By: Hans Themistode
We’re just a few days away from the end of this decade. In terms of sports, it’s been a memorable one.
We’ve seen one of the greatest basketball players of all-time in Kobe Bryant start the decade with an NBA championship, while Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors end it with their own.
The New Orleans Saints kicked off the beginning of this decade with an NFL title and the seemingly never ending dynasty of the New England Patriots end this decade capturing yet another championship.
For years, boxing has been given the cold shoulder. “Boxing is dead” has been a constant theme for years. Outside of maybe one big fight a year, boxing has always been shoved inside of the closet. How many times does this sentiment need to be proven wrong for the storyline on boxing be changed for good?
Every year we read about the huge money that is being passed around other sports like candy. Now that the year 2020 is right around the corner, the top ten athletes of this decade were ranked in terms of who raked in the most money.
If boxing is dead like they say, then how come multiple names from the sport appear on this list? Figuring out who leads the group is an easy one. Floyd Mayweather may have retired back in 2017, but he did more than enough to come out on top of this list.
If you’re curious as to which other boxer joined him and the full list of names that occupy every other spot, just keep reading and you’ll find out just how much money all of these athletes brought in for the decade.
10. Lewis Hamilton: $400 Million
Occupation: Race car driver
Speeding might lead to a few tickets and several issues with the law, but race car driver Lewis Hamilton has learned how to turn into a lucrative way of life.
9. Kevin Durant: $425 Million
Occupation: Basketball player
With two NBA championships, an MVP award, 10 All-Star game selections and a slew of other awards, Kevin Durant has seen his brand skyrocket to the top with a 400 percent endorsement increase during this decade.
8. Manny Pacquiao: $435 Million
Occupation: Boxer
2020 will be the 25th year for Manny Pacquiao as a professional fighter. Ridiculous. He’s fought on pay-per-view 25 times in his career and has always drawn big numbers. The scary part about Pacquiao is that he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
7. Phil Mickelson: $480 Million
Occupation: Golf player
With nearly half a billion dollars made during the decade, no one should question why at the age of 49, Phil Mickelson has continued his golf career.
6. Tiger Woods: $615 Million
Occupation: Golf player
Not only has golfer Tiger Woods generated $615 million dollars during the decade, but he is also just three majors behind the all-time leader Jack Nicklaus. Don’t expect Tiger to hang em up anytime soon.
5. Roger Federer: $640 Million
Occupation: Tennis Player
Roger Federer might be 38 years old but if you believe he is slowing down, then you might want to double check. He currently holds the record for the most majors won with 20. He also signed a lucrative deal with Uniqlo for $300 million back in 2018. Expect the money to keep piling up for him even in a new decade.
4. LeBron James: $680 Million
Occupation: Basketball player
There is no doubt that LeBron James is one of the best basketball players to ever play the game, but his business mind separates him from the rest. He once was on record saying that he wants to be a billionaire. At his rate, there is no doubt that he will be.
3. Lionel Messi: $750 Million
Occupation: Soccer player
This page isn’t long enough to list every achievement of Lionel Messi. One thing that should be highlighted, however, is that he earned more money than any other athlete regardless of the sport in 2019.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo: $800 Million
Occupation: Soccer player
Cristiano Ronaldo may rank second on this list bringing in $800 million during the decade but he ranks number one in terms of Instagram followers with 194 million. That has to count for something right?
1. Floyd Mayweather: $915 Million
Occupation: Boxer
No one can compare to Floyd Mayweather. It almost seems unreal to see that he has made almost one billion dollars in one decade. With Mayweather set to come out of retirement in 2020, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see him on the top of this list again for the next decade.
