Anthony Joshua is set to part with a significant portion of his earnings after stopping Jake Paul in their heavyweight clash in Miami.
The British boxer knocked Paul down and out in the sixth round of their bout at the Kaseya Center on Friday night. Despite the emphatic finish, the 36-year-old admitted his performance against the social media star-turned-boxer was not flawless.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Joshua accepted potential criticism for allowing the fight to go six rounds. “I deserve it,” he said when asked about backlash. “Because we are elite fighters, if I put myself in the shoes of a coach, if my fighter did six rounds with Jake Paul, I would get him back in the gym tomorrow, give him a bit of a beating and get straight back to work. I’d be like, ‘How are you letting this kid take you six rounds? Are you crazy?’
“But I can’t go back in time, but credit to him, he done well. I told him what would happen but it just took six rounds to do it.”
Joshua and Paul reportedly shared a prize pot of around £137 million, with each fighter earning approximately £68.5 million from the Netflix-broadcast bout. Referee Christopher Young stopped the contest at 1:31 of the sixth round, after the pair had spent a combined 989 seconds in the ring. That figure equates to roughly £69,000 per second or £4.1 million per minute for Joshua.
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However, the Watford-born former two-time unified heavyweight champion will not take home the full amount. As a UK resident fighting in the United States, Joshua is liable for tax in both countries.
According to AceOdds, about 37 per cent of his purse — roughly £25.6 million — will be paid to the Internal Revenue Service. Although Florida has no state income tax, the bout took place on US soil, making Joshua subject to federal income tax at the highest rate.
He must also settle the balance of his UK tax obligations, owing an estimated £5.5 million to HMRC, along with around £1.4 million in National Insurance contributions. In total, Joshua’s tax bill is expected to be in the region of £32 million.
Despite the eye-watering figures, Joshua insists money was not his primary motivation for accepting the fight. “It’s not even my biggest payday; it’s not about money,” he said. “For me, it was more about the opportunity. I had to showcase my skills to the world.”
Despite his defeat, Paul has been praised for his bravery in the ring. After undergoing surgery to repair his jaw, he was indefinitely suspended by the Florida Athletic Commission.
The 28-year-old won’t be allowed to fight again in Florida until he receives medical clearance, with a return to the ring not anticipated until next summer.
More than 48 hours after his loss to Joshua, Paul took to social media to flaunt his financial gains from the bout.
After being discharged from hospital and returning to Puerto Rico, Paul shared a photo of himself on a private jet surrounded by scattered dollar bills. Also in the picture were Hermes blankets and a collection of firearms, including a pistol held by the boxer.
“The American Dream. Starts yours today,” he captioned the post. “Believe in it. Fail. Work. Fail. Learn. Fail. Don’t ever stop.” Paul shared a snap of himself as a youngster alongside the private jet photograph.
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