Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua has been named as one of the top three highest-earning boxers, despite experiencing a surprising defeat to Daniel Dubois in September.
Joshua secured a guaranteed purse of £6 million for his bout at Wembley Stadium, with the potential for his total earnings to exceed £25 million if pay-per-view sales reach 850,000.
This achievement places Joshua among the elite earners in boxing, trailing only Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez this year.
Fury earned an impressive $100 million in his historic undisputed heavyweight match against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while Alvarez reportedly made “north of $35 million” for his successful title defence against Jaime Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as noted by boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
In the same fight, Dubois received a guaranteed purse of £3.5 million, with total earnings potentially reaching £8 million based on pay-per-view performance. The fight concluded dramatically, with Dubois knocking down Joshua four times before achieving a fifth-round knockout.
Looking ahead, Joshua’s lucrative earnings set the stage for his anticipated return to the ring. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has hinted at a potential match with Fury as the next step for the British star. “I think Fury, win or lose, will want to fight AJ next, and that’s something we’ve got to decide,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
However, Fury’s co-promoter, Frank Warren, has expressed that Joshua may need to rebuild his credibility before an immediate rematch with Dubois can be considered. Dubois is scheduled to defend his IBF heavyweight title on February 22 against an unnamed opponent.
The launch of Riyadh Season has notably enhanced fighter earnings in 2024, as Saudi Arabia is emerging as a leading destination for lucrative boxing events. Recall that Usyk earned $45 million from his May clash with Fury after securing the undisputed heavyweight champion title.
