Canelo Alvarez: The $137 Million Mathematical Masterclass

Saul Canelo Alvarez finished 2025 as the second highest-paid athlete in global sport, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo. Sportico placed his earnings at roughly $137 million.

Canelo fought twice. In May, he outpointed William Scull in a boring title defence. In September, he lost clearly to Terence Crawford, who moved up in weight and controlled the fight from the opening rounds. Two appearances. One safe win. One loss where the was schooled.

This was not the Canelo who once hunted belts across divisions. This version operated behind a high guard, picked moments carefully, and kept exchanges limited. Punch output dipped. The opposition stayed manageable. He boxed like someone managing terms rather than forcing outcomes.

Activity Elsewhere Told the Real Story

Terence Crawford earned about $60 million for one fight and left with his standing strengthened. He stepped up to 168 pounds, took the centre, disrupted rhythm, and made Canelo look silly all night.

Naoya Inoue made roughly $62 million across four undisputed defences at super bantamweight. Four fights in one year. Three stoppages. Each outing treated like work that needed finishing, not surviving.

Canelo earned more than both while boxing twice.

The Fight That Never Came

David Benavidez remained on the outside. Rather than taking that tough fight, Canelo faced Crawford, a smaller man with speed and timing advantages. Benavidez moved on, went to light heavyweight, and beat David Morrell in February 2025 to secure interim status.

Canelo now looks closer to a veteran working clean rounds than a champion forcing fights into deep water. Safe defences. Limited risk. Predictable rhythms.

The Saudi money followed that choice. The ring work reflected it.

Event History: 2025

May 3, 2025
Canelo Alvarez def. William Scull by UD 12
Venue: ANB Arena, Riyadh
Streaming: DAZN PPV

September 13, 2025
Terence Crawford def. Canelo Alvarez by UD 12
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Streaming: Netflix

2025 Earnings
Total: $137 million
Salary and winnings: $120 million
Endorsements: $17 million

Sportico Top 20

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $260m
2. Canelo Alvarez, boxing: $137m
3. Lionel Messi, football: $130m
4. Juan Soto, baseball: $129.2m
5. LeBron James, NBA: $128.7m
6. Karim Benzema, football: $115m
7. Stephen Curry, NBA: $105.4m
8. Shohei Ohtani, NBA: $102.5m
9. Kevin Durant, NBA: $100.8m
10. Jon Rahm, golf: $100.7m
11. Lewis Hamilton, F1: $100m
12. Kylian Mbappe, football: $95m
13. Giannis Antetokounmpo, NBA: $94.3m
14. Rory McIlroy, golf: $91.2m
15. Max Verstappen, F1: $83m
16. Scottie Scheffler, golf: $82.9m
17. Patrick Mahomes, NFL: $80.3m
18. Erling Haaland, football: $77.9m
19. Josh Allen, NFL: $73.2m
20. Justin Herbert, NFL: $71.1m
21. Blake Snell, baseball: $66m
22. Terence Crawford, boxing: $66m