Anthony Joshua to earn £70m in potential fight with Jake Paul

Anthony Joshua is on course to secure a staggering £70m from a highly anticipated clash with internet star-turned-boxer Jake Paul, as advanced negotiations continue for a blockbuster bout epected to be held in Miami next month.

Insiders familiar with the discussions say a colossal prize purse of roughly £140m is on the table, with both Joshua and Paul projected to receive equal shares should the fight be finalised.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, cautioned on Thursday that the agreement is still being ironed out. The contest would mark the 36-year-old’s return to the ring for the first time since his heavy defeat to Daniel Dubois over a year ago. Yet sources indicate an announcement could arrive early next week.

The event would be recognised as a full professional fight under Queensbury rules, not an exhibition match.

A major driving force behind the negotiations is Netflix’s eagerness to air the bout. The streaming platform, currently producing a documentary on Joshua, previously hosted Paul’s November 2024 fight with Mike Tyson, which attracted more than 60 million viewers.

Paul’s collapsed matchup with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis has accelerated fresh talks with Joshua’s camp after more than 12 months of speculation about a potential meeting.

“It is not done yet,” Hearn told Daily Mail Sport.

“There has been a lot of gun jumping on this. I think Jake Paul would be mad to take the fight, but we are in talks. We were discussing a very low-key fight for AJ, but an opportunity has come up to make 50 times more money.”

Addressing criticism surrounding the spectacle, Hearn added, “Would it be great for Joshua’s legacy? No. But I’ll tell you what is – two-time heavyweight world champion and an Olympic gold medal. This is an opportunity and fair play to Paul if he wants to get in that ring because AJ won’t be messing about.”

Paul holds a 12-1 record compiled largely against obscure fighters and ageing legends, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Tommy Fury.

Tyson Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, also weighed in, telling Daily Mail Sport, “People are going to criticise it, but I don’t see it that way. As long as these guys are both fit, which they are, then I don’t have a problem. It will get a huge audience – AJ doesn’t cause a lot of noise in the US, and Paul does. People like car crashes. It will do well