How Much Do Professional Boxers Make?
One of the most debated topics among boxing fans is which pro boxers have the highest salaries. Many actually don’t know what all goes into how much professional boxers make.
Let’s go through every factor to answer the question of how much professional boxers make. Check the answers below to learn how boxers earn money from their abilities, management, and endorsements.
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How Much Do Professional Boxers Make?
Answering the question of how much do professional boxers make is nearly impossible to answer. Less than a fraction of 1% of pro boxers make over a million dollars a fight.
Most pro boxers make less than $50,000 a year, and many barely make poverty wages. It’s a tough life being a boxer, but they’re fighting for their chance to hit their big payday.
Factors That Go into How Much Professional Boxers?
There are a number of factors that can go into determining how much do professional boxers make. These factors determine which boxers make the big money and why the life of a pro boxer is difficult.
Those factors include:
- Fighting Record
- Category of Boxer
- Promoters
- Management
- Fight Negotiations
- Sponsors & Management
- Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
- Money Drawing Ability
Fight Records
The first factor in how much professional boxers make is their record. A boxer must win if they want to make the most money possible.
If a fighter can keep an undefeated record, they will make the most money among the pros. Winning is everything
Types of Pro Boxers
In the sport of boxing, how much professional boxers make depends on what category of boxer they are. A boxer is one of three categories of fighters.
- Champions
- Contenders
- Opponents
Champions
In the sport of boxing, champions are at the top of the pay scale. Champions make the most money and have the most pull during fight negotiations.
Boxing fans fill the stadiums to see the champions defend their titles against up-and-coming contenders. They are at the top of the sport and make the most money.
Contenders
Contenders are the up-and-coming prospect fighters in boxing. They show the potential to be either possible future world champs or high-earning opponents of the champions
Contenders generally make their money off ticket sales and base pay. Contenders with less experience are put at a lower base pay that steadily grows as they keep winning.
Opponents
Opponents are the lowest-earning fighters in boxing. They are the boxers a promotion brings in to fight their contender or regional champion.
Starting out, an opponent can expect to make a thousand dollars or less for a fight. As opponents get more experience, they can earn more show money and be put against more contenders.
While many see opponents as fighters set up to lose, they can elevate themselves to a contender or even champion status.
Promoters & Managers
The promoters and agents are big factors in how much professional boxers make. The top boxing promotions in the world pay the most to their champions and contenders.
Every aspiring boxer aims to earn a contract with the world’s top boxing promotions. To get to the top, boxers often sign with a sports agency or, more traditionally, a boxing manager.
These agents and managers sit in on contract negotiations to ensure that their fighter gets the best deal possible. There are many shady promoters and managers out there who will exploit fighters, which is why fighters seek out the best.
Fight Negotiations
Top fighters and contenders don’t accept contracts like low-rank contenders and opponents. Since they are marketable and have drawing power, they go through fight negotiations with the promotion.
Both sides meet with their lawyers and managers for a high-profile bout between high-level contenders or champions. They sign the contract once the two sides agree on their pay and percentages.
Regarding high-profile fights, contract negotiations can be long and brutal. When fighters can’t agree on contract terms, this will delay or even cancel a fight.
Sponsors & Endorsements
Besides how much professional boxers make for a fight, they also earn money through sponsors and endorsements. Various companies will come to high-profile boxers with contracts for endorsement deals.
Everyone from car manufacturers to OnlyFans pays fighters to wear their logo at their bout. The bigger the company, the more money a boxer can possibly make off an endorsement deal.
Entrepreneurship
How much professional boxers make outside of fighting depends on whether they are entrepreneurs. The smartest boxers don’t invest all their time and effort into making money off just boxing.
For example, champions like Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya made many investments outside of boxing. These investments and businesses they opened allowed them to create constant money streams.
The boxers, who are the best entrepreneurs, make the most money both inside and outside of fighting.
Money Drawing Ability
Winning fights is the most important thing that dictates how much professional boxers make. However, there is another big factor, and that is the fighter’s money-drawing ability.
Fighters like Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are talented fighters who created fighter personas. Their personas got more attention in their fights, which means they could draw more money.
Talent is important, but if a fighter can’t draw money, the promotions won’t use them.
Who Are the Highest-Paid Boxers in the World?
Along with the question of how much professional boxers make, fight fans also want to know who makes the most. Here is a list of the highest-paid boxers in the sport.
Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather remains to be the biggest money-drawing fighter in the world. In the history of boxing, no other fighter has earned more than Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
The undefeated legend set and shattered records for boxer pay multiple times. His bouts against Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquaio, Oscar De La Hoya, and Conor McGregor earned hundreds of millions of dollars.
Even during his retirement, Mayweather is still one of the highest-earning fighters in the world. Making over $10 million a fight in exhibitions against internet celebrities.
Canelo Alvarez
The legend Canelo Alvarez has been one of the best fighters in the world since he was 17. Currently, Canelo has earned an estimated $550 million during his career as a boxer. His current contract with DAZN is worth $365 million.
Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury is currently the highest-earning heavyweight boxer in the sport. His latest bout in Saudi Arabia against Francis Ngannou earned him a whopping $70 million.
Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua was one of the most promising heavyweight prospects in the sport. He has the best promoters and agents behind him, who got him a $100 million payday in his rematch with Usyk.
Oleksandr Usyk
The Ukrainian world champion Usyk is another one of boxing’ top earners. He’s made between $50 to over $100 million in his most high-profile bouts. Usyk is currently seeking a match with Tyson Fury, which could potentially give him his biggest payday ever.
