ShareThisLOS ANGELES — Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has won another record – he is the world’s highest paid athlete last year.
According to ESPN Magazine, Pacquiao earned $32 million or roughtly P1.4 billion in 2010.
The boxer-lawmaker’s earnings equalled that of Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.
Pacquiao earned the $32 million in only two fights last year – against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey in March and Mexico’s Antonio Margarito in November. The two fights were held before a sellout crowd at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Charice Pempengco has been chosen by Team Pacquiao to sing the Philippine National Anthem during his fight with Mosley
This developed as international Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco has been chosen by Team Pacquiao to sing the Philippine National Anthem during his fight with American Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 7.
Charice said she was honored and excited with her new appearance in the title fight of world boxing icon and congressman Manny Pacquio.
In another development, Pacquiao said he will not go for a knockout of Mosley, but assured that he will do his best in his fight as he has done in the past.
Pacquiao’s trainers, however, predicted that he will floor Mosley in five rounds.
“I want Manny to knock him out and I think we can,” said trainer Freddie Roach.
In contrast, Mosley had said he would knock out the world’s pound-for-pound king in six rounds.
The earnings of Pacquiao and Rodriguez of $32 million each in 2010 do not include “endorsements, appearance fees, sponsorship money and other sources of income,” according to the magazine. Following Pacquiao and Rodriguez in the list are race driver Kimi Raikkonen ($26,333,333), NBA player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers ($24,800,000) and soccer idol Cristiano Ronaldo ($19,500,000).
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Pacquiao’s earnings palled in comparison the paltry $40,000 he earned during his US debut in June 2001.
Pacquiao barged into the millionaire’s circle only in 2005 when he fought Erik Morales of Mexico.
Arum has said that Pacquiao will have a few more fights before hanging his gloves and tops on the list of priorities is a showdown with the elusive American former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao has won 13 fights in a row and the southpaw has not lost in nearly six years. In that span he has dispatched such stars as Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mosley, on the other hand, has 46 wins and 39 knockouts but has lost twice and struggled to a draw in his past five fights. He fell to Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto in 2007 and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in May before a draw against American Sergio Mora in September.