By Bisi Olawale
Anthony Joshua has secured a place among the top three highest-earning boxers in 2024, despite his surprising defeat to Daniel Dubois in September, according to reports from PUNCH Sports Extra.
The British-Nigerian former two-time heavyweight champion took home a guaranteed purse of £6 million from his showdown at Wembley Stadium. With additional revenue from pay-per-view (PPV) purchases, Joshua’s earnings could surpass £25 million if the PPV buys hit the 850,000 mark.
Joshua trails only Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez in earnings for the year. Fury, also known as the “Gypsy King,” amassed an extraordinary $100 million following his historic undisputed heavyweight title clash against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May.
Meanwhile, Mexican superstar Alvarez reportedly made over $35 million for his successful super middleweight title defense against Jaime Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as per boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
Joshua’s opponent, Dubois, secured a guaranteed £3.5 million purse, with the potential to earn up to £8 million depending on PPV sales. Their bout was nothing short of dramatic, as Dubois floored Joshua four times before achieving a fifth-round stoppage.
This lucrative event has fueled anticipation for Joshua’s return to the ring, with his promoter Eddie Hearn hinting at a possible clash with Fury in the future. “I think Fury, win or lose, will want to fight AJ next, and that’s something we need to decide,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
However, Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren suggests Joshua should rebuild his standing first, ruling out an immediate rematch with Dubois, who is scheduled to defend his IBF heavyweight title on February 22 against a yet-to-be-named challenger.
The rise of the Riyadh Season has transformed Saudi Arabia into a major hub for boxing, substantially boosting fighter payouts in 2024. Usyk, who defeated Fury to claim the undisputed heavyweight title, earned a hefty $45 million from their May face-off.
(From Punch)