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Mayweather tops Woods as highest-paid athlete

June 19, 2012
Floyd Mayweather Jr is aptly nicknamed "Money" © PA Photos
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The world's highest-paid athlete is in jail. The man in second place just lost a title fight, and the man who held the distinction for a decade is now third.

Forbes has released its list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr, nicknamed "Money", is No. 1.

Mayweather is currently serving a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas for domestic battery.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao is second on the magazine's list at $62 million from earnings and endorsements. Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight title to Timothy Bradley earlier this month.

Tiger Woods, No. 1 on the list since 2001, made $59.4 million to place third.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat is fourth ($53 million). He is one of 13 basketball players on the list. Tennis star Roger Federer is fifth at $52.7 million.

Thirty American Football players made the top 100, with Peyton Manning tops among them at No. 10. The Denver Broncos' new quarterback made $42.4 million during his last season with the Indianapolis Colts, even though he sat out the entire season while recovering from a neck injury.

David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy was No. 8 overall, and the highest ranked soccer player at $46 million.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was tops among baseball players and No. 18 overall with $33 million.

Two women, both tennis players, made the list: Maria Sharapova ($27.9 million) and Li Na ($18.4 million).

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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