How much did Canelo Alvarez make against Billy Joe Saunders?
Canelo Alvarez gave the boxing world a treat on Saturday, May 8, 2021, when he fought Billy Joe Saunders for the WBO super middleweight title. Alvarez threw a heavy uppercut which seemed to shut Saunders' right eye, and at the end of the eighth round, the Englishman's corner stopped the bout. Canelo walked away with a TKO victory, along with Saunders' belt.
While no official purses have been revealed, Canelo was guaranteed $15 million, and Saunders was guaranteed $2.5 million as fight pay, as per sportekz.com. The website also claimed that Canelo would receive 60% of the pay-per-view (PPV) share while Saunders would receive 40%.
According to mirror.co.uk, though, Canelo will make $35 million from the fight while Saunders will make $7 million. This could be a combined estimate inclusive of PPV sales.
[The purse figures quoted are as per the websites mentioned, and any inaccuracies in the aforementioned figures are to be brought to the attention of the respective websites.]
Canelo vs. Saunders was a resounding success
Although PPV sales have not yet been disclosed, the event was a massive success. Over 70,000 people were in attendance to watch the super middleweights battle it out at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was officially recorded as the largest indoor boxing event in US history.
The card was stacked with some incredible fights from start to finish. The junior flyweight bout between Elwin Soto and Katsunari Takayama was an absolute barnburner. The main event between Canelo and Saunders was a treat for boxing fans all around the world. Crowd favorite Canelo did what he does best and put on a brilliant display of sweet science. Billy Joe Saunders held his own really well until the uppercut that broke his orbital bone.