How much of a purse do boxers actually take home?

[GhostofDempsey]

Depends. If you are you're own manager (spouse?) you don't have to pay out the traditional 20-30% that a manager charged. Another 10% goes to trainers, but once you hit the big time trainers are typically willing to work for a little less. No way around paying taxes, and promoters get a 20% cut but I'm not sure if they work that into the contract or if it has to come out of the fighter's end. Either way, the typical fighter who does not call his own shots, likely keeps around 25-35% of his purse after all is said and done. Elites keep a little more. Way better than the golden age of boxing when fighter's were lucky to keep 10% of their purse after everyone else got their cut.

[Lomadeaux]

The most fighters are going to get taxed is around 40% depending on the state.

Here's a breakdown of how it should look:

$1,000,000 - Gross Purse
-20%, $200,000 (Trainer)
-10%, $100,000 (Cut Man)
$700,000
-39%, $273,000 (Taxes)

Net Take Home: $427,000

This is without managers/promoters and what not. This stuff can get ridiculously complicated. Especially with/without a promoter. For example, for the past many years Mayweather was taking the ENTIRE payment for an event, paying himself and who he's fighting as the attraction. Even getting a percentage of the concessions sold at the fight.

The boxing business can often be very dirty with people stealing money and trying to get theirs. Just being around the amateur boxing scene you can see it. There can be a lack of smart people around events and they will pocket money that shouldn't go to them. It's pretty embarrassing.

[Lomadeaux]

25-35% of his purse after all is said and done.

Pretty accurate.

[McNulty]

Say a boxer has a $1 million purse. Don't they still have to pay their promoter and trainer out of that?

Then would another big chunk be taken out as income tax? And would the income tax rate of the state the fight takes place in apply?

43% Taxes (at/over 10 Million) and 33% (at 250k).
10% Trainer (or 28% if your name is Manny Pacquiao).
15% Manager (if you got one).

It’s purely a case by case basis, it depends who you fight? Where you fight? What your promotional/managerial situation is? Nobody can give a accurate figure or %

Yes, there are very standard insustry %'s.

20%, $200,000 (Trainer)
10%, $100,000 (Cut Man)

I've never heard of cutmen getting a percentage and they definitely don't get 10% brother. Probably a flat-rate depending on title vs domestics affairs. Trainers get 10% as a standard.

[Luilun]

Say a boxer has a $1 million purse. Don't they still have to pay their promoter and trainer out of that?

Then would another big chunk be taken out as income tax? And would the income tax rate of the state the fight takes place in apply?

Manager what I always heard was 30% Trainer 10% so 60% than you have taxes so probably 40%

[Luilun]

A fighter better have a good CPA or you end up like Joe Louis

[N!Ck F.]

WE take home about 55% after taxes, promoter and manager fees, expenses. Etc. Everything gets charged back to US. It's aboutfkntime WE cut out the middlemen.

BAHAHAHAHA!!!! Someone slept in though math.

1 million is 600k after tax.
Manger/promoter take another 20-30% so now you have about 400k....
trainer takes 10%...cutman takes 5%...
Now you have about 340k...

You still need to pay for travel,hotels,food, sparring partners and all other personal/camp expenses,
That’s another 40k or so...

You are left with about 300k or roughly 30% of the 1 million.

Not 55%...not even close.

[anonymous2.0]

Say a boxer has a $1 million purse. Don't they still have to pay their promoter and trainer out of that?

Then would another big chunk be taken out as income tax? And would the income tax rate of the state the fight takes place in apply?

Everyone is different because different managers, promoters, and trainers have different percentages or fees. The rumor is that Haymon only charges 10% for a manager fee which might explain why so many fighters signed with him. IIRC Victor Ortiz's old manager took 25% right off the top but I can't remember where I heard that.

Also foreign fighters get hit pretty hard as well by the taxman.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Yes, there are very standard insustry %'s.

There are so many different components involved, therefore it makes it impossible to give an accurate figure or percentage. Take Pacquiao for example, the amount of tax he pays is completely different depending on where he fights, Vegas, Macau, Australia.
He pays an increased fee as opposed to the standard fee to Roach, I’d assume he also pays significant fee’s to other team members like, Koncz, Fortune etc, that we cannot account for.
There’s no plausible way anyone without significant inside information can make any reasonable prediction on what percentage a fighter takes from his purse

[CubanGuyNYC]

I've never heard of cutmen getting a percentage and they definitely don't get 10% brother. Probably a flat-rate depending on title vs domestics affairs. Trainers get 10% as a standard.

Lol No way a cutman gets 10%. You’re probably right, he gets a flat rate.

The original question has always been of interest to me. Off the top of my head, I always figured the fighter keeps about 50%, maybe a little less. Some of you have made me reconsider my assumptions. It definitely varies from fighter to fighter, though. A run-of-the-mill athlete just doesn’t have the same leverage a top name does.