Canelo Alvarez will pocket double the purse of his rival Gennady Golovkin tonight with the Mexican set to earn a guaranteed $45million from their trilogy bout.
The Mexican star has been earning lucrative purses throughout his career and it is understood Matchroom Boxing and DAZN have splashed out a total of $65m to pay both fighters. Alvarez also earned more than his rival for the first two fights, with the 32-year-old earning a guaranteed $5m in comparison to Golovkin's $3m for their maiden clash at the same venue.
The pair then renewed their rivalry the following year after their controversial split-decision draw which saw Alvarez again earning $5m while Golovkin was bumped up to $4m. However it was expected the A-side fighter would earn $40m after revenue from pay-per-view sales and gate with his Kazakh rival taking home $30m.
And the purses will certainly leap to their highest tonight with Alvarez pocketing $45m for their third showdown tonight before pay-per-view revenue and ticket sales. Golovkin, who will challenge for all of his rival's 168lb undisputed titles, will only earn a fraction of his opponent's purse but will still pocket a guaranteed $20m before bonuses are calculated.
Alvarez's monumental earnings are not surprising given he signed on the dotted line in a lucrative three-fight deal with both promoter Eddie Hearn and his partnering streaming service worth around $160m for three outings which includes his last purse against Bivol.
A meeting with Golovkin is considered seismic in the boxing world given their first two meetings which captured the imagination of fans across the globe. Despite earning less than his long-term foe, Golovkin will still earn a career-high payday when revenue is added via bonuses.
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Alvarez has always been considered a huge draw in the modern era which has seen him develop his notorious catchphrase "payday" when fighter such as UFC star Kamaru Usman have called him out. DAZN are heavily invested in this fight and will likely expect the event to reach at least 800,000 buys across the globe to satisfy their financial demands.
Alvarez has even suggested Golovkin is searching for a payday by accepting another instalment of their famous encounter. “I was busy fighting with the best fighters out there," Alvarez said. "That’s why [it took four years for the third fight]. Of course [he’s waited around and not done anything but wait for me].
"He wants his last payday. Look at my fights after GGG, and look at his fights. He’s not talking sh!t anymore because he has me in front of him now. Call the lion when you see he’s coming – and I’m coming."
