Boxing fans have been left outraged after the pay-per-view price of Deontay Wilder’s fight with Robert Helenius was set. Wilder is making his long-awaited return to the ring this October, a year on from his second successive defeat to Tyson Fury.
The Bronze Bomber wlll take on Finland’s Helenius on Saturday, October 15 in Brooklyn New York at the Barclays Center. Those hoping to watch from the comfort of their own homes however have been left in shock after the PPV pricing was announced on Friday.
As a result, it was confirmed that those hoping to watch the bout on Fox Sports will be set back a whopping $74.99 (around £67). Fans were left understandably angered by the expensive pricing, and took to social media to vent their frustrations.
One fan simply described the cost as: “Disgusting,” while added: “Americans get robbed.” The complaints did not stop there, as one furious punter tweeted: “How is that PPV? I barely wanna watch it for free. And I am a huge boxing fan.”
Another boxing follower did not hold back, tweeting: “This is embarrassing. The audicty to charge that type of money is laughable. I heard super bowl tickets are a minimum of 5k too? World Cup final is far bigger and the tickets are only like 400 quid hahahaha sports is purely business in the US. No passion.”
Amid the controversy, Wilder revealed earlier this week that he was considering retiring from the sport following defeat to Tyson Fury, but the building of a statue of his own in his home town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama inspired him to fight on.
He told The Last Stand podcast: “What really got me back to this point [was the realisation], like, damn, the world really needs me. I really motivate people. Although I’ve already known [that], even more so… When I got my statue man.
“When I got my statue, and that set all my accomplishments in stone, you’re looking at a walking, living legend. No matter what, my supporters or my haters, when all talk dies, that statue stay risen. You feel me?”