Floyd Mayweather, Jr. And Manny Pacquiao: The Two Highest-Paid Athletes In The World
May 2 has come and gone, and many casual boxing fans who only watch Manny Pacquiao and/or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fights were left disappointed after shelling out $90-$100. In one of the most — if not the most — anticipated events in boxing’s history, Pacquiao was defeated by unanimous decision in a fight that wasn’t ever very close. However, the amount of money made by each fighter for 36 minutes of action in the square circle is staggering. Although the final numbers have yet to be tabulated, it’s predicted that Mayweather will take home north of $200 million for the single bout, while Pacquiao should pocket a cool $110 million.
Here’s “Money” Mayweather giving a couple ESPN anchors a glimpse of the $100 million check he earned in the fight’s aftermath.
According to Forbes, Mayweather has consistently been ranked No. 1 among the world’s highest paid athletes for years now (three times in four years to be exact), and 2015 has proven no different. Between June 1, 2014, and June 1, 2015, Floyd pulled in a whopping $300 million. It should be noted that Mayweather receives nearly zero dollars through endorsements.
Floyd Mayweather’s $300M year shatters the record for athlete earnings: http://t.co/KQxnebFTYa pic.twitter.com/AimUfMZ5eM
— Forbes (@Forbes) June 11, 2015
Pacquiao ranks second in yearly earnings at a distant $160 million. After the two megastar fighters, the numbers dip considerably. In third place sits soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo, with $79.6 million. Fourth place, soccer great Lionel Messi with $73.8 million. Fifth place, tennis legend Roger Federer with an even $67 million.
Overall, the bout will go down as the biggest financial success in the sport’s long history. As of now, the fight has accumulated 4.4 million pay-per-view buys, a total gate of $73 million, with $13 million in sponsorships. Second place totals for all three marks don’t even come close.
Mayweather-Paq fight generated more than 4.4 million U.S. buys and more than $400 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue.
— Forbes SportsMoney (@SportsMoneyBlog) May 12, 2015
While Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO’s) suffered from a shoulder injury which hampered his ability to throw as many punches as he’s accustomed to, Mayweather (48-0, 26 KO’s) controlled the ring like an artist with stealth-like quickness and mobility. The three judges at ringside scored the bout 118-110, 116-112 (twice), which lead to another undeniable notch on the belt for the undefeated Mayweather.
Next up for Floyd looks to be 28-year-old British fighter Amir Khan, who, as the Inquisitr noted, has been yearning for a matchup for years with the pound-for-pound king.
Pacquiao will be sidelined for nearly a full year as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
For those who say boxing is dead, you don’t need to look much beyond the two titans of the sport to be proven wrong.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
