For 72 minutes of work in the ring, Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned a whopping $105 million and the title as the highest-paid athlete in the world, only affirming that he's been living up to the "Money" moniker.

After multi-million paydays care of two bouts over the past year, the boxer took the No. 1 spot in Forbes' annual list of the globe's highest-paid athletes.

Mayweather's match against Saul (Canelo) Alvarez in September, "The One," broke the records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate ($20 million) and total revenue (roughly $200 million).

For his May fight against Marcos Maidana, PPV buys haven't been accounted yet (buys are expected to finish in the 900,000 to one million range), but Mayweather is already guaranteed $32 million, Forbes remarked.

The boxer's popularity helps drive up PPV sales, Forbes comented, adding that his purse gets an extra boost because he also serves as a fight promoter.

"I'm doing something that no other athlete is doing, promoting myself and seeing my hard work pay off in the form of record-breaking numbers," said Mayweather in a statement quoted by ESPN. "It's all about hard work and dedication, which is so important and a key part of my financial success."

Forbes mentioned that he is only second to Tiger Woods to surpass the $100-million earnings threshold. The golfer now ranks sixth ($61.2 million), with his 11-year dominance of the Forbes list broken by Mayweather in 2012.

"I'm grateful for my family, team and fans. Being able to take care of my family is my No. 1 priority, and the level of success that I've achieved allows me to give them the best.

"I look forward to stepping into the ring in September and doing what I do best," Mayweather added, referring to a fight against a still unnamed opponent.

ESPN also reported that aside from Mayweather, three other boxers cracked the list: Manny Pacquiao (11th, $48.1 million), Wladimir Klitschko (25th, $28 million) and Alvarez (66th, $21 million).

Coming in No. 2 is soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo with $80 million dollars, with Forbes factoring in his Real Madrid contract worth $200 million, plus bonuses; multiple endorsement partners; and his social media dominance. He leads a group of 15 soccer players, including fourth-placed Lionel Messi ($64.7 million).

LeBron James, the NBA's biggest endorsement star, earned $72.3 million and takes the third spot. Just two spots down is fellow NBA star Kobe Bryant, cashing in $61.5 million.

Maria Sharapova (No. 34, $24.4 million) leads a trifecta of women players from tennis making the Top 100, observed Forbes. The sport is noted as the only one where women's earnings come close to those of men.

Carried over from last year are China's Li Na (No. 41, $23.6 million) and Serena Williams (No. 55, $22 million).

Forbes' figures sum up salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, as well as licensing and endorsement income between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014.

Taxes and agents' fees are not deducted. Investment income is also excluded unless it is a stake in a company tied to a sponsorship.

The 100 highest-paid athletes made a collective $2.75 billion over the last 12 months, said Forbes, up 5 percent from last year.