Boxing's Financial Heavyweights: Canelo Alvarez Dominates 2025 Earnings
The financial landscape of professional boxing has been laid bare with the publication of the 2025 highest-earning athletes list, revealing a stark concentration of wealth at the very pinnacle of the sport. Canelo Alvarez, the Mexican superstar frequently hailed as 'the new Floyd Mayweather', stands as the undisputed financial king of the ring, having banked a colossal £102 million in the last year alone.
A Solitary Peak in a Sparse Field
According to the comprehensive data from Sportico, Alvarez's remarkable earnings placed him as the second-highest paid athlete globally, trailing only football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who amassed £195 million. This achievement underscores Alvarez's monumental commercial and sporting appeal. However, the list also highlights boxing's relatively limited representation among the world's elite earners. Beyond Alvarez, only three other pugilists managed to break into the prestigious top 100.
The trio comprises Terence Crawford, who ranks highest among them at number 21 with earnings of approximately £49 million, largely propelled by his seismic victory over Alvarez in September. He is followed by Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue at number 25 (£46m), and the controversial yet commercially potent Jake Paul at number 30, having pocketed just under £45 million.
The Reign and Resilience of Canelo Alvarez
Alvarez, now 35, has meticulously built a legacy as boxing's premier attraction below the heavyweight division since his sole professional defeat to Mayweather in 2013. A four-weight world champion, spanning from light-middleweight to light-heavyweight, he is revered as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters of his era. Despite his legacy being questioned after the loss to Crawford, his earning power remains seemingly impervious. This resilience is evidenced by his recent signing of a monumental four-fight deal with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, reportedly valued at around £240 million.
This agreement commenced with a points win over William Scull in Riyadh in May, culminating in the Las Vegas super-fight against Crawford. With Crawford retiring undefeated at 42-0, a rematch was ruled out, but Alvarez has confirmed a ring return for September this year following elbow surgery.
The Supporting Cast: Crawford, Inoue, and Paul
Terence Crawford capitalized on his perfect record and career-defining win to secure his place among the financial elite before announcing his retirement. Naoya Inoue, the undefeated Japanese bantamweight (32-0, 27 KOs), also secured a lucrative arrangement with Alalshikh, fighting four times in 2025 to bolster his earnings.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul's inclusion continues to reflect the evolving economics of the sport, where celebrity and crossover appeal translate directly to revenue. He fought twice in 2025, outpointing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June before suffering a knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua in December. The latter bout, watched by over 33 million viewers, constituted the bulk of his annual income.
The Global Earnings Landscape
Beyond the boxing ring, the global rich list is dominated by team sports and individual superstars. Following Ronaldo and Alvarez, football legend Lionel Messi earned £97m. Baseball's Juan Soto (£96.5m) and NBA icon LeBron James (£96m) complete the top five. The list continues with luminaries like Karim Benzema, Steph Curry, Shohei Ohtani, Kevin Durant, and golfer Jon Rahm.
Notably, six British stars featured, led by Formula 1's Lewis Hamilton (£74m), followed by golfer Rory McIlroy (£68m), new F1 champion Lando Norris (£44m), footballers Harry Kane (£32m) and Jude Bellingham (£29m), and NBA player OG Anunoby (£28m). The absence of other major boxing names from the upper echelons of this list underscores the unique, top-heavy financial structure currently prevailing within the sport.
