Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are in line for bumper pay days if negotiations over a proposed fight next month end positively.
The former heavyweight world champion looks set to end his 14-month hiatus outside the ring with a last-minute fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Joshua has not fought since he was stunned with a fifth-round stoppage by British rival Daniel Dubois last September.
It halted Joshua‘s momentum under trainer Ben Davison and his charge towards another world title tilt but Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn revealed at the grand arrivals of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II on Tuesday night that a tune-up fight is on the cards.
Reports in the United States now suggest Joshua is close to finalising a bout with Paul in Miami in December after numerous rumours about the duo have intensified in recent months.
Paul lost to Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy in 2023 before he beat boxing great Mike Tyson in an eight-round contest last year and had been due to face Gervonta Davis until a civil lawsuit against the WBA lightweight champion scuppered that proposed November 14 exhibition fight.
How much will Anthony Joshua be paid to fight Jake Paul?
While the reaction to the potential of Joshua making his eagerly anticipated return to the ring against an opponent of Paul’s limitations has been far from unanimously positive, the financial incentives are clear.
According to the Daily Mail, a prize pot of £140million, which would be split evenly between the two protagonists, has been touted.
Further talks are scheduled for the coming days with one of the sticking points centering on a desire among organisers to broadcast the fight on Netflix.
Paul’s fight against Tyson, which ended in a sad unanimous points defeat for Iron Mike, attracted a record audience of 60million on the streaming service.
Joshua has a deal in place with DAZN so any clash with Paul would depend on their blessing and the British boxer’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was keen to stress there remain significant obstacles to overcome.
He said: ‘It is not done yet, 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. People who criticise it have to be honest: what would you do in AJ’s shoes?’
What has the reaction been to Anthony Joshua fighting Jake Paul
Hearn’s long-time sparring partner Frank Warren, meanwhile, believes Joshua has every right to take on a fight of this magnitude, even if the event is likely to be a ‘car crash’.
‘People are going to criticise it but I don’t see it that way,’ said Warren.
‘I don’t like these fights where an old fighter in his late-fifties is dragged into the ring, but as long as these guys are both fit, which they are, then I don’t have a problem.
‘People always say Jake Paul only takes on opponents who don’t have a pulse, so you can’t knock him for this, if it goes ahead. 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.’
Another British fighter, Derek Chisora, fears Joshua will be risking his legacy unless he can put on a convincing display and dispose of his potential next opponent in double quick time.
He said: ‘AJ took a year out, easy fight for him and I think it should be laid to rest because I don’t think AJ’s going to go in there and try and pat him. AJ is going to smoke him.
‘I will say this about AJ: don’t let that guy knock you out, because that will be f***ing nightmares forever, but AJ has to kill him in three rounds.’