Cheer Up, Canelo! You Made $100M Last Night, Your Career Earnings Just Crossed $800m, And You're On Pace To Top Floyd Mayweather's Earnings Record

On Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez suffered the most painful defeat of his career. Before a record crowd of more than 70,000 fans, Canelo was outboxed over 12 rounds by Terence Crawford, who became the new undisputed super middleweight champion. It was a tough loss — just the third of Canelo's career — and one that cost him all four of his 168-pound belts.

And while he left the ring without titles, he didn't leave empty-handed. There are two big consolations that should be cheering Canelo up today: First, he earned a guaranteed $100 million for the fight (a figure that could ultimately reach $150 million). And second, the payday pushed his career earnings past the $800 million mark.

Here's something else Canelo should feel good about: Floyd Mayweather officially retired from professional boxing in 2017 at the age of 40. Floyd remains the all-time earnings king with roughly $1.1 billion in career income. Canelo is just 35 years old. He has already passed $800 million, he recently signed a Saudi contract worth hundreds of millions, and his endorsement and business ventures remain as strong as ever. Even in defeat, his chances of catching — and perhaps surpassing — Floyd's all-time record look very much alive.

Here's how Canelo's numbers add up over two decades in the ring:

Canelo Álvarez Major Fight Purses

• Sugar Shane Mosley (2012) – $1.2 million
• Josesito Lopez (2012) – $2 million
• Floyd Mayweather (2013) – $25 million
• Erislandy Lara (2014) – $1.5 million
• Miguel Cotto (2015) – $15 million
• Amir Khan (2016) – $25 million
• Julio César Chávez Jr. (2017) – $25 million
• Gennady Golovkin I (2017) – $40 million
• Gennady Golovkin II (2018) – $35 million
• Daniel Jacobs (2019) – $35 million
• Sergey Kovalev (2019) – $35 million
• Callum Smith (2020) – $25 million
• Billy Joe Saunders (2021) – $35 million
• Caleb Plant (2021) – $40 million
• Dmitry Bivol (2022) – $40 million
• Gennady Golovkin III (2022) – $45 million
• Jermell Charlo (2023) – $40 million
• Jaime Munguía (2024) – $35 million
• Terence Crawford (2025) – $100 million (this might ultimately swell to $150 million with upside)

Total In-Ring Earnings: $640.7 million (assuming $100m from the Crawford fight)

(Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Endorsements and Business

Outside the ring, Álvarez has stacked another $160+ million through endorsements and investments. His partnerships have included Hennessy, Under Armour, and Everlast. He also famously signed a $365 million deal with DAZN in 2018 — then the richest contract in sports.

Canelo has invested heavily in Mexico, with gas stations, real estate, and his own chain of convenience stores. Add it all up, and his career earnings are now estimated to exceed $800 million.

The Saudi Contract and Netflix Era

In early 2025, Álvarez inked a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia, reportedly worth $400 million. The Crawford fight was the second bout under that package, following his win over William Scull. If he fulfills the contract, Canelo could add hundreds of millions more to his tally.

The Crawford fight was also part of a new era of boxing distribution. Rather than traditional $80 PPV buys, it streamed live on Netflix to a global audience. The fight produced the third-largest gate in boxing history, behind only Mayweather–Pacquiao and Mayweather–McGregor. Even in defeat, Canelo once again proved himself the sport's biggest box office draw.

Chasing Floyd Mayweather

The natural comparison is Floyd Mayweather, who retired in 2017 at age 40 with a perfect 50-0 record and about $1.1 billion in career earnings. Canelo, at only 35, is already at $800 million with guaranteed Saudi money on the way. If he keeps fighting for a few more years, Álvarez has a realistic shot at surpassing Floyd and finishing as boxing's first $1.2 billion man.

Bottom Line

Canelo Álvarez lost his belts on Saturday, but he's still in rare air financially. With more than $640 million earned in the ring and another $160 million outside of it, his $800 million career haul puts him in the company of Mayweather, Pacquiao, and Tyson as one of the richest fighters ever.

The legacy debate will rage after his loss to Terence Crawford, but when it comes to money, Canelo is still landing knockout punches.