What's the Best Pay-Per-View Card you can make for under $5 million?

by John Chavez

Sometimes in chatting with other hardcore fans, the fantasy subject of making an intriguing Pay-Per-View fight card comes about. With only having a rough estimate as to the amount paid to most combatants, we try and piece together a card that would be deemed as boxing fanatic-worthy.

Here's the most recent game I've played with other long-time boxing fans... what is the best, most meaningful Pay-Per-View worthy card that you can piece together for under $5 million?

In order to make a good Pay-Per-View card, in my opinion it has to have meaning when it comes to the overall landscape of the boxing world.

You can't just place name versus name and expect the boxing fan to absorb it.

The first fight on my mythical Pay-Per-View card would be a 154 pound rematch between Alfredo "Perro" Angulo and Kermit "The Killer" Cintron. This is a fight that has much intrigue being that many people felt as thought he "better man" lost in the first go around. The masses brush off the Cintron victory due to Angulo supposedly entering that bout at less than 100 percent. It's a score that must be settled in order to verify whether Angulo realistically belongs even being mentioned with the top combatants in boxing.

Kermit Cintron vs. Alfredo Angulo II at 154 pounds for... $750,000.


In order to make sure one's money would reach far enough to give as much bang for your buck, one would have to reach out to the overlooked and under-appreciated fighters of the time. Two fighters who I feel fit this category are 122 pound WBA belt-holder, Celestino Caballero and top five featherweight, Chris John. This is a solid fight between both awkward prize-fighters who give it their all until the very end.

Celestino Caballero vs. Chris John at 126 pounds for... $500,000.


Meaning is the key word for this Pay-Per-View card. You need fights that have significance in the total boxing landscape not just one's own promotional firm. Victor Ortiz is a young fighter who has been raked through the coals by the boxing fan and media alike for his "no mas" against Marcos Maidana. People overlook the fact that the first Maidana-Ortiz bout was extremely entertaining while it lasted with having touched the canvas multiple times. A rematch is a must for these two guys...

Victor Ortiz vs. Marcos Maidana II at 140 pounds for... $750,000.


Action, action, action. Meaning and action are the name of the game when it comes to must see television in boxing. One of the most action-packed fighters in the game today, Michael Katsidis has made a resurgence in his career after losing to veteran Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz. His recent victory over Kevin Mitchell has resurrected his boxing legs and boxing fans look forward to the Australian spartan take on any and all challengers at 135 pounds. Robert Guerrero was a potential opponent named for "The Great" until Guerrero was forced to pull-out of the affair due to family health issues. Should Guerrero defeat the wiley Casamayor as he's supposed to, a Katsidis-Guerrero bout would be brutal on paper and most likely brutal inside the ropes.

Michael "The Great" Katsidis vs. Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero... $500,000.


Now for the main event... it has to be considered as the crown jewel of the event but reasonably priced. It has to be a fight with meaning, action, and most importantly...  two fighters in their primes. Sergio "La Maravilla" Martinez vs. Paul "The Punisher" Williams part II fits the bill in every sense of the word. While both guys might be extremely talented within their divisions, luckily for this mythical fight buyer, both fighters don't tend to have much of a fan base here in the states leading their purses to correlate. Let's make a fair offer to make this fight a reality and crown it as the king of this Pay-Per-View Event.

Paul "The Punisher" Williams vs. Sergio "La Maravilla" Martinez... $2.5 million.


Five Fights
Chris John vs. Celestino Caballero
Victor Ortiz vs. Marcos Maidaina II
Robert Guerrero vs. Michael Katsidis
Alfredo Angulo vs. Kermit Cintron II
Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez II

One Pay-Per-View.

Nobody by themselves would be considered a draw.

Where should the event take place at?

Any major metropolitan area not named Las Vegas. Possibly the Staples Center in Los Angeles... maybe the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.

Maybe Texas, New York, Chicago?

Make it the world cup of boxing... I don't know. All I know is that a $5 million purse pot for an event such as this cannot that be that far out of the realm of possibility. The promoters that would be involved on such a card would include Golden Boy Promotions, Gary Shaw, Lou Dibella, and Dan Goosen. How hard can it be for those 4 promotional firms to come together and make something like this a simple reality?

Am I nuts?


PS. I encourage you readers to leave any other suggestions for a possible Pay-Per-View card to make for $5 million or less.


truth@theboxingtruth.com