Mexican firebrand Luis Alberto Lopez will look to defend his IBF featherweight title for the fourth time against former champ Angelo Leo on August 10 at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. How much money is on the line in New Mexico? Have a look at our Lopez vs Leo purse analysis to find out.
Lopez vs Leo Purse: Big Bucks Battle in Albuquerque?
This is shaping up to be a fascinating encounter, but fans are also interested in knowing about the Lopez vs Leo prize money. As of now, there are no concrete numbers, but we are going to look at the previous fight purses of these two fighters and make some educated assumptions.
Undoubtedly, Lopez is the star attraction of the fight. The reigning champion will have significant support from the Hispanic-heavy Albuquerque crowd, who will be roaring for ‘El Venado’ from start to finish. All this indicates that Lopez will claim the biggest chunk of the Lopez vs Leo purse.
Earlier this year, Lopez made $650,000 from his fight against Reiya Abe. Keeping that in mind, Lopez’s share of the Lopez vs Leo payouts should be somewhere in the ballpark of $700,000 to $750,000.
Factoring in sponsorship and PPV money, the total payout for Lopez could be as high as $2 million.
What about Leo? ‘El Chinito’ will reportedly receive a boxing fighter pay check of $450,000 to $500,000.
The PPV shares will come into play if the PPV sales cross 400k purchases. We believe it’s going to be a 70-30 split.
Boxing Fighter Payouts – Lopez vs Leo
Lopez, the pound-for-pound king of the 126-pound division according to The Ring, has been on a tear since capturing the IBF title from Josh Warrington in a stunning upset in 2022.
The Mexican slugger has since solidified his position at the top of the featherweight division with impressive victories over the likes of Michael Conlan, Joet Gonzalez, and Reiya Abe.
Lopez has enjoyed a slightly less hectic schedule than Leo, which could potentially be a strategic advantage. Coming into the fight with fresher legs can often be a decisive factor, and the champion will look to capitalize on this potential edge.
Leo, a former world champion, captured the vacant WBO super bantamweight title in 2020 with a decision win over Tremaine Williams.
Unfortunately, his reign at the top was cut short when he lost a unanimous decision to the talented Stephen Fulton in his first defense. Undeterred, Leo moved up to featherweight and has steadily climbed the ranks, earning this title shot with a four-fight winning streak.
Leo has shown resilience in bouncing back from his loss to Fulton. He’s racked up victories against Aaron Alameda, Nicolas Polanco, Mike Plania, and Eduardo Baez.
Although his latest win over Baez didn’t end in a knockout, it was a clear-cut decision that highlighted his boxing skills and determination. Leo will also relish fighting Lopez in front of his hometown crowd.
Bren Gray is our resident Kiwi, and has been writing about sports since he could first string words together. He first fell in love with boxing when David Tua took on Lennox Lewis in 2000, and hasn't looked back since.
