At 40, Pacquiao still commanding 8-figure paydays

LAS VEGAS — Win or lose, Manny Pacquiao will again be laughing his way to the bank as another huge payday looms for his fight with Adrien Broner here on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).

Citing information released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, ESPN’s Dan Rafael said Pacquiao is set to earn $10 million for defending his WBA welterweight championship against Broner.

The Filipino icon is likewise entitled to a percentage of the fight profits, including those from the live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the pay-per-view buys, making his take-home pay sweeter.

Not bad for a 40-year-old fighter whose prime has long since passed.

For Pacquiao though, there are bigger motivations than money.

The fighting senator will approach the match with Broner raring to prove that he can still put in great work despite his age. He insists he still feels fresh, like a 40-year-old man in the body of a 30-year-old stud.

His strong desire to train and equally high metabolism for a middle-aged man are always topics of conversation throughout the promotion.

Broner, on the other hand, will have a $2.5 million purse. For someone known for his flashy lifestyle that includes regularly splurging cash on jewelry and other worldly goods, money plays a huge part in his motivation to fight.

During a sit-down with reporters here a few days ago, the 29-year-old boxer revealed he turned down a fight with Pacquiao when the latter was still with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.

“All I worry about is, as long as my money right, we could have a nice fight. I told Bob Arum that, but he only wanted to give me like $2 million. So I said, [expletive] him,’” he said. 

Like Pacquiao, Broner will enjoy a cut of the fight revenue. That perhaps sweetened the deal for the brash man from Cincinnati.

“So, this time, you know, they talking a lot better. Them numbers right. So, we gonna have a hell of a fight,” Broner added.

One can only hope that Broner indeed does more than just show up for a paycheck.