The Tremendous Net Worth Of Boxers (UNPUBLISHED – DO NOT REPUBLISH)

Before he became the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko was the only heavyweight champion to have never been knocked down. Dr. Ironfist was a three-time champ and had a career 87.23% knockout percentage on his way to $80 million in wealth.

Manny Pacquiao is considered by many to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Even though he lost his high profile 2015 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao still took home $120 million from the fight. He was named “Fighter of the Decade” by the WBC, WBO, and Boxing Writers Association of America. Pacquiao’s impact stretches globally beyond his native Philippines. He is worth $190 million after becoming the only boxer to win eight division championships.

Over his 15 year career, Ricky Hatton accumulated a $40 million net worth alongside his WBO, WBU, and IBO light-welterweight titles. The Hitman retired in 2012 with a career record of 45 wins and three losses. Of his 45 victories, 32 came by knockout. He also nabbed a WBA title in the heavier welterweight division. Hatton’s career ended on a bitter note, losing three of his last five matches, but he was paid handsomely ($20 million) for his loss to Manny Pacquiao.

The 1980s belonged to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. From 1980-1987, Hagler defended his undisputed middleweight championship twelve times without a loss. He knocked out his opponent 52 times in his 62 wins, good enough for the best knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions. Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s larger than life personality helped him earn $45 million from fights and endorsements. Hagler legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler after announcers refused to refer to him as such during fights.

Roy Jones Jr. crashed into the boxing spotlight after his silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He became the only boxer in history to start as a light middleweight and win the heavyweight title. Jones Jr.’s pay-per-view fights totaled over three million buys, including his last pay-per-view match against Bernard Hopkins, 17 years after their first fight. His exceptional hand speed and athleticism led him to a $20 million net worth by the end of his career.

James “Buster” Douglas will forever be known as the guy who took down Iron Mike Tyson. Their 1990 fight in Tokyo was never considered to be a test for Tyson, with only one Las Vegas casino even setting odds for the duel (The Mirage had Douglas as a 42-1 underdog). Buster Douglas made a reported $24.6 million from the Tyson fight and another large payday from his title defense and loss to Evander Holyfield to support himself for a while.

British Boxer Amir Khan has been knocking down opponents since he was in elementary school. His coming out party as an amateur peaked with a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Khan’s professional career started with 18 straight victories, and by his fourth year, he had captured the WBA light-welterweight championship belt (thanks to his work with famed trainer Freddie Roach). Khan received a boost to his wealth from his most recent bout with Canelo Alvarez. He earned $13 million in his losing effort.

After graduating from high school, Oscar De La Hoya began his worldwide boxing dominance with a 1992 Olympic gold medal until his 2009 retirement. The Golden Boy won ten world titles across six weight classes, making $200 million between his fighting and fight promotion company Golden Boy Productions. De La Hoya generated $700 million in income from his pay-per-view fights, a record which has since been topped. He holds a career record of 39 wins (30 by knockout) and six losses.

Sugar Shane Mosley battled some of boxing biggest names throughout his 61 fight career. He beat Oscar De La Hoya on two occasions and was a four-time champion in three weight classes. His fight with De La Hoya instantly made him a rich man – he pocketed a minimum of $15 million, his most from a single fight. Mosley traded punches in high-profile bouts against Winky Wright, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao as well.

Felix Trinidad turned pro at age 17 and never looked back. He won his first 40 fights, successfully defending his welterweight title fifteen times including a Las Vegas battle with Oscar De La Hoya. Trinidad hoped to win and unite all the middleweight championship in a 2001 match versus Bernard Hopkins, but Hopkins won with a TKO. Trinidad retired after a 2009 match with Roy Jones Jr. with $30 million to his name. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.

Julio Cesar Chavez is considered the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. He compiled an astounding 107 victories in 115 professional fights spanning twenty-five years and did not lose a fight for the first 14 years of his career. Chavez holds the record for most successful consecutive title defenses with 27, and most title-fight wins with 31. He accumulated a $10 million net worth from his devastating left hook and strong chin. His Son, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a former middleweight champion.

Before he lost part of his ear to Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield was a dominating force in the boxing world. He became the first fighter since Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight belt three times. Although he earned around $230 million in his career, Holyfield squandered it all. In 2008, his 109 room Atlanta home was foreclosed. Due to high maintenance costs, Holyfield could not pay his multimillion-dollar mortgage. Most of his boxing possessions have been sold to cover his debts.

When Lennox Lewis retired from boxing in 2003, he left the game as a winner (three-time winner to be exact). At the time, he held the WBC, IBO, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles after defeating Vitali Klitschko. Lewis received $7 million in his victory, paling in comparison to the $17.5 million he made for fighting Mike Tyson in 2002. The fight grossed $106.9 million from almost 2 million buys in the United States. He won 41 of his 44 professional fights with 32 knockouts.

Don’t let Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s red hair confuse you – the Mexican boxer (not Irish) packs a mean punch. In his career, Alvarez only lost once to the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. High profile wins versus Miguel Cotto, Amir Cotto, Liam Smith and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. have helped line his pockets nicely. With $25 million already in net worth, it’s safe to say Alvarez is off to a great start in his young career.

The Pride of Wales impressively never lost a fight in his fifteen-year career. Joe Calzaghe is the longest-reigning super middleweight champ ever, defending his title 21 times. He acquired a net worth of $21 million from his 46 victories. In 2008, Calzaghe moved up to the light heavyweight class, defeating legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. before he retired. Calzaghe was also called the “Italian Dragon,” a play off his Italian and Welsh heritage, and Rocky Balboa’s “Italian Stallion” moniker.

The current unified world heavyweight champion has earned $45 million in his young career. Anthony Joshua is a British boxer that has yet to lose in his career. He has won all his 19 fights by knockout. Joshua is in great company as only the second boxer to win the world heavyweight title as the reigning Olympic heavyweight champ. The first to achieve this feat – Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Joshua has defended his title on six occasions, including against former champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Timothy Bradley is a two-time WBC light welterweight champion, and two-time WBO welterweight champion. Not known for his knockout power, Bradley has endured twenty victories through decision along with 13 by knockout. Bradley is best known for a trilogy of bouts with Manny Pacquiao. In their first battle, Bradley stole the WBO title from Pacquiao, also earning $5 million for his victory, the largest payout of his career. Two years later he would lose the belt back to Pacquiao.

Not to be confused with the Super Bowl winning Ken Norton (Jr.), this fighter might not have had the championship pedigree of his peers, but still was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. Ken Norton is best known for a trio of fights against Muhammad Ali, including a victory in the first bout. He is one of only two guys to ever beat Muhammad Ali in his prime, earning big bucks in the process.

Boxing purses are not won only in the ring. Promotors like Bob Arum bring fights to life, guaranteeing money for their clients within the fight contracts. Arum had his hand in almost every major fight in the 1980s, promoting super-fights such as Marvin Hagler versus Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Holyfield versus George Foreman. His promotion company, Top Rank, is one of the largest in boxing. He has maintained an over twenty-year feud with Don King.

Thomas Hitman Hearns was a part of the stellar group of 1980s middleweight fighters. Hearns won his first 32 fights until a 14th round TKO by Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981. Still, Hearns would become the first fighter to win world titles in four weight classes. Despite his highly publicized career, Hearns encountered financial issues since retiring in 2006. He owed the IRS $250,000 in back taxes and has admitted to being overly generous with his large extended family.

The young of the champion Klitschko brothers, Wladimir is every bit as successful as his older brother. Only the Brown Bomber Joe Lewis (25) has more successful heavyweight title defenses than Wladimir (23). Klitschko’s ten-year reign of terror came to a close in a 2015 loss to Tyson Fury. For his effort, Klitschko took home a purse of $23 million. Wladimir sits on a career record of 64-5, with 53 knockouts. While the Klitschko era might be over, Wladimir can roll around his millions of earnings.

While the physically smallest fighter on this list, Naseem Hamed’s net worth is no laughing matter. Fighting mostly as a bantamweight and featherweight, Hamed went almost his entire career without losing a fight. His 2001 loss to Marco Antonio Barrera aside, Hamed won 31 bouts by knockout, good for an insane 84% knockout-to-win ratio. Boxing fans might best remember Hamed’s outlandish ring entrances such as entering on a flying carpet or reenacting the Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

Before he became the man behind Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, super trainer Freddie Roach was a professional boxer himself. His best payday was $7,500, but the early signs of Parkinson’s disease forced him out of the ring at age 26. Parkinson’s has not slowed him down completely. Roach is one of the most respected trainers in the world and does not plan on slowing down anytime soon. Fun fact: Actor Mickey Rourke hired Roach to train him during an early 90s career change.

Since taking the vacant WBC international light welterweight title in 2003 from Cesar Bazan, Miguel Cotto spent the next five year defending and retaining his title. The Puerto Rico native has since moved up in weight class and has fought well as a light middleweight and middleweight. Cotto has received some large purses in wins and losses throughout his career. He took home $8 million from a loss to Floyd Mayweather, and $15 million from a 2015 loss to Canelo Alvarez.

Before he became a professional boxer, Anthony Mundine was the highest paid player in Australia’s National Rugby League. In 2000, he decided he needed a career change and began fighting. In under a year, he won a national super-middleweight title, eventually winning the WBA super-middleweight title by 2003. Mundine has always maintained a dicey relationship with the public, but they continue to watch his fights, making him millions in the process. His career record is 47 wins and eight losses.

Bernard Hopkins discovered a passion for boxing while serving almost five years in prison as a teenager. Upon his release, Hopkins turned pro and became the most dominant middleweight of the 90s and early aughts. He recorded 20 title defenses from 1994 to 2005 and became the first male boxer to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles simultaneously. The Executioner made history in 2011 after defeating Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight championship as the oldest champion ever – he was 46.

Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez is best known for his three fights with Manny Pacquaio and the millions of dollars he’s made from these bouts. The first fight ended in a draw with Marquez recovering from a three-knockdown first round, with Pacquiao taking the next two. Marquez earned $5 million for the last fight but could have earned himself a $10 million rematch had he won. He has held seven world championships over a 21-year career.

A fourteen-year career as “The Sheriff of Nottingham” brought Carl Froch’s net worth to $20 million. The British-born Froch wowed crowds with his super aggressive fighting and ability to take a hit. He is a three-time super middleweight champion in addition to his numerous British title belts. Froch first grabbed an international title from a fight with Jean Pascal in 2008, successfully defending his title twice more before a loss to Mikkel Kessler.

Roberto Duran “only” has a net worth of $3 million after spending most of his $20 million-plus in career earnings. Duran was a dominant lightweight (70-1) before moving up to welterweight to fight champion Sugar Ray Leonard. He would take the title, only to lose it five months later. Duran famously quit in the eighth round of the fight at the New Orleans Superdome, muttering “no mas” – “no more” in Spanish – taking the technical knockout. He’d fight and lose to Leonard again in 1989.

Since 1988, Jim Lampley has been the voice of boxing. The HBO sportscaster has been behind the mic for dozens of classic fights, including when Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr’s 12 round decision versus Manny Pacquaio, and Mayweather Jr.’s title capturing effort versus Oscar De La Hoya. He has a knack for knowing when to chime and when to stay silent. Lampley has also padded his net worth by working 14 Olympic broadcasts for NBC and ABC.

Heavyweight fighters feared Larry Holmes’s left jab in the 1970s and 1980s. Holmes started his career with 48 straight wins, including a 1980 title fight with Muhammad Ali. The Easton Assassin not only defeated Ali, but beat three of the four other boxers to defeat him (Trevor Berbick, Leon Spinks, and Ken Norton). He defended his title twenty times successfully. Holmes unsuccessfully attempted big money comebacks versus Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. His net worth sits at $18 million.

David Haye has gained wealth near $20 million thanks to his world-class athleticism and speed. Haye became the unified cruiserweight world champion in 2008 and became the second boxer ever to be a unified cruiserweight champion and world heavyweight champion (Evander Holyfield is the first). The Hayemaker has an impressive 28-3 record with 26 knockouts. For his last fight, a loss to Tony Bellow, Haye took home $4.2 million, more than a million more than Bellow did in victory.

The in-ring announcer should not be a lucrative job. For Michael Buffer, it has helped him earn well over $400 million. Buffer is of course known for his trademarked slogan, “Let’s get ready to rumble.” As the ringside announcer for Bob Arum and Top Rank on ESPN in the 80s, Buffer gained huge exposure in the 80s and his slogan has become a part of the pre-fight ceremony. The slogan’s trademark and license have lined his pockets for years to come.

From 1977 to 1997, Sugar Ray Leonard was a part of The Fabulous Four with Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler. He helped bring popularity to lower weight classes after years of headlining heavyweights like Muhammad Ali. He was the first boxer to win over $100 million in purses. Since his fighting days, Sugar Ray has worked as a boxing analyst and commercial spokesperson to keep his income at a ridiculously high value. He retired with a 36-3-1 record.

Twenty-plus years into Floyd Mayweather Jr., no one has been able to take him down. Mayweather Jr. is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He has won 15 world titles, as well as the lineal championship in four weight classes. Money Mayweather is the highest viewed fighter in PPV history, generating 19.5 million buys and $1.3 billion in revenue. Since splitting from Top Rank, Mayweather fights under his own company, Mayweather Promotions, generally co-promoting with rival Golden Boy Productions.

Former boxer Nigel Benn did not hang around for a long career but still managed to bank $20 million in net worth in retirement. “The Dark Destroyer” held multiple world titles across his brief ten-year career. He managed a record of 42 wins, five losses, and a draw with 35 of his victories coming via knockout. The former middleweight and super-middleweight champion now works as an internationally recognized DJ and appeared on the show “I Am A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here.”

While he has not gotten back in the ring since taking the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles from Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, Tyson Fury remains undefeated in his professional boxing career. The British boxer won his first title belt in 2009, taking the English heavyweight championship from John McDermott. Rumors have floated about Fury’s next fight, but nothing has been settled yet. He vacated his titles in 2016 following an anti-doping investigation.

Antonio Margarito retired in 2012 after taking a beating from Miguel Cotto which caused his eye to swell shut only to return four years later. The Tijuana Tornado used his highly aggressive fighting style to capture three welterweight championships and three light middleweight championships. He currently sits on $15 million in net worth, but it did not come without controversy. Before a 2009 fight with Shane Mosley, Margarito was caught with plaster in his hand wraps (adding weight to his gloves) and had his license suspended.

It took almost ten years for him to get there, but in 2005 David Diaz finally won his first title belt. The Mexican fighter retired in 2011 with only four losses to his name against 36 wins. Not known for his power,  Diaz only recorded knockout victories in fewer than half of his wins. The biggest fight of his career came in a 2008 title bout with Manny Pacquiao. Although he lost, Diaz took home his biggest purse of $850,000.

Boxing Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward made his boxing impact not in front of the cameras but behind the scenes. In his past, he was a Golden Gloves champion but jumped over to the training side in the early 70s. At Kronk Gym in Detroit, Steward became the king of training amateurs. He took a soft hitting Thomas Hearns and made him into a devastating champion. Before his death in 2012, he trained heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Andre Berto’s first six years of professional boxing have looked much different than his last six years. Berto started his career with 27 straight victories, the WBC welterweight belt, and five successful title defenses. Since his 2011 loss to Victor Ortiz, he has only won four of nine fights. He would go on to beat Ortiz in a rematch but still has not regained his early dominance. His biggest single purse of $4 million came from a 2015 loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If his name sounds familiar, you probably remember Robert DeNiro’s portrayal of Jake LaMotta in the 1980 film Raging Bull. His turbulent life was a perfect story for a film, and his great chin was perfect for being a fighter. As a fighter, he was known for his six fight series with Sugar Ray Robinson, from which he came away victorious only once, and the vicious beatings he doled out to his opponents. Later in life, LaMotta became an actor and stand-up comedian, appearing in The Hustler.

Since 1995, Joshua Clottey has used his defensive technique to protect himself. In fact, he has never lost a fight via knockout due to his defensive prowess. With a record of 39-5-1, Clottey has put together a respectable career. He has lost marquee matches with Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto but is a former IBF welterweight title holder. His biggest win to date is a 2014 victory over Anthony Mundine for the WBA super welterweight belt.

His superstar nephew might take all the headlines, but Roger Mayweather has had himself quite a career on his own. Mayweather called himself the Black Mamba throughout his career after seeing a special on the vicious snake. He backed up his talk with two championships, the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles and the WBC light welterweight title. He would hold onto the latter on four occasions until he was forced to retire by Julio Cesar Chaves in a 1989 fight.

While he is not a boxer by trait, Connor McGregor stands to become even richer than his current $35 million in net worth after his 2017 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor trained as a boxer as a youngster but eventually switched over the MMA. McGregor often used his big (and entertaining) mouth to taunt Mayweather until the two agreed to the fight. McGregor will make a minimum of $100 million from the fight with the possibility of that number reaching $150 million.

As boxing most notorious promoter, Don King has been associated with the sport’s greatest legends. He negotiated the most famous of Muhammad Ali fights, the Thrilla in Manila versus Joe Frazier, and the Rumble in the Jungle versus George Foreman. His troll doll-like hair could be seen ringside with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson, and Larry Holmes. King’s wealth has grown to $150 million and includes proceeds from managing The Jackson’s 1984 Victory Tour.

Unlike her father, Laila Ali finished her boxing career without a single loss. She won all but three of her 24 fights by knockout. Since retiring from the ring in 2007, Ali has maintained a healthy public persona, appearing numerous times as a contestant on reality television. She hosted a 2008 revival of American Gladiators with Hulk Hogan and came in third in season four of Dancing with the Stars. Most recently, she was a participant on The New Celebrity Apprentice.

Before his face tattoo and The Hangover movies, Mike Tyson was the most dominant boxer of the 80s. Tyson won his first 19 fights by knockout, with 12 of them in the first round. He is still the youngest heavyweight champion of all time at just over 20 years old. Between a high profile divorce and prison sentence, Tyson eventually squandered almost all of his $300 million fortune. He filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and announced his retirement two years later.

He was not afraid to tell you, but Muhammad Ali was the greatest. Ali floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee to 31 consecutive wins to start his career. The only thing that could stop him at the time was his objection to the Vietnam War and the four year of his prime he missed due to suspension. Ali will forever be known as the game’s greatest showman and personality, if not as its greatest boxer.

Grilling magnate, rather, boxing legend George Foreman smashed opponents for 28 years in the ring. He lost to Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle, but then beat Joe Frazier two years later. After a ten year retirement, Foreman returned hoping to regain the fortune he had blown. He became the oldest heavyweight champion (at the time), and also became enormously rich thanks to his endorsement with Salton, Inc. The George Foreman Grill has made him over $200 million.

It’s hard to believe that Leon Spinks made his boxing debut 40 years ago. After boxing professionally for little over a year, Spinks did the unthinkable and beat the notorious Muhammad Ali. However, in their second rematch Spinks wasn’t as lucky and lost to the better trained Ali. A little known fact about Spinks is that he served in the Marine Corps between 1973-1976. Today Spinks is worth around $400,000, which is pretty low compared to other boxers on this list!