It is common knowledge in the sporting world that boxing paydays are quite exorbitant.

While the winners bask in their glory and cash, the losers are doing half of that given how high some of their prize purses have been over the years.

From Mike Tyson to Conor McGregor, various losers have taken home some insane amounts for their troubles.

So, according to 888Sport’s ranking, here are the top 30 “richest losers” from the sport of boxing (all totals have been adjusted for inflation and are in USD)

30-11

30. Canelo Alvarez (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2013) - $5,731,830

29. Juan Manuel Márquez (Lost to Manny Pacquiao in 2011) - $5,936,143

28. Alexander Povetkin (Lost to Anthony Joshua in 2018) - $6,381,041

27. Ken Norton (Lost to Muhammad Ali in 1976) - $7,040,088

26. Mike Tyson (Lost to Ken Norton in 2005) - $7,520,722

25. Ricky Hatton (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2007) - $7,727,928

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24. Billy Joe Saunders (Lost to Canelo Alvarez in 2021) - $8,000,000

23. Shane Mosley (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2010) - $8,205,515

22. Joseph Parker (Lost to Anthony Joshua in 2018) - $8,508,054

21. Bruce Seldon (Lost to Mike Tyson in 1996) - $8,510,325

20. Miguel Cotto (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2012) - $9,305,261

19. Andy Ruiz Jr. (Lost to Anthony Joshua in 2019) - $9,401,213

18. Joe Frazier (Lost to Muhammad Ali in 1975) - $9,927,658

17. Pernell Whitaker (Lost to Oscar De La Hoya in 1997) - $9,983,327

16. Frank Bruno (Lost to Mike Tyson in 1996) - $10,212,390

15. Ricky Hatton (Lost to Manny Pacquiao in 2009) - $11,203,130

14. Wladimir Klitschko (Lost to Anthony Joshua in 2017) - $14,163,275

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13. Hasim Rahman (Lost to Lennox Lewis in 2001) - $15,087,797

12. George Foreman (Lost to Evander Holyfield in 1991) - $24,509,361

11. Oscar De La Hoya (Lost to Manny Pacquiao in 2008) - $24,807,272

Some staggering numbers here and we have yet to get into the top 10! Both Mayweather and Joshua have claimed the most victims with four each, while Hatton is the only fighter to be named more than once on the richest losers ranked 30-11. The jump from Rahman in 13th to Foreman in 12th is also quite noteworthy. One can only imagine what the top 10 made post inflation.

10-6

10. Mike Tyson (Lost to Lennox Lewis in 2002) - $25,978,016

9. George Foreman (Lost to Muhammad Ali in 1974) - $27,084,584

8. Gerry Cooney (Lost to Larry Holmes in 1982) - $27,673,990

7. Marvin Hagler (Lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987) - $28,209,930

6. Sugar Ray Leonard (Lost to Roberto Duran in 1980) - $29,168,519

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While four of these fights took place before the turn of the century, each of their purse totals before inflation were under $12,000,000. Tyson and Foreman both make their second appearance as a loser in the top 30, and Leonard is one of three fighters in the top 10 to be both a rich loser and a winner of one of the fights. Who are the other two you ask? Let's find out in the top five.

5-1

5. Oscar De La Hoya (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2007) - $30,010,120

4. Manny Pacquiao (Lost to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012) - $30,242,097

3. Michael Spinks (Lost to Mike Tyson in 1988) - $30,475,309

2. Conor McGregor (Lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2017) - $32,684,481

1. Oscar De La Hoya (Lost to Felix Trinidad in 1999) - $33,662,269

In all honesty, who would be mad at a $30,000,000+ package despite losing? The sting of defeat does hurt, but to take home THAT much surely wouldn’t have had these fighters hold their head down for too long. Along with Leonard, Tyson and De La Hoya are the other two fighters to be both winners and losers. Throughout the top 30, Mayweather has defeated six of them. For McGregor, he is the only non-natural boxer on this list, and in spite of losing to Mayweather, his disappointments would have disappeared after getting his hefty pay cheque.

The question that now emerges is who will be the next richest loser to enter the top 30?