How Much Money Do Pro Boxers Make Per Fight?

Have you ever wondered how much boxers make per fight? Since it’s a dangerous sport, you’d probably think it’s a lot, but that’s not really the case. While a pro boxer salary can go into hundreds of thousands or even millions, the situation in rookie circles is vastly different. Even someone who is really good only makes hundreds of dollars per fight, because they are still new.

Things like status or star power, and promoter purse play a huge role in setting the fight revenue. A high-end promoter will only go after big guns that attract a lot of attention. Newcomers need to settle for lower-tier promoters and, by extension, lower salaries. We’ll be taking a closer look at this business model and explaining how one can move up in the world of boxing.

Model Behind Boxing Purses and How it Affects Boxer Salary per Fight

To get a better understanding of how much money do boxers make per fight, we need to talk about promoters. In essence, these are event organizers who want to generate revenue for hosting the match and then share that revenue with the fighters. They generate revenue through ticket sales for live events, pay-per-view through streaming or broadcasting, and through advertising sponsors.

Pro athletes have a lot of star power, and they will attract a much wider audience. These viewers will come to live events, spend money on food and drinks, and even play casino games during the intermission. It’s why many casinos are promoters and want to host matches. But even in different settings, viewers can gamble on casino games online. Nowadays, it’s possible to find a no deposit bonus 20€ casino and play for free. This way, you can try new online casino slots and even win money without wagering any of your cash. Also, if a big sportsbook is one of the sponsors, it might be possible to place a free bet on the match you are watching.

It is also the reason why boxing salary per fight is significantly lower when new athletes have a bout. They don’t bring a bigger crowd, and the promoter has to do more heavy lifting to make that match profitable. The total purse is usually split between all parties, so when one of the participants is a champion, they can negotiate a better split. With newbies, it’s “take it or leave it” kind of a deal. Additionally, the fighter also needs to pay his team. The manager takes between 15%-20% of the earnings, then the trainer takes between 10%-20%, and the medical support or cutman takes 2%. In some instances, there are also legal fees, expenses for a gym, and expenses for sparring partners.

How Much Do World Champion Boxers Make

The per-fight revenue in this sport scales exponentially. Once you become a big name in the fighting world, the money just comes with the territory. Let’s go over a few examples.

Highest Earner Canelo Álvarez

As someone who held multiple belts across 4 weight categories, it’s easy to see why the crowd is so hyped to see this man fight. According to some estimates, Canelo Álvarez makes between $40M and $50M per fight, while his earnings go up to $80M-$100M, in the high-profile bouts. Of course, we are now talking about the absolute legends of the current scene. So this might answer how much do boxing champions make per fight, but for a regular pro, the figure is lower.

Tyson Fury

Everybody loves a match where heavyweight pros get to duke it out, and right now, one of the most popular names in this category is Tyson Fury. Once again, the profits vary a lot depending on the matchup, but from what we’ve seen, it seems Tyson gets $25M guaranteed per fight. He also got $100M guaranteed for this match against Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

Oleksandr Usyk

Widely considered the top-ranked heavyweight champion, Usyk is living proof of how earnings in this sport can change dramatically. Before conquering the heavyweight division, his purses were significantly smaller, ranging between tens and hundreds of thousands of British pounds. Now that he is going up against big names, those thousands have turned into millions.

Boxer Salary per Fight vs Hidden Costs

We only mentioned some hidden costs that chip away at the boxer's purse, but it doesn’t stop there. On top of promoter, trainer, and cutman, boxers also have to pay taxes that can go up to 30% of their earnings. Then there are medical expenses that are mandatory (blood tests and eye exams), travel expenses (trip and accommodation), and training camp costs.

This makes it impossible to survive as a lower-tier fighter. So, many have to work other jobs full-time and then figure out how to get better at boxing. Also, it’s easy to sustain a serious injury and take big breaks during which your skill deteriorates. It’s a true miracle when someone makes it all the way to the top from nothing.