Tom Atencio: Affliction “Banned” Surpassed 100,000 PPV Buys

Affliction VP Tom Atencio spoke with Yahoo and when discussing the details surrounding the Affliction Banned card…he dropped this nugget:

I don’t have everything on that yet, but for the people who felt this was going to be a total flop in that regard, I have news for them,” Atencio said. “It’s already done a lot better than what I’ve heard people speculating. I’m not going to release the (official) number, but it’s already well beyond what people have been saying. Well beyond.”

Atencio would only say the final number “definitely” would be beyond 100,000.

I don’t know if I believe Atencio…initially he said, “I don’t have anything on it yet”…then said, “I’m not going to release the (official) number.”

In other words, how can he release the official number….when he doesn’t have anything on it yet?  It’s not like he could have all of the PPV information 2 days after the event.   I think it’s just posturing in light of the success that the UFC had with it’s UFN event on Spike TV. There was little to no advertising for the Affliction event…which mainly attracted hardcore fans. Are there 100,000 hardcore fans that would have paid $39.95 for that card?  I don’t know…

UPDATE:  I do know now….NO…100,000 people would not order that card…according to Dave Meltzer(Wrestling Observer)…the show did between 50,000-85,000 buys.  As I stated initially,  Atencio was posturing in light of the successful ratings the UFC pulled on Spike TV.  This isn’t the first time he has lied…but who can blame him I suppose.