Canelo was 2nd Highest Paid Athlete in 2025

[Ruthless-RKO]

CANELO ALVAREZ NAMED WORLD'S SECOND-HIGHEST PAID ATHLETE AFTER EARNING $137M IN 2025

Canelo Alvarez may have finished 2025 with a loss on his ledger, but the bank account for boxing’s biggest breadwinner clearly indicates he’s still a winner.

Sports media publication Sportico released its fifth annual "100 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World" list for 2025, and Alvarez was ranked as the second-highest paid athlete in the world with $137 million in estimated earnings.

From the figure, $125 million was from his fights against William Scull in May and Terence Crawford in September, with another $12 million coming in from endorsements. Alvarez signed a highly lucrative four-fight deal with Riyadh Season in February.

Three other boxers also made the Penske-owned company’s list.

Coming in at No. 21 was Alvarez’s conqueror in Crawford. The recently retired Crawford fought only one time in 2025 and made an estimated $66 million ($60 million in salary/winnings; $6 million in endorsements).

Trailing not too far behind Crawford at No. 25 is undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue with $62 million in estimated earnings – ($45 million in salary/winnings; $17 million in endorsements). The incredibly active Inoue fought four times in 2025 and beat Ye Joon Kim, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso.

Rounding out the list of fighters who made the list was Jake Paul at No. 30. Paul raked in $60 million in estimated earnings – ($50 million in salary/winnings; $10 million in endorsements). Paul fought twice in 2025, a unanimous decision win against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June and a sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua on December 19.

Cristiano Ronaldo led all athletes with a total of $260 million in estimated earnings – ($200 million in salary/winnings; $60 million in endorsements).

Sportico's list included athletes from eight sports and 28 countries. The top 100 list and Sportico’s rankings methodology can be reviewed in their entirety here.

Sportico's list in 2024 featured a total of six boxers, with Tyson Fury, No. 3 in the world at $147 million, and Oleksandr Usyk, No. 7 at $122 million, topping the rankings for fighters.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think LeBron James was 3rd

Messi was 4th or 5th.

[Sweet Dick Willie]

Boxing is not dead!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Inoue is making some serious money.

[gilgamesh]

I think LeBron James was 3rd

Messi was 4th or 5th.

Insane that James is still the 3rd highest paid dude in the League. He's been a hinderance to his team more than a help for quite a while now.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think LeBron James was 3rd

Messi was 4th or 5th.

Insane that James is still the 3rd highest paid dude in the League. He's been a hinderance to his team more than a help for quite a while now.

A lot of his might be endorsements

[Sendo Takeshi]

There are also way better football players than Messi and Ronaldo who earn only a fraction of what they do. These legends are paid for their star power though.

Even though it's impressive someone from the lighter weight-classes like Inoue makes this kind of money, it's kinda crazy Bud had to only fight one big fight to make more than Inoue with his 4 fights.
(let's not talk about Jake Paul..)

[gilgamesh]

There'll always be a much bigger market for fighters with a little more meat on their bones. Deservedly so I might add.

[Sendo Takeshi]

I wouldn't say it's deserved, but what do I know.

[Sweet Dick Willie]

There'll always be a much bigger market for fighters with a little more meat on their bones. Deservedly so I might add.

Why is that?

[gilgamesh]

There'll always be a much bigger market for fighters with a little more meat on their bones. Deservedly so I might add.

Why is that?

Because it's just more generally more interesting to see the bigger guys fight. There are exceptional talents that come along from time to time amongst the little guys. Such as Naoya Inoue or Chocolatito Gonzalez.

But if it's 2 dudes I've never heard of fighting. I'd rather see a Heavyweight fight any day.

[Sendo Takeshi]

It's not two random people though, it's two ATGs.
If anything, Inoue is more fun than Canelo and Bud and at least as good if not better than Bud.

[gilgamesh]

I agree, but it's human nature to assume people are tougher than you when they look it. Not when they look as big as you were at 13 years old.

People in the Western world aren't ever going to be too impressed by the smaller guys because theyre all twice their size

It's just how it is. Doesn't mean Inoue isn't talented. In fact I think he may well be the best ever at 122 on down, and yes P4P he may be better than Bud. Maybe. I haven't broken all the data down there yet. I'm still watching some of Bud's fights i missed.

[chucktaylor]

Inoue has more endorsement money than other boxers, evidencing his name recognition in his home country. He might be the 2nd most popular athlete in Japan (albeit a very distant 2nd to Shohei).