Mike Tyson walked out to fight Jake Paul, one thing was certain- money. From the moment the bout was announced, it was built as a big money fight, and as expected both boxers took home a substantial purse from the night. Tyson bagged a reported $20 million while Paul pocketed a whopping $40 million. This is a staggering amount of payout for a boxing match today would surprise a lot of people and the great Muhammad Ali would have been one of them, according to his daughter.

Ali was a game-changer when it came to boxers making big bucks in the sport. Yes, the likes of Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano earned between $250,000-$500,000, but other less popular fighters found it hard to make it big. Ali’s rise coupled with the advent of TV deals, sponsorships, and a global audience brought far more financial rewards, with the boxers making millions. Yet, for the longest time, this wasn’t the case.

During a conversation with Fox News, Rasheda Ali talked about how his father marketed himself into a brand and brought greater attention to the sport. “Before there were promoters and managers and marketing people for boxers, he did that on his own. And what I think Daddy wanted was, he wanted people to spend money to watch him fight.”

According to Netflix, Tyson vs Jake Paul was watched by 60 million households worldwide watched the fight, with streams peaking at 65 million. These numbers once again highlight the contrast between the fortunes of boxers 40-50 years ago and today. For his first professional fight, Ali made a reported $630,000 in 1964. Nearly 15 years later, he would earn his highest career paycheck, making $7.9 million when he fought Larry Holmes in 1980.

Rasheda Ali added, “Boxers didn’t make money, like you know, Tyson’s making. And Daddy would have been excited he made that kind of money. Daddy would have been mortified. Because back then, boxers didn’t really make that much. They were fighting for their lives, and I think as my dad started to make boxing more entertainment, that’s when people came on board and how boxers started to, after my dad, make a lot of money.”

Ali’s meteoric rise to stardom changed the boxing landscape as he bagged bigger purses progressively in his career. His willingness to fight in different countries and stage events there, such as ‘Thrilla in Manila’ and ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ made boxers global superstars. Ali’s career earnings stood at $57 million. Tyson built on it and made it an even bigger spectacle as boxing continued its golden run.

According to Forbes, Tyson made $400 million in fight purses, and despite filing for bankruptcy in 2003, his net worth stands at $10 million. Tyson coming out of retirement for the bout against Jake Paul and getting audiences worldwide to tune in to watch him is a testament to his popularity even after nearly two decades of his last fight.

Though Netflix and both the boxers haven’t disclosed their earnings, it is reported that Tyson will bag $20 million and Paul will take $40 million. Boxing has since its fair share of large paydays in the recent past as well. So where do Tyson and Paul compare to other marquee bouts?

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson pales in comparison to other notable fights

In 2017, UFC star Connor McGregor stepped inside the boxing ring to face Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather came out on top to take his streak to 50-0 and earned  $275 million for the night, according to Forbes. McGregor, on the other hand, bagged $100 million.

Also, in 2o15, Mayweather had a “Fight of the Century” showdown with Manny Pacquiao and while the fight wasn’t memorable, for both the boxers it filled their coffers well. Pacquiao received a 40 percent split of the revenue and earned upward of $150 million. Mayweather, who emerged victorious, made “roughly $250 million” according to ESPN. The fight also produced 4.6 million domestic PPV sales.

So as we see when the spotlight is brighter, there is always a chance for all parties to make more money. Jake Paul would laud his win over Tyson for some time to come, but he has a lot to prove and in terms of being lucrative, there is also a lot of ground to cover. Could we see hum challenge Mayweather down the road? How much money will that rake in? Well, let’s wait and watch.