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Before Amassing $1,200,000,000 Fortune, Floyd Mayweather Earned a Meager Salary with Top Rank

Published 03/26/2023, 7:00 AM EDT

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a retired American professional boxer and boxing promoter. He is known for being one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport. Floyd Mayweather has a famous record of 50-0, he never lost a match throughout his professional career. He etched his name in history by winning titles such as super featherweight, light middleweight, etc. Early in his career, ‘Money’ Mayweather won three U.S. Golden Gloves championships and a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics.

Mayweather worked hard to reach the top, and his success shows that discipline and dedication will pay off. From earning a negligible amount of money to amassing a jaw-dropping amount of wealth, the former five-division world champion’s story is surely inspiring.

The difficult choice: Floyd Mayweather Jr. leaves Top Rank Boxing

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In 2006, Floyd Mayweather Jr., despite his current success, had to come face to face with a very difficult choice. Mayweather at that time was signed with Bob Arum‘s Top Rank Boxing promotional company. He had been signed there for 10 years, from 1996 to 2006. And after 10 years he managed to earn a total of 10 million dollars, which is nothing in comparison to the vast amount of wealth he has now. Mayweather had a disagreement with Bob Arum and promptly decided to leave the company, taking a huge risk for a brighter future.

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The disagreement was caused because Arum offered $8 million to fight Antonio Margarito. While Mayweather wanted a legendary fight against Oscar De La Hoya and asked for a $20 million payday, Arum doubted Mayweather’s abilities against De La Hoya’s and declined his offer. Mayweather decided to take the risk and he quit Top Rank Boxing Promotion. Doing so caused him to pay around $750k to the company.

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From Rags to Riches: The risky maneuver that led to Mayweather’s success

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Mayweather had big dreams, and he did not shy away from pursuing them at any cost. However, it seems that his risky maneuver ended up being worth it, as it was only the beginning of ‘Money’ Mayweather’s rise to the top. Mayweather reportedly earned $8 million dollars on his fight against Carlos Baldomir, gaining a lot of popularity. He even ended up securing a fight against De la Hoya just one year later in 2007. Mayweather made history after the fight became the ‘highest revenue-producing fight’ at the time. Mayweather himself bagged $25 million.

Just 6 years later, he managed to get a promoter’s license from the Nevada Gaming Commission. He then launched Mayweather Promotions. At that point, he became capable enough to not only be in charge of all the money for the event, he even paid his opponents. In 2013, he paid Canelo Alvarez $10 million for their fight and paid for all the things at the event, including, vendors, food, beverages, etc. He reportedly earned $75 million from the event.

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Floyd reached previously unimaginable heights by being his own boss. He was rated as the highest-paid athlete and was successful in bringing in $915 million in just 10 years. In 2021, it was estimated that his total career earning were at a whopping amount of $1.1 billion with a net worth of $450 million. Mayweather’s career is a testament to the rewards that can come with taking calculated risks and pursuing your passions while maintaining your integrity.

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Honors and is a keen follower of Western Boxing. His journey of love for the sport bloomed in his puberty when he first saw a video of the fight where Mike Tyson TKO'ed Donovan in the seventh round.
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Edited by:

Shibu Immanuel