<<Print>>

Floyd Mayweather Jnr has been named the world�s highest-paid athlete in 2103 by Forbes magazine. The pound-for-pound No 1, who has won all 46 of his fights as a professional, made $105million (�62.5m) for his last two fights, against Saul �Canelo� Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. Mayweather, 37, beat Cristiano Ronaldo to top spot with basketball star LeBron James in third. Mayweather also topped the list in 2013 with $85m (�51m), ousting Tiger Woods who been No 1 for the previous decade. �I�m humbled and extremely fortunate to be recognised by Forbes as the highest-paid athlete once again,� said Mayweather. �I�m doing something that no other athlete is doing, promoting myself and seeing my hard work pay off in the form of record-breaking numbers. It�s all about hard work and dedication which is so important and a key part of my financial success. �I�m grateful for my family, team and fans. Being able to take care of my family is my number one priority and the level of success that I�ve achieved allows me to give them the best. I look forward to stepping into the ring in September and doing what I do best.� Mayweather will return to the ring on September 13, possibly in a rematch with Maidana who ran him close in Las Vegas last month. Meanwhile, Real Madrid star Ronaldo leads a group of 15 footballers in the top 100. His endorsements with the likes of Nike and Samsung total $28m (�17m). Miami Heat�s James is the NBA�s biggest endorsement star thanks to deals with Nike, McDonalds and Coca Cola. Barcelona�s Lionel Messi and NBA legend Kobe Bryant complete the top five while three women, all tennis players, make the top 100. Maria Sharapova ranks at No 34, Li Na at No 41 and Serena Williams at No 55.