Mayweather’s $120M purse largest ever in sports history

MANILA, Philippines - For one night, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is reportedly set to earn a whopping $120 million (approximately P5.32 billion).

Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will meet on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and a pot of $200 million has been set, making their match the richest ever in boxing history. The undefeated American will obviously get the lion’s share of the pot.

If the fight goes the full 12 rounds, Mayweather would have earned around $55,000 per second.

Mayweather’s guaranteed purse against Pacquiao might not be the largest sports contract ever, but it is the highest payday any sports personality will make for only a day’s work.

A quick online research led to a Wikipedia entry containing a list of the largest sports contracts ever. Giancarlo Stantonan’s 13-year, $325-million deal with the Miami Marlins in the Major League Baseball for 2015 to 2027 is at the top spot. That translates to $25 million a year or $154,320.99 per game.

Although Mayweather ranked 14th in the list – he’s the only boxer to make it – he only needs one match to pocket a ridiculous amount of money. In his Yahoo! Sports column, veteran scribe Kevin Iole pointed out that Mayweather’s purse for the Pacquiao fight will remain in the annals of prizefighting history.

“Those kind of dollar figures point out how big the fight is in terms of finances. Nothing in the history of boxing can touch it,” Iole wrote.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s paycheck for the Mayweather bout is $80 million, or roughly P3.5 billion. If the fight goes the distance, he would rake in about $37,000 per second.

Mayweather, who fondly calls himself “Money”, has been a staple in Forbes’ list of world’s highest-paid athletes, ranking first in 2014 with total earnings of $105 million. Pacquiao, for his part, is at 11th with total winnings of $41 million.

But both boxers have never earned higher in their storied careers than what they’re set to get fighting each other. Additionally, they are also set to take home a share of the earnings from the live gate receipts and pay-per-view buys.

That’s why regardless of who comes out on top in May, both men will walk away as big winners.