned by SELA and TKO, which also owns the UFC and the WWE.
Reportedly, Zuffa would organize 2-3 “super fights” every year with the Saudi stakeholders. Last year’s Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez, which took place at the Allegiant Stadium on September 13, is one example.
It’s likely Garcia-Benn was also a similar attempt.
Months before the fight took place, Zuffa gave Conor Benn $15 million to leave Matchroom Boxing. That was allegedly a one-time, one-fight fee, which was fulfilled with Benn’s promotional debut against former champion Regis Prograis.
Later reports confirmed that the English welterweight signed a five-fight deal with Zuffa that will extend over 2.5 years. While exact figures of the new contract remain limited, it is likely to be very lucrative.
Against that backdrop, for the fight to end with Benn leaving the ring in less than five minutes after it started represents a very costly investment for all the stakeholders, including the broadcast partner Paramount.
For a network trying to justify a huge programming block, getting under 5 minutes of marquee airtime out of its highest-paid stars could be viewed as a bad return on investment.
In contract to Benn, during the last three years, Garcia has consistently faced the biggest names in boxing. Notwithstanding the outcomes, some of which did not favor him, with the Benn fight, Garcia wants to project himself as the next big thing in the sport.
His ambitions have now zeroed in on next year’s Cinco de Mayo weekend. Reports suggested the welterweight champion has expressed interest in a doubleheader feature with friend David Benavidez.
With that in mind, reports suggesting that one of his biggest wins was a promotional dud could harm Garcia’s prospects.
Given that Meltzer himself offered an explanation, it is perhaps better to wait and watch as details on viewership emerge.