Showtime’s April 22nd Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia pay-per-view is the most anticipated event on the boxing schedule, but those hoping for a consumer-friendly price point are out of luck, as the network announced today that the card will run you $84.99.
For comparison’s sake, that’s $10 more than last Saturday’s David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant show and Davis’ (28-0, 26 KO) stoppage of Hector Luis Garcia earlier this year.
I can’t say I don’t see the reasoning. Like Floyd-Pacquiao back in the day, there’s enough buzz here to draw in non-boxing fans who don’t feel compelled to budget for every noteworthy event. The price tag is still horrific on its own, of course, but it’s less so for those who don’t have to potentially choose between it and Canelo vs Ryder two weeks later.
Man, though, this doesn’t feel sustainable. Combat sports are uniquely fan-unfriendly in a number of ways and price is one of the biggest. There are fighters like Davis and Garcia (23-0, 19 KO) who’ve reached the mainstream, but it’s hard to build up someone’s profile when it costs several days’ worth of food just to see them in action once.
Hopefully there’s at least a decent undercard; all I’ve heard mentioned so far is one solid heavyweight tussle.