Mayweather KOs Manny in Forbes highest-paid list

Manny Pacquiao (right) is photographed with Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum after the boxing champ renewed his contract with the promoting firm in May 2014. Chris Farina

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is among the world's highest paid athletes, landing 11th in the latest list of Forbes Magazine.

The business magazine said in a report Thursday that Pacquiao earned $41.8 million in 2013 with estimated endorsements worth $800,000.

Pacquiao recovered from a December 2012 loss with two victories over Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley in 2013.

"Both fights were disappointments for the PPV buys with the Rios fight in Macau generating 475,000 buys and the Bradley rematch netting less than 800,000," Forbes said.

Undisputed champion fighter Floyd Mayweather may not be known yet as "The Best Ever" but he may now be acknowledged the best paid with $105 million income in 2013.

"Mayweather is the first athlete besides Tiger Woods to earn $100 million in Forbes' annual tally of the highest-paid athletes," Forbes said.

The five-division world champion secured two blockbuster fights last year, the purse from which brought him to top the list.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo ranked second in the list for having pocketed $80 million last year as he was voted the world's most valuable player.

Ronaldo not only scored 69 goals but also a five-year contract with the football club worth a record $206 million.

The NBA's biggest endorser today, Lebron James, had earned more from commercial deals with Coca-Cola, Nike and McDonald's last year than from his Miami Heat salary.

The King received a total of $72.3 million, $53 million of which was income from endorsements.

The 20 highest paid athletes are: 

  1. Floyd Mayweather, boxing - $105 million
  2. Cristiano Ronaldo, football - $80 million
  3. Lebron James, basketball - $72.3 million
  4. Lionel Messi, football - $64.7 million
  5. Kobe Bryant, basketball - $61.5 million
  6. Tiger Woods, golf - $61.2 million
  7. Roger Federer, tennis - $56.2 million
  8. Phil Mickelson, golf - $53.2 million
  9. Rafael Nadal, tennis - $44.5 million
  10. Matt Ryan, American football - $43.8 million
  11. Manny Pacquiao, boxing - $41.8 million
  12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, football - $40.4 million
  13. Derrick Rose, basketball - $36.6 million
  14. Gareth Bale, football - $36.4 million
  15. Radamel Falcao, football - $35.4 million
  16. Neymar, football - $33.6 million
  17. Novak Djokovic, tennis - $33.1 million
  18. Matthew Stafford, American football - $33 million
  19. Lewis Hamilton, formula racing - $32 million
  20. Kevin Durant - $31.9 million

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