Subsequent month’s Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul matchup in Miami is shaping as much as be one of the weird, polarizing, and financially supercharged occasions in trendy boxing historical past. What started as a rumor that appeared too absurd to take critically has now been confirmed as a full eight-round skilled heavyweight contest scheduled for December 19 on the Kaseya Middle, streaming globally on Netflix. And in keeping with a number of studies, together with a extensively circulated Every day Mail determine and follow-up commentary from former UFC champion Michael Bisping, the payday hooked up to this spectacle is staggering: a mixed purse estimated at $184 million, cut up evenly, with every man reportedly incomes about $92 million.
For perspective, that places this combat in the identical monetary stratosphere as marquee boxing occasions like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and Mayweather vs. McGregor. But in contrast to these matchups, this one pairs a former unified heavyweight champion with a YouTuber turned novice boxer whose résumé incorporates extra preposterous spectacle than substance. It’s equal components athletic occasion, Netflix mega manufacturing, and cultural circus designed to seize world consideration.
A Wildly Profitable Deal That Was Too Massive To Ignore
Anthony Joshua, now 36, has stayed largely out of the highlight since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois 14 months in the past. Promoter Eddie Hearn had beforehand recommended Joshua was concentrating on a easy tune-up bout earlier than resuming negotiations for a large 2026 showdown with Tyson Fury. However when Jake Paul’s workforce and Netflix put a nine-figure purse on the desk, Joshua didn’t hesitate.
“You will see much more fighters take these alternatives,” Joshua mentioned. “I am right here to do large numbers, have massive fights, and break each document.“
The deal was so giant that DAZN, which has Joshua underneath a long-term unique contract, reportedly obtained a considerable payout to let him combat on a rival platform.
Jake Paul’s Largest Payday By Far
Jake Paul has made a profession out of choosing opponents who decrease hazard whereas maximizing headlines and income. His résumé contains an getting older, bodily compromised Mike Tyson and former UFC fighters working far outdoors their prime weight courses and disciplines. However getting into the ring with Joshua, who’s taller, heavier, stronger, and much more skilled, is a leap in danger.
Paul, nevertheless, sees it because the combat that legitimizes his boxing ambitions.
“This is not an AI simulation. That is Judgment Day,” he mentioned. “Once I beat Anthony Joshua, each doubt disappears.“
The large purse ensures that even when he suffers a brutal loss, Paul leaves the ring with generational wealth.
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Why Critics Name It a Lose-Lose For Joshua
Bisping summarized what many within the fight sports activities world are pondering. Joshua good points nothing from beating Paul, and all the pieces collapses if he loses.
“If he beats Paul, he will get no credit score. If he loses, then holy shit,” Bisping mentioned. “That may be the largest downfall of any boxer’s profession.“
But the eight-round restrict, 245-pound weight cap, and businesslike tone of the negotiations have many insiders satisfied that is extra managed leisure than actually harmful competitors.
A Document-Breaking Payday For A Boxing Curiosity
Between the Netflix world broadcast, the novelty of the matchup, and the continued fascination with Jake Paul as a disruptor, the monetary math behind this occasion is smart even when the boxing logic doesn’t.
Two fighters, one far previous his prime and one by no means totally confirmed, now stand prepared to separate practically $200 million for a combat that might by no means be sanctioned in the UK and has already drawn eye-rolling from the British Boxing Board of Management.
The spectacle will dominate consideration in December, pull in large streaming numbers, and as soon as once more check the boundaries of how far boxing can stretch itself in pursuit of income.
Whether or not the combat lasts one minute or all eight rounds, each males stroll away richer than most champions within the sport’s historical past, and that, greater than the aggressive final result, is the true story.
