By John F. McKenna (McJack): Love him or hate him everyone sports fans would have to admit that undefeated superstar World Boxing Association (WBA) light middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO’s) is now not only the highest paid boxer in the world, but the highest paid athlete as well.
Forbes reported today that “Money May” earned $85 million for the two fights he engaged in over the last twelve months. Mayweather replaces Tiger Woods who previously headed the list of highest earning athletes over the past ten years.
Last September Floyd KO’d former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in the 4th round. On May 5 of 2012 Mayweather scored an entertaining twelve round unanimous decision over former WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. The victories over Ortiz and Cotto maintained Floyd’s undefeated record. What is most impressive about Mayweather’s $85 million in earnings is that the actual time he spent in the ring for both the Ortiz and Cotto fights was less than an hour.
Mayweather has long been regarded in the boxing world as something of a genius at self promotion and at maximizing the amount of money he brings. Floyd is a shrewd businessman and acts as his own promoter through Mayweather Promotions. He collects all the revenue from tickets, Pay Per View (PPV) and sponsorships and covers the costs of his opponents. His earnings per fight are typically approximately 50% higher than his closes competitor former WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO’s).
“Money May’s” most recent fight with Cotto generated $94 million in PPV revenue. Manny Pacquiao earned $56 for his fights with Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley. “Pacman” also earned an additional $6 million in endorsements from Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Monster Energy and Hennessee.
Floyd Mayweather is very complex and intelligent and his business savvy cannot be overstated. Many see him as a polarizing individual who happens to be a great fighter, but he is much more than that. Mayweather is also known to do charitable work within the community but he does not trumpet that for all the world to see.
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