Anthony Joshua set for monster £70m payday as Jake Paul showdown edges closer | Boxing | Sport

According to the Daily Mail, proponents of a contest between Joshua and Paul have mooted a prize pot of around £140m, which the fighters would split evenly.

A deal has not yet been finalised, but those connected to the talks expect it to be confirmed early next week. And the showdown will not be billed as an exhibition.

One challenge in the negotiations is the desire to broadcast the fight on Netflix, with the streaming giants currently working with Joshua on a documentary.

If the fight goes ahead, it will form a key part of the Joshua documentary. But the Briton will need to overcome another barrier to get the green light as he currently has an exclusive broadcast deal with DAZN so would need to get the blessing of the platform.

Throughout the recent part of Joshua’s career, he has been tipped to get in the ring with Tyson Fury.

But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed: “We were literally looking at doing an eight-rounder on an undercard somewhere.

“It would have been a case of arriving fight week, taking on a name you have never heard of, and then putting all eyes on a big 2026 and finally getting the fight with Tyson Fury.

“We will see if Paul’s interest is real. Would it be great for Joshua’s legacy? No. But I’ll tell you what is [great] – 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.”

He added: “I don’t think people realise how much the Dubois loss hurt him. The pain of defeat and the recovery from injury needed some time. But I know for a fact that he has got his fighting mentality back and all eyes are on 2026.”

Meanwhile, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren offered his verdict as he explained: “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.”