Boxing is a notoriously difficult sport to come out of financially stable and few would begrudge how boxers make their living. Countless fighters throughout its history have hung up their gloves broke and penniless regardless of talent.
Boxing is sport of two extremes however and for every Sugar Ray Robinson, arguably the greatest fighter of all time, who struggled financially until the day he died, there's a Floyd Mayweather, who would be far and away the richest active athlete on the planet if he did ever decide to return to the ring.
Here's a list of the top five richest boxers alive today:
5. Lennox Lewis, 41-2-1 (32), Estimated net worth: $140m
The former gold medal winning Olympian has been sensible with the earnings he made over his illustrious career since retiring. The last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world made a fortune during his time in the ring including $30m for his two fights with Evander Holyfield, $17.5m for his clash with Mike Tyson and $8m for the showdown with fellow Brit Frank Bruno in 1993. Since retirement, the London born heavy hitter resisted any offers to return to boxing and increased his kitty with shrewd investments in stock and property, as well as endorsements.
4. Oscar De La Hoya, 39-6 (30), Estimated net worth: $200m
Thanks in part to his 1992 Olympic gold medal triumph, his good looks, likeable personality and exceptional talent as a boxer, Oscar De La Hoya was a promoter's dream come true and was fast tracked to super stardom and straight in to the big money fights. His breakout win against the fantastic Pernell Whitaker earned him $10m whilst a career that included high-profile showdowns with Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley (twice), Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao earned him a tidy sum. Since founding it in 2002, De La Hoya has steered Golden Boy Promotions in to becoming one of the biggest and most profitable promotional companies in boxing.
2. George Foreman, 76-5 (68), Estimated net worth: $250m
One the greatest heavyweights of all time and undoubtedly one of the most destructive, George Foreman's career spanned over 28 years and he was involved in The Rumble In The Jungle against Muhammad Ali, two fights with Joe Frazier, a fight with Holyfield in 1991 and was pitted against Michael Moorer in 1994 when he extraordinarily reclaimed the heavyweight title at the age of 45. Amazingly, of his $250m fortune only about $50m came from boxing. As much as $200m of Foreman's wealth has come from his endorsement of a certain lean, mean grilling machine that has bared his name since 1994.
2. Manny Pacquiao, 57-6-2 (38), $250m
Earning a cool $150m in one fight will certainly have helped the Filipino's overall bank balance but aside from the disappointing meeting between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in the supposed "Fight of the Century", mega-fights against Oscar De La Hoya ($11m) Miguel Cotto ($21m) and two fights with Timothy Bradley ($40m) have kept 'Pac-Man's' bank balance healthy throughout his career. Despite his supreme wealth, both Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, and promoter, Bob Arum, have expressed their concern over their fighter's generosity with his money, having donated a vast sum to a number of causes over the years.
1. Floyd Mayweather, 49-0 (26), Estimated net worth: $650
Was there really any doubt? His nickname is probably a giveaway but Floyd "Money" Mayweather is not only the richest boxer of all time but the richest athlete in all-sports for three years running. Most boxing fans were left heavily unsatisfied with his long awaited clash with Manny Pacquiao but it earned the self proclaimed "Best Ever" a tidy $220m. Before retirement, Mayweather was boxing's biggest attraction by a country-mile and massive paydays against Cotto, De La Hoya, Maidana, Marquez and Hatton, to name but a few, mean that it would take an astronomical fee to lure the unbeaten star out of retirement and go 50-0.
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