By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Joshua Set to Surrender Nearly Half of Jake Paul Fight Earnings
Anthony Joshua’s emphatic victory over Jake Paul in Miami may have delivered global headlines and a blockbuster payday, but a sizeable chunk of the money will never make it into the former heavyweight champion’s pocket.
Joshua stopped the YouTuber-turned-boxer in the sixth round of their much-hyped heavyweight contest at the Kaseya Center, ending the bout with a decisive knockout that silenced critics and drew massive attention to the Netflix-broadcast event.
The fight, staged on Friday night, was one of the most lucrative crossover bouts in modern boxing.
The British star and Paul reportedly shared a total purse of about £137 million, with Joshua earning approximately £68.5 million for the night’s work.
Referee Christopher Young waved off the contest at 1 minute, 31 seconds into round six, bringing an end to 989 seconds of action inside the ring. By simple calculation, Joshua earned roughly £69,000 per second, a figure that underscores the commercial scale of the fight.
However, the headline figure masks the reality of international taxation. As a UK resident competing in the United States, Joshua is liable to pay tax in both countries, significantly reducing his final take-home sum.
According to estimates from betting and finance analysts at AceOdds, about 37 per cent of his fight purse, roughly £25.6 million, will go to the US Internal Revenue Service.
Although Florida does not impose state income tax, the fight’s location on American soil places Joshua within the highest federal tax bracket. Beyond his US obligations, Joshua is also expected to settle outstanding taxes at home.
He is projected to pay around £5.5 million to the UK’s HM Revenue and Customs, alongside approximately £1.4 million in National Insurance contributions. When combined, the deductions are expected to push his total tax bill to around £32 million.
Despite the financial hit, Joshua appeared unfazed in his post-fight reflections. Speaking on talkSPORT, the 36-year-old admitted he was open to criticism over allowing the bout stretch into six rounds.
“I deserve it,” Joshua said. “If I were coaching an elite fighter who went six rounds with Jake Paul, I’d send him straight back to the gym. You’d be asking questions. But credit to him, he did well. I told him what would happen, it just took six rounds.”
Joshua also downplayed suggestions that money was his driving force for accepting the fight, insisting the bout was about exposure and opportunity rather than cash.
“It’s not even my biggest payday,” he said. “It wasn’t about the money. For me, it was about the platform and showing my skills to the world.”
While the win adds another high-profile victory to Joshua’s résumé, it also serves as a reminder that even the biggest nights in boxing come with equally heavyweight financial obligations outside the ring.
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