Anthony Joshua is on course to bank around £70m from a blockbuster heavyweight clash with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, with advanced talks under way for a December bout in Miami that would stream globally on Netflix. The total prize pot is expected to reach roughly £140m, split equally between the pair, according to reports in the UK and US.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has stressed that the deal is not yet signed, despite growing expectation that Netflix will confirm the fight early next week. “It is not done yet… everyone’s jumped the gun,” Hearn said, adding that Joshua, 36, had originally been in talks for a “very low-key fight” before the far more lucrative Paul proposal emerged.
If finalized, the contest will be sanctioned as a full professional bout under Queensberry rules, not an exhibition, with 10oz gloves and standard scoring – a significant step up in jeopardy for Paul against a former unified heavyweight champion.
Netflix is seen as a major driving force behind the negotiations after the streaming giant’s foray into live boxing delivered record numbers. Paul’s November 2024 showdown with Mike Tyson drew around 60 million households worldwide and over 100 million total viewers, making it the most-streamed sporting event in the platform’s history and proving his value as a global draw.
Paul, 28, owns a 12–1 professional record built largely against smaller or faded names, but he has grown more credible after beating former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. and earning a No 14 WBA ranking at cruiserweight. His planned exhibition with lightweight star Gervonta Davis collapsed amid legal and sanctioning issues, accelerating talks with Joshua’s camp.
Hearn has admitted the matchup is more about money than legacy. “Would it be great for Joshua’s legacy? No. But I’ll tell you what is – two-time heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medallist… you can’t eat legacy,” he quipped, while warning Paul would be “mad” to take such a risk against a full-sized heavyweight.
The idea has split opinion across boxing. Critics warn of a dangerous mismatch and fear Joshua could “lose all credibility” by facing a YouTuber, while others, including Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, argue the spectacle will attract a huge audience and inject fresh money into the sport. “People like car crashes. It will do well,” Warren said.
For Joshua, who has not fought since a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois over a year ago, the fight would offer both an enormous payday and a chance to shake off ring rust after elbow surgery and a long layoff – albeit in the most unorthodox comeback bout of his career.
