Canelo, Golovkin score 3rd-highest gate in boxing history

The Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin middleweight title fight on Sept. 16 generated $27,059,850 from 17,318 tickets sold, ESPN's Dan Rafael reports, citing figures released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

According to the commission, 934 complimentary tickets were handed out at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

The figures represent the third-biggest gate in boxing history, trailing only the May 2015 welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ($72,198,500), and Mayweather's bout in August with Conor McGregor ($55,414,865.79).

"By drawing the third-largest gate in (boxing) history, Canelo has demonstrated once again that he is the top draw in our sport," Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN. "And the scary thing is that he's still only 27 years old. As he continues to engage in the kind of hard-fought battles he had with GGG, Canelo's popularity will only continue to soar."

Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) and Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) fought to a controversial split draw. Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 115-113 for Golovkin, Don Trella saw it 114-114, and Adalaide Byrd had Alvarez ahead 118-110 - an extremely wide margin for what most saw as a competitive, seesaw battle.