The two most popular boxers in the last 20 years — Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao — now have something in common.
With his win over Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13, Pacquaio joined Tyson as the only fighters to generate 1 million pay-per-view orders in three consecutive years, ESPN.com reports.
The report states that the Pacquaio-Margarito fight brought in 1.15 million buys while generating $64 million in domestic PPV revenue.
Pacquiao's obliteration of Oscar De La Hoya in 2008 and his knockout of Miguel Cotto in 2009 also generated over a million buys.
The Pacquiao-Margarito fight was only the second-highest purchased bout of 2010, however. The No. 1 distinction belongs to the May fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley.
Of course, promoters and TV executives alike probably have their eyes set on a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, one that would surely help extend Pacquiao's streak into 2011.
"It's a work in progress," fight promoter Bob Arum said of efforts to grow the Philippines-born Pacquiao's brand here in America. "It's one things to do big numbers fighting Oscar De La Hoya, who always did big numbers. It's another doing them on his own, which he is now apparently able to do. One of the ways to put it into the stratosphere is to make the Mayweather fight, but that is out of my control."
Then, Arum went on to state the obvious.
"I hope that is the next fight."
