Who are the highest paid boxers in the world right now?

Boxing has long been a sport spoilt for riches. In fact, it was one of the first sports where its athletes successfully negotiated their desired compensation, back in the 1950s as the sport experienced a surge of popularity.

The rise of Pay Per View (PPV) events screened worldwide in the 80s and 90s only added to the number of zeros added onto the fight purse. While the sport isn’t quite as popular as it once was, there are still big names competing and big money fights happening every year.

Let’s take a look at the highest paid boxers in the world today and how much they are commanding for their fights.

Luis Ortiz has tangled with some of the best in the game, and while he’s yet to truly carve out his name, the Cuban heavyweight has still managed to command some decent purses.

Total Sportal has reported Ortiz commands around $500k for his fights and earned around $1.5 million for his last win against Charles Martin in 2022. He took home considerably less for his shot at Carlos Alvarez last year though, reportedly walking away with $550k for the loss.

Andy Ruiz Jr has definitely been one of boxing's better payed athletes in the not-too-distant past. But unfortunately, after taking time out of the sport to deal with some personal and fitness-related issues, Ruiz no longer commands the guaranteed $7.5m purse he did when he faced Anthony Joshua back in 2019, according to The Mirror.

Ruiz Jr reportedly earned a purse of $1.5 million guaranteed along with a 50% share from the PPV TV sales revenue for his last fight against Luis Ortiz, but that could jump for his next fight, with Ruiz Jr angling for another big name fight – and eyeing off a purse of $20m – to turn up against Tyson Fury.

British Heavyweight Dillian Whyte has been something of a workhorse for the sport, gradually building up his reputation as a formidable force in the ring against some of the best. But he experienced a dramatic upturn in the purse he commanded after facing Alexander Povetkin in 2020 and 2021, and then Tyson Fury in 2022.

For those fights, Whyte commanded a purse of $2.5m, $4.5m and $7.5m for each fight respectively, according to Total Sportal and TalkSport. He now faces the prospect of a fight against fellow countryman Anthony Joshua in 2023, which will see him take home a $13m guaranteed purse.

Mexican-born Canelo Alvarez began his professional boxing career at the age of 15 in 2005 and quickly rose through the ranks due to his impressive skills and punching power. Over the last nearly 20 years, he’s earned a reputation as one of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters…and commands a purse that reflects that!

Over the last two years, with fights against Dmitry Bivol, Gennady Golovkin and John Ryder, Alvarez has gone in with a guaranteed purse of $15m per fight, and reportedly walked away with between $30-40m after bonuses per fight, according to Sporting News.

Easily one of the most recognizable boxers on this list, Deontay Wilder can rightfully command the big bucks. Until Wilder’s two fights with Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021, it was a fairytale run for the wild Alamabama-born former champ.

That’s not to say his earning power has dropped. His last Fury fight saw him guaranteed $30m earnings for the fight, while his last fight with Robert Helenius in 2022 saw him earn a $20m purse. He is currently looking for a rematch in 2023 against Fury and is pushing for a whopping $90m purse, according to TalkSport.

Speaking of Tyson Fury, the ‘Gypsy King’ is a shoo-in for this list, with his incredible form and ability to draw a crowd, Fury is one of boxing’s biggest names and biggest earners.

Fury’s fights last year, against Dillian Whyte and Derk Chisora, saw him take a purse of $25m and $10m respectively, but with a 75-80% share of the PPV, he was estimated to earn over $75m for each bout, according to Sports Payouts. 

Ukrainian power Oleksandr Usyk has certainly had an eventful few years. Not only has he the 36-year-old won numerous titles, including the include WBA, IBF, and WBO,  he notoriously became the IBO heavyweight champion after beating coveted favorite Anthony Joshua – twice. First in London, then he successfully defended his title in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to this second fight in 2022, Usyk was not a big name and only earned a $4.2 million purse and while Joshua walked away with a reported $17 million payout for showing up to the first bout. The second fight saw both split the $150 million fight purse, taking home a cool guaranteed $75 million each, according to the Independent.

Of course, since he’s been mentioned a few times already the man ‘creatively’ nicknamed ‘AJ’ was going to appear at the tail end. But it’s fair to say his stock has dropped a bit from his previous years after the losses against Usyk.

That being said, he can still command a fair old purse. After his mega-fight with Usyk, he took a more low-key bout against Jermaine Franklin Jr this year, earning a guaranteed $10m, while his next fight with Dillan Whyte will see him earn a guaranteed $30.5m, according to The Sun.

Who else could it be? Boxing’s highest-paid fighter still continues to earn eye-watering sums despite only fighting in exhibition matches. In fact, Money Mayweather’s post retirement career is just as lucrative as it was when he was battling it out with the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.

While his purse may have gone down to a respectable $10-30m per fight, it’s his PPV share that really puts him over the top. His last fight against Aaron Chalmers saw him earn a guaranteed purse of $25m, plus an additional $30m in PPV bonuses, according to AS. Given he is able to do a lot more of these events than those in the professional circuit (he’s doing five in 2023), Mayweather is still on top.