Manny Pacquiao earned $120M vs. Floyd Mayweather: How much did Canelo Alvarez make?

It’s fair to say that two of the most iconic fights in boxing history featured Floyd Mayweather. Known as “The Money,” Mayweather was famous for facing the best challengers who sought to dethrone him—though none succeeded.

Among those opponents were Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez, both of whom earned fortunes stepping into the ring with the American, albeit with vastly different payouts.

In 2015, the boxing world and sports fans everywhere were captivated by the mega-fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. Dominant figures of their generation, they shared the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, creating the most highly anticipated and lucrative bout of all time. As a result, both Floyd and Manny made massive earnings from the event.

Manny Pacquiao earned $120 million vs. Floyd Mayweather

For Pacquiao, the payday from that fight reached $120 million, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes—the largest purse of his illustrious career, which later included politics. The massive anticipation surrounding the bout, and the approximately 4.4 million pay-per-view buys, generated an estimated $72 million in PPV revenue alone.

The fortune Canelo made vs. Mayweather

A couple of years earlier, in 2013, Canelo Alvarez had the chance to challenge Mayweather. The young fighter from Guadalajara faced the living legend and, while he also failed to defeat “The Money,” he walked away with a significant payday from one of the biggest fights of his career.

At that time, Canelo earned around $13 million—a figure he had never imagined before. Now a fully established superstar, Saul Alvarez commands purses that can reach up to $100 million.

One common factor in both paydays was Mayweather’s presence, as Floyd generated millions on his own, which allowed his opponents to benefit financially as well. Moreover, both Canelo and Pacquiao are unparalleled legends in the sport, creating the perfect stage for their earnings to match their stature in boxing on both occasions.