Do boxers REALLY get paid THAT bad?

I hope he at least got a few toppings on it.....

 

You guys are way off on Pavlik. His guaranteed minimum is $600K, and he made $3 mill plus a cut of the gate, the ppv, and his endorsements for Hopkins. $2.5 mill for Gary freaking Lockett.

 

Where the hell have you been? Have you been gone from here, or are we just not hitting the same threads? Seems like I haven't seen you for a long time.

 

Certain guys who aren't top fighters probably do fairly well. Jesse Brinkley, for example, is a regional star who puts asses in seats. That's really the most important factor where income is concerned. Fighters like John Duddy, who used to be a pretty good draw, make more money than fighters who can't draw. Peter Manfredo probably does well too.

On the other hand, we have guys like Paul Williams, who should be a huge draw, but he's not. Popularity with casual fans is very important.

 

Hell yeah the average boxer gets paid peanuts in comparison to other athletes. For ex, The minimum salary for a major league baseball player is around $400k

 

I earned anywhere from $350.00 to $5k for one fight.m It depended on the venue a lot. For instance my 1st fight was at a nightclub/Bar and it was a popular scene in cleveland so I made a nice purse, 1200, for that fight and at the time to me that was big money.

Also, keep in mind I didnt have any expenses. My brother was my trainer, I didnt have nutritionists, cut men managers etc.

 

Boxing has become a niche sport. The only way to make the millions is to knock people out. Since this sport has very little sponsorship it is all about the KO. If you can knock guys out you can make millions. Boxers have to think of themselves as entertainer first and athlete second. What can they do to sell themselves so that people are willing to plop down 49 dollars to watch their match.

Pure boxers that fight to 12 rnds unanimous decision just doesn't peek the casual fan's interest. This is about entertainment. Winning doesn't pay your bill in this sport. It's about you drawing fans to want to watch you destroy your opponent. A fine example of this is Ricardo Mayorga. The guy is a mediocre boxer. But he has KO power and his fights are always entertaining, even the event leading up to the fight are fun to watch. Another great example of a great boxer versus a Ko artist is Pac and JMM. When you hear the name JMM mention the first thing that comes to mind is PAC. But the same can't be said of Pac. When people mention Pac so many great match up comes to mind. JMM name will be brought up when people talk about Pac but so will Pac's destruction of Hatton, making DLH quit on the stool, the way he beat MAB, his fight with Morales, his beatdown of Cotto.

JMM the better boxer makes peanuts compare to Pac who's skill isn't as polish but he goes into every fight looking to destroy his opponent. Another great example is Gatti, may he rest in peace. His matches aren't boxing beauty but it is blood a gore with more heart then skill. Yet he made more then guys who had 10 times the skills he had. Compare that to Winky who is boxer.A very good practitioner of the art. Yet he could never get the huge paydays because his fight could not sell. Only die hard boxing fan liked the way he fought but die hard fans aren't what gets you the million dollar paydays.

 

Yeah, think there was pepperonis on it!

 

Umm, yeah, but Major League Baseball teams each attract crowds of three or four million people a year. Most boxers attract a few thousand if they're lucky.

 

Fighters who are just starting out earn around $100-$150 per round, which is why a new fighter either needs to have the backing from someone or a job.

 

Travel and expense money is setup differently. We give guys money to travel, eat, and hotel.