In appraising a bout, one criterion for many fans and the fight mob alike is the million-dollar gate. In the long history of boxing, there have been only 15 such matches—all involving heavyweights:
1921 Jack Dempsey v. Georges Carpentier $1,789,238
1923 Jack Dempsey v. Luis Firpo 1,188,603
1926 Gene Tunney v. Jack Dempsey 1,895,733
1927 Jack Dempsey v. Jack Sharkey 1,083,530
1927 Gene Tunney v. Jack Dempsey 2,658,660
1935 Joe Louis v. Max Baer 1,000,832
1938 Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling 1,015,012
1946 Joe Louis v. Billy Conn 1,925,564
1955 Rocky Marciano v. Archie Moore 2,248,117*
1960 Floyd Patterson v. Ingemar Johansson 2,468,278
1962 Sonny Listen v. Floyd Patterson 4,665,420
1963 Sonny Liston v. Floyd Patterson 4,747,690
1965 Muhammad Ali v. Sonny Liston 1,602,190
1965 Muhammad Ali v. Floyd Patterson 3,570,000
1966 Muhammad Ali v. Henry Cooper 1,200,000
* Receipts from this year on include totals from radio and closed-circuit TV coverage of fight.