MANNY Pacquiao's payday for the 'Fight of the Century' matched what NBA superstar LeBron James has earned on the court for his entire career.
According to an ESPN report by Darren Rovell, eight-time world champion Pacquiao will bring home at least US$150 million, or around P6 billion, for the fight which Floyd Mayweather won via unanimous decision last May.
Pacquiao earned roughly the same amount as James was paid from the contracts for all the teams the Cleveland Cavaliers star has played for in his 12 seasons as a pro.
However, ESPN pointed out the amount cited does not include James' earnings from lucrative endorsement deals and associated partnerships.
Also, Pacquiao's earnings for the mega-fight will still shrink once the cut of his promoter Top Rank is deducted, ESPN added.
On the other hand, the undefeated Mayweather stands to earn around $220 million to $230 million based on the 60-40 split in the total earnings of the May 2 fight (May 3, Manila time).
Mayweather's earnings for that one night, ESPN pointed out, is also equivalent to what franchise player Tim Duncan was paid in his 18 years playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
When totalled, the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout earned $600 million, and is projected to go down as the most lucrative boxing event in history.
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