Professional Boxing Paydays?

**Rockin'** · 12-01-2005, 04:01 PM

On another thread me and another guy got talking about what other fighters in non industrialized countries make compared to americas fighters. He stated that they did not make much money for fighting in these non industrialized countires, I say that we do not make much more in the states. Heres the break down of how a purse gets divided up and what the fighter is left with.

Say that you signed a contract to fight a 6 round bout in one month for $1200. Now you start training spending $5 a day traveling expense to and from the gym 6 days a week. You do this for 3 weeks and find that your opponent has pulled out of the fight with an injury (it happens more than you know) so you keep training and line up a fight for the same amount of money and rounds that is 5 weeks away. The fight comes through, you fight and win and get your check. Then this is what happens to the money from that check.

Purse .............. $1200
Now the deductions
Uncle sam........... $ 396.00
(generally 33%)
Manager............. $321.60
(40% after taxes)
Trainer............. $ 80.00
(10% after taxes)
Corner + cutman..... $ 80.00
(2x5% after taxes)
Training expense.... $240.00
----------
$82.40 net profit

Its a ***** going home with stitches in your eye and bumps all over your head to earn an extra $82 for the fight. Luckily, it was in the contract that any medical would be taken care of. These guys do it all the time. Thats why even when a guy makes it to fighting the top guys but gets bombed to the canvas I still take my hat off to him. Its not an easy road, they deserve atleast some respect, if not alot of respect......Rockin'

I just figured for a 1.2 million dollar purse the fighter would walk with around $322,000. Alot of money but not what you might think they bring home. Don King has his fighters train at his training facility and charges them like $15,000 a week from what I was told by one of his champions. say they trained there for 6 weeks preparing for a title bout, that $90,000. Which would leave that 1.2 million at $232,000.
What a con man.

Rockin'

**Kimmy** · 12-01-2005, 04:15 PM

Allot of non boxing people bash fighters for recieving mega paydays like 20 million etc.. but few understand the fundamentals. Rockin is 110% correct. The tax man eats at least 25%. Then expenses such as corner team, training etc..
And, as harsh as it is. A boxer's career ( or life, as we were reminded recently ) is on the line in every fight. They are risking their lives out there, every match, regardless of their opponent. I have been a fan of boxing for 20 years and never once questioned the amount paid. For every Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson there is a Marcus Rhodes and a Tony Booth. Fighters whom risk their lives every few months and get more or less, a living wage.
Keep in mind that a boxer's career can be only a few years. All that determination could be for nothing. It's a gamble everytime and once you have had hard fights and hit your 30's, you could be on borrowed time as a professinal earner in your career. Better to maybe deduct more from the purse into a retirement pension so fighters aren't forced to fight for a career. Top post Rockin!

**Round 1** · 12-01-2005, 04:18 PM

$1200.00 for a 6 round fight, that's $200.00 a round, not everybody gets that much, yeap, I know guys that get a lot less then that, but its true, the purse vanishes right in front of you.

**Rockin'** · 12-01-2005, 04:21 PM

I had a fight where I was paid $200 for a four round fight. I was pretty viscious in the way I handled my opponent so the promoter threw me an extra $50.

Rockin'

**jeffmills** · 12-01-2005, 06:15 PM

Managers take 40%?

That sounds ridiculous. I would have put the figure around 10-15%.

**jeffmills** · 12-01-2005, 06:21 PM

Also how easy is it for professionals early in their career to earn money through boxing outside of actual fighting?

Say sponsorship, being a sparring partner etc.

**RAESAAD** · 12-01-2005, 06:33 PM

This guy here is gettin $$$$$$
[IMG]http://i21.***********.com/albums/b296/raesaad/FloydMayweatherBallin.jpg[/IMG]

Professional Boxing Paydays?