When we’re competing, whether it’s in a sport, an exam, a video game or whatever, we naturally think of coming first as the ultimate goal. This is especially the case in a one versus one situation, where someone wins and the other loses. However, while losing might damage your pride, it can be just as lucrative as taking first place.

Boxing is big business, with huge revenues coming from ticket sales, pay per view, online betting, and multiple other sources. It is also known for the huge winnings that top athletes take home from the biggest, most publicised matches. However, unlike most other sports, the prize purses in boxing are usually decided before a match takes place. This means that win or lose, the athletes already know how much they are guaranteed to earn from a fight.

These purses are often supplemented by revenue from pay per view and ticket sales, meaning that the competitors will likely take home substantially more than the agreed winnings. It just goes to show that you can still be a winner without coming first every time.

As boxers have their minimum earnings agreed before a match takes place, we wanted to find out which boxing athletes have received the largest guaranteed purses, despite not winning the fight.