Anthony Joshua will part with a substantial portion of his earnings following his knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami.
The British heavyweight defeated Paul in the sixth round at the Kaseya Center on Friday, although Joshua admitted his performance was not flawless. Speaking to talkSPORT, he acknowledged potential criticism for letting the fight last six rounds. “I deserve it,” he said, reflecting on the challenge of facing Paul for the full duration. “If I were a coach, I’d have put my fighter straight back in the gym after six rounds. But credit to him; he did well.”
Joshua and Paul reportedly shared a prize pool of around £137 million, earning approximately £68.5 million each from the Netflix-broadcast bout. The fight lasted a combined 989 seconds, equating to roughly £69,000 per second for Joshua.
However, the Watford-born former two-time unified heavyweight champion will not retain the full amount. As a UK resident competing in the United States, Joshua is liable for taxes in both countries. About 37% of his purse—roughly £25.6 million—will go to the US Internal Revenue Service. Although Florida has no state income tax, the federal tax applies.
Joshua will also owe an estimated £5.5 million to HM Revenue & Customs in the UK, along with about £1.4 million in National Insurance contributions, bringing his total tax obligations to around £32 million.
Despite the eye-watering figures, Joshua emphasized that money was not his main motivation. “It’s not even my biggest payday; it’s not about money,” he said. “It was more about the opportunity to showcase my skills to the world.”
