The richest man in sports raked in over $85 million competing last year, before any endorsements came into play, according to Forbes. An American, the answer might surprise some, as it certainly did me. Floyd “Money” Mayweather, boxer and promoter extraordinaire, was guaranteed a record $32 million for his last fight against Robert Guerrero.
That figure was sure to rise (Statistics Brain reports he made $50 million in all) after the fight aired live on Showtime and total sponsor figures were added in. Showtime expected about one million buyers for the fight, a high figure considering Money’s relatively unknown opponent, who was guaranteed a career high $3 million to get worked over.
Previously, according to ESPN.com, the record purse for a fighter occurred in 1997 when Mike Tyson infamously de-eared Evander Holyfield.
Mayweather, despite a recent stint in jail on domestic violence charges, lives just about how one would expect the highest paid athlete to live. In between notoriously oddly timed training sessions, Money bunks in a 22,000 square foot mansion outside of Las Vegas.
The mansion has plenty of room to store his impressive collections, ranging from his garage to his closet; Money knows how to collect. The garage boasts virtually any high end sports car a person could ask for: Ferraris, Lamborghinis and his famous Rolls Royce all grace the pristine floors. In the closet, though, lies the real money.
See, Money collects money, outside of the millions he makes for every fight; Mayweather collects rare old U.S. currency, even boasting a $500 bill, according to USA Today. No collection may have ever suited a man better than this.
The key to Floyd Mayweather’s success in a boxing world that often manufactures broke and broken champions (see Tyson, Mike) has been his ability to take the largest cut of the money possible, due largely to his self-promotion. The high-school dropout has not conformed to the traditional boxing manner of promotion, handling all of his own advertising in order to reap the most dollars possible.
Simple and genius, Money has brought a big name back to a boxing community that has been glaringly devoid of such a name since the fall of Tyson. While he is only 36, boxing is loving making Money Mayweather the richest man in sports.
Judging by his previous success and dedication to his training, Mayweather may just be around to continue making his money for some time. Of his 44 career wins, 26 have come via knockout, due in large part to his incredible boxing IQ and ability to defend himself from the types of blows that end careers. Hopefully, his defense will stay strong as his bank account continues to grow.
