Jailed Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops Forbes' money list

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. participates in a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. / AP Photo

(AP) The world's highest-paid athlete is in jail. The guy 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, who made $85 million for two fights last year, is currently serving a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas for domestic battery.

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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 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) comes in at No. 26, and Li Na ($18.4 million).

[Jaylah54100]

Sorta tells you something (that you may not really want to hear) about what we as a society value these days, huh?

[tommyboy194]

Gravy train money too...he dodges anyone who might have a slight chance of beating him..no power may weather, no personality , no power at all..he waits till the good guys get old, then he fights them..their should be a law against guys like him, who get rich and really hasn't fought anyone good. Him and his buddy fifty cent have no talent, but they have been chosen by the powers, so now we're stuck with a life sentence.

[audemus]

Check back on Mayweather's "Forbes" status in about ten years or so........

[guyfrompa46]

Good idea.. He better get used to those bars.

[Hutterite]

We aren't doing well at picking role models these days.