What numbers can Pacquiao-Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley realistically sell?

Pacquiao vs Clottey
Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

The upcoming fights between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, and Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will probably be two of the biggest pay per view sellers this year. But what kind of numbers each will actually sell is a matter of some dispute.

Unlike most fights which more or less sell on the appeal of the two fighters taking part, there are several other confounding factors in how each one of these events will do.

Perhaps just as importantly, the figures that each achieve might well be a deciding factor in whether the two winners ever face off. Floyd Mayweather having said that if he sells more than Pacquiao, he will demand the bigger share of the purse, which in turn will likely put the bout out of commission.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey

+ Appearances from Pacquiao on the likes of Jimmy Kimmel live as well as a host of celebrity fans has helped to raise his profile and recognition in the United States.

+ The fight being held in Dallas at the Cowboys stadium is attracting a lot more mainstream attention than most big fights would get. This should help bolster the pay per view sales as well as ensuring that the live gate is a big one.

- Compared to the rest of the fighters in question, Joshua Clottey is fairly obscure outside of boxing circles, and wont help to shift many tickets in his own right. Manny Pacquiao is probably the biggest star in the sport today, but selling a fight on the back of one name only is difficult and rarely achieved.

- Although Clottey might well represent the biggest test Pacquiao has faced recently, many think his style simply does not give him much of chance of winning. Certainly some casual fans might not buy if they think the fight will turn out to be one sided.

Mayweather vs. Mosley

+ Floyd and Shane fighting has been ten years in the making, with each calling out the other multiple times down the years. For fans of both this is a can't miss fight, not to mention a lot of people are eager to see if Mayweather will finally lose his unbeaten record.

+ Although Mayweather is the bigger draw of the pair, Mosley is a minor draw in his own right and is certainly a lot more well known than the relative empty suit that Clottey represents in terms of drawing power.

- After some of Mayweather's comments and Golden Boy's recent dealings with Manny Pacquiao, some are calling for boycotts of GBP and Mayweather. Aside from this, his often offensive gestures and speeches, such as his remarks regarding Martin Luther King, or his steroid saga with Manny Pacquiao have probably lost him some fans.

- With Mosley at the age of 38, there are some out there who will think that Mayweather is taking another soft option with Mosley as an opponent. This isn't the case by any means, but to the casual observer not well versed in the rankings of records of the fighters, Floyd Mayweather taking on a much older opponent after first beating a much lighter fighter might look like more of the same.

Pittsburgh's predictions:

George Havers, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey is pretty obscure, and Pacquiao should beat him easily. Mosley Mayweather might be a lot closer, so I think that will sell about 1.5 million to Pacquiao and Clottey's 900k"

Bill Goldman, Pittsburgh PA: "Pacquiao 1,25 million and Mayweather 1.4 million. After which Mayweather will demand extra money to fight Pacquuao and the fight will never happen"

Robert Shankley, Pittsburgh PA: "Pacquiao should sell more than Mayweather, he will be more exciting and he's the better fighter. Both are interesting though because the fight we really all want to see will probably depend on how many each one of these sells"

Bernie Walker, Pittsburgh PA: "Mayweather will outsell Pacquiao by a mile. Richie Shaefer was obviously talking nonsense as usual with his biggest ever prediction, but Clottey has zero appeal to most American fans. Mosley at least is fairly well known and holds a title, and its been a while since there has been a really big fight for people to get excited about. Pacquiao also can't hype a fight like Mayweather can. Mayweather 1.8 million. Pacquiao 1.2 million.

Source: Examiner.com