Report Reveals Four Highest Paid Boxers of All Time, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson Included

Published 11/05/2021, 1:23 AM EDT

Boxing is a lucrative sport, that is both- dangerous and entertaining. Thus, it frequently rains money on its star faces and the list of the all-time richest athletes reflects more than one pugilist. Throughout the ages, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, and several others have been the prime figures of the sport. And they have all earned hefty paydays in their career.

USA-based sports organizations like NBA and NFL are also known for their rich financial roots, but boxing may be on a whole different level. Reports of Sportico have listed the 25 richest athletes of all time. Interestingly, boxing, basketball, and golf rule most of the ecosystem. That said, four boxers have made it to the list.

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NBA great Michael Jordan stands at the top with a total earning of $2.62 b. Well, the first boxer on the list isn’t too far. Nicknamed ‘Money’, Floyd Mayweather is synonymous with richness. The same gets reflected in the list as the undefeated five-division world champion is on the sixth spot with $1.2 billion.

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The next boxer on the list is Mike Tyson. During the late 80s to late 90s, Tyson was arguably the biggest name of the sporting community. The youngest heavyweight world champion gave some of the most financially successful fights of all time. He sits at #16 with an earning of $775 M.

Two rungs below, Manny Pacquiao sits at #18 with an earning of $630 M. Pacquiao and Mayweather had unveiled the richest fight of boxing in 2015. It fetched them good numbers that are still relevant. Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya is the fourth boxer to be on the list with $580M earnings. He came in at #23 on the list.

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Is Boxing dominating the finances of global sports

Boxing is somehow the richest sport in the world. But the entry of sponsorships and endorsements has changed the structure.

An athlete now makes a chunk of money even when inactive. Several more sports provide a steep competition, but boxing is still among the top-tier ones. Here’s a look at the list of all-time richest athletes.

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Rank	Athlete	Country	Sport	Turned Pro	Inflation-adjusted amount	Non-inflation-adjusted amount
1	Michael Jordan	USA	Basketball	1984	$2.62 B	$2.05 B
2	Tiger Woods	USA	Golf	1996	$2.1 B	$1.66 B
3	Arnold Palmer	USA	Golf	1954	$1.5 B	$885 M
4	Jack Nicklaus	USA	Golf	1961	$1.38 B	$830 M
5	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	Soccer	2002	$1.24 B	$1.12 B
6	Floyd Mayweather	USA	Boxing	1996	$1.2 B	$1.08 B
7	LeBron James	USA	Basketball	2003	$1.17 B	$1.05 B
8	Lionel Messi	Argentina	Soccer	2004	$1.14 B	$1.05 B
9	Michael Schumacher	Germany	Race	1991	$1.13 B	$780 M
10	Roger Federer	Switzerland	Tennos	1998	$1.12 B	$1 B
11	Phil Mickelson	USA	Golf	1992	$1.08 B	$885 M
12	David Beckham	UK	Soccer	1992	$1.05 B	$880 M
13	Kobe Bryant	USA	Basketball	1996	$930 M	$750 M
14	Shaquille O’Neal	USA	Basketball	1992	$870 M	$ 645 M
15	Greg Norman	Australia	Golf	1976	$815 M	$555 M
16	Mike Tyson	USA	Boxing	1985	$775 M	$445 M
17	Alex Rodriguez	USA	Baseball	1993	$650 M	$515 M
18	Manny Pacquiao	Philippines	Boxing	1995	$630 M	$550 M
19	Kevin Durant	USA	Basketball	2007	$625 M	$580 M
20	Lewis Hamilton	USA	Race	2007	$620 M	$560 M
21	Neymar	Brazil	Soccer	2009	$615 M	$580 M
22	Jeff Gordon	USA	Race	1990	$595 M	$450 M
23	Oscar De La Hoya	USA	Boxing	1992	$580 M	405 M
24	Peyton Manning	USA	NFL	1998	$570 M	$460 M
25	Dereck Jetter	USA	Baseball	1992	$555 M	$435 M

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. Combining his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports, he has earned a combined 3000 plus bylines over the last two years.

Report Reveals Four Highest Paid Boxers of All Time, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson Included

Is Boxing dominating the finances of global sports

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