

Boxing never grants immortality. Glory fades, belts change hands, and fans move on. Yet even in that cycle, a few names refuse to disappear. Mike Tyson proves it. At 20, he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever, a snarling storm of aggression shaped by Cus D’Amato’s “peek-a-boo” defense. With that style, Tyson didn’t just beat opponents—he devoured them, often before the opening bell even settled. Years later, Floyd Mayweather Jr. defined another era. He went 50-0, building an empire on flawless defense, surgical counters, and ring IQ that turned the sweet science into high art.
Beyond the ring, he rewrote the rules of athlete wealth, teaching fighters how to own the business as much as the fight. Now, decades apart yet drawn together, Mike Tyson at 59 and Mayweather at 48 prepare to share the stage. They don’t fight for legacy—that’s already secure. Instead, they fight for spectacle, nostalgia, and the financial windfall only their names can deliver. And so, as the spotlight closes in, one question remains: who stands taller in the empire of money?
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Floyd Mayweather vs. Mike Tyson net worth in 2025
Floyd Mayweather Jr. never chased thrill—he chased perfection. For him, boxing was business. With 15 world titles across five weight classes, he built a career on calculation, not chaos. Precision over power, defense over danger, IQ over instinct. That’s how he walked away untouched at 50-0, signing off in 2017 by outclassing Conor McGregor and pocketing an outrageous $280 million. Yet even retirement didn’t slow him down. The lights still follow him into exhibition rings, where he keeps stacking fortunes. By 2025, Sports Illustrated lists his net worth at half a billion, with career earnings soaring past the billion-dollar mark.
In contrast, Mike Tyson’s story unfolds like the opposite script. While ‘Money’ thrived on control, ‘Iron Mike’ embodied raw violence in the late ’80s—young, ruthless, terrifying. However, outside the ring, his empire collapsed under the weight of excess. Mansions, exotic pets, fleets of cars, bad deals, and worse decisions dragged him into bankruptcy in 2003, leaving him drowning in $23 million debt.
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But then came the turning point. True to form, Mike Tyson refused to stay down. Through comeback bouts, Hollywood cameos, a cult-hit podcast, and eventually a booming cannabis empire, he began rewriting his legacy. As a result, instead of bankruptcy headlines, Tyson now generates multimillion-dollar paydays once again. His 2024 clash with Jake Paul, for instance, pulled in a reported $20 million, pushing his net worth near $30 million—a remarkable rise for a man once counted out.
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Who has earned more money from boxing, Mayweather or Tyson?
The real question boxing fans love to debate: who made more money—Mike Tyson or Floyd Mayweather Jr.? They fought in different eras, under different business models, and with very different approaches to wealth. But their numbers tell two fascinating stories. For ‘Iron Mike’, it was pure star power. Even without sharp business instincts, he commanded some of the sport’s richest paydays. In 2002, he walked away with a staggering $105 million against Lennox Lewis.
Before that, he pocketed $35 million for Bruce Seldon, a combined $60 million from two wars with Evander Holyfield, and $30 million apiece against Donovan Ruddock, Peter McNeeley, and Kevin McBride. Even at the tail end of his career, Mike Tyson still earned $27 million in a losing effort to Danny Williams in 2004. By the numbers, The Sun estimates Tyson’s career purses cleared $500 million.
Then came bankruptcy in 2003, which nearly broke him. But Mike Tyson rebuilt. His 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. brought in around $10 million, and his 2024 clash with Jake Paul reportedly netted $20 million. Today, his cannabis brand TYSON 2.0 and his Hotboxin’ podcast keep the checks rolling, with his net worth hovering between $10 and $30 million.
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Floyd Mayweather’s story, though, is different. Where Tyson relied on raw draw power, “Money” Mayweather mastered the business itself. He made $45 million against Miguel Cotto in 2012, $73 million against Canelo Alvarez in 2013, and then shattered records with $300 million from his 2015 superfight against Manny Pacquiao. Just two years later, he topped it off with $275 million from his crossover showdown with Conor McGregor.
Now, because both men are set to share the spotlight again next year, their fortunes will climb even higher. Still, the bottom line is clear—when it comes to financial supremacy, Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains in a league of his own.
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