Record-Breaking: The Top Five Boxing Attendances Ever
Boxing is a sport that draws thousands of paying spectators to events worldwide every week.
The sport itself has been around for thousands of years. Some of the most renowned athletes in recorded history, such as Muhammad Ali, were boxers. Today, boxers like Anthony Joshua and Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez attract some of the largest crowds to boxing events. However, the numbers they have attracted are still well below the biggest estimated attendance of all time.
In this article, Big Fight Weekend goes down memory lane to see what the biggest crowds in boxing have been. Below, in ascending order, are the top five boxing attendances in the sport’s history. Note: Figures below are the reported estimates of the attendances.
Top Five Boxing Attendances of All Time
5. Dmitry Chudinov vs Mehdi Bouadla
Dmitry Chudinov and Mehdi Bouadla headlined a card in Sevastopol, Russia, in August 2014. According to estimates, roughly 100,000 people were in attendance for this fight. To be clear, they were not all there for the boxing. An open-air motorbike show also took place at the venue. The fight itself saw Chudinov drop Bouadla once each in rounds one, two and three before the bout was put to an end. Chudinov won this middleweight contest via technical knockout in round three.
4. Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey
A reported 120,557 were at the Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, to watch Gene Tunney become heavyweight champion against Jack Dempsey in September 1926. In a 10-round title fight, Tunney went on to win by unanimous decision. He would also win their rematch in an iconic fight that has since been nicknamed “The Long Count Fight.”
3. Julio César Chávez vs. Greg Haugen
Julio César Chávez defended his WBC super lightweight via fifth-round technical knockout against Greg Haugen in February 1993. The fight took place at the Estadio Azteca in México. A reported 132,247 were in attendance as they saw Chávez pummel Haugen from pillar to post before the fight came to an end. Haugen memorably ridiculed the record of his Mexican opponent before the fight, saying: “Every one of them was a cab driver from Tijuana.”
2.Tony Zale vs. Billy Pryor
Admission was free to this middleweight contest between Tony Zale and Billy Pryor at the Juneau Park in Milwaukee, WI. The Pabst Brewing Company were sponsoring the event, resulting in 135,000 people to attend. Zale knocked down a game Pryor several times before knocking him out in round nine.
- Dmitry Chudinov vs Jorge Navarro
A year prior to taking on Bouadla, Chudinov fought Jorge Navarro in Sevastopol – with an open-air motorbike show also taking place. Some put the recorded attendance at 170,000, while other estimates have it at the 200,000 mark. In the end – Chudinov made light work of Navarro as he went on to win via second round knockout.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
