Mayweather beats Pacquiao again!
Floyd “Money” Mayweather has beaten Manny Pacquiao again: the undefeated US boxer leads his Filipino rival atop Forbes Magazine’s latest list of the world’s highest-paid sports figures.
Mayweather tops the list for the second year in a row with the majority of his Sh 29.1 billion ($300 million) in earnings over the past 12 months coming from his May mega-fight with Pacquiao.
Thanks to his take from the fight, Pacquiao is second on the list released on Wednesday with Sh15 billion ($160 million) in earnings, joining Mayweather and Tiger Woods as the only sportsmen to earn nine figures in a 12-month period.
The highest-grossing fight in history, which generated Sh38 billion ($400 million) in US revenue, accounts for much of the Sh44.7 billion ($460 million) earnings increase on the 2015 list, Forbes said.
According to the financial magazine’s calculations – which take into account salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees and estimated licensing and endorsement income – the top 100 earned a total of Sh311 billion ($3.2 billion) over the last 12 months.
TOP FIVE
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo edged Barcelona rival Lionel Messi for third on the list, with Ronaldo coming in at Sh7.7 billion ($79 million) and Messi Sh7.1 billion ($73.8 million).
Swiss tennis great Roger Federer rounded out the top five with total earnings of Sh6.5 billion ($67 million).
Woods remains in the top 10 at number nine (Sh4.8 billion, $50.6 million), despite the decline in his game that has seen his world ranking slide to 181.
The 14-time major champion’s old rival Phil Mickelson is the highest-paid golfer at eighth (Sh4.9 billion, $50.8 million) – with reigning world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland coming in at 12th.
The top 10 also features three NBA players: LeBron James at sixth, Kevin Durant at seventh and Kobe Bryant at 10th.