Mayweather could set PPV record vs. Hatton
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
November 28, 2007
"Mayweather-Hatton will do about 1.5 million pay-per-view sales. That would make Mayweather Jr. the first non-heavyweight ever to sell more than 1 million pay-per-views in back-to-back fights, as well as the first man to 4 million in one calendar year.
He could generate more than $200 million in pay-per-view revenue alone in 2007.
The kid who was dogged for an inability to sell out a small arena in his hometown might all of a sudden have become the most valuable property in the sport. He's learned fabulously well how to sell a pay-per-view show."
The fight sold out in about a half hour, generating a total paid gate of more than $10 million. Already, 18,000 closed circuit tickets have been sold in Las Vegas. Sponsors are beating the door down hoping to attach their names to the bout.
"Floyd has something like no other fighter," Schaefer said. "Half of his audience absolutely loves the guy. They love him for his talent, his smile, how flashy he is, everything he stands for and how brilliant in the ring he is.
"The other half, they hate the guy. They can't wait for the guy to lose. They think he's bad for the sport. It drives them crazy when they see him throwing money around and they ask what kind of a signal does that send to the youth.
"You have these two big, very large groups with different agendas, but one thing in common: They all want to see him fight."