SLIDESHOW: Pretty Boy to Money Man: Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Payday Climb

He has been hailed as champion, decried as a chump. He rose to the top just as past greats have, but some say he started ducking opponents when he got there. Much like his fighting style, however, ducking and jabbing has brought Floyd Mayweather Jr. all the fame a poverty-stricken child could have ever dreamed.

Mayweather made his first national impression after winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He fought his way up the professional ranks the next several years, winning the Super featherweight, Lightweight, Light welterweight and Welterweight belts. He cashed in an $8 million purse when he defeated Carlos Baldimor in the winter of 2006. That was just the beginning. The next seven years would bring an exorbitant amount of wealth to Mayweather's pocket.

Muhammad Ali knew how to talk, but could back it up in the ring. This Grand Rapids, Michigan native did the same, and kept the dying sport of boxing in the limelight along the way.

All figures are a combination of Mayweather's guaranteed fight money and his Pay-Per-View (PPV) percentages. Courtesy of CelebrityNetWorth.com