Featured Image Credit: Ed Mulholland/Getty Images for Netflix
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Jake Paul, Money, Sport, Tyson Fury
Joe Yates
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Jake Paul, Money, Sport, Tyson Fury
The results are in after Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul went head-to-head at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19, with Joshua claiming victory after the hard-fought bout.
The duo went head-to-head for 6, 3-minute rounds before Joshua finally secured the win, with Jake Paul knocked out after suffering multiple knockdowns.
The highly anticipated match initially got off to a rocky start, with neither Joshua nor Paul landing much in the way of punches as Paul danced around the ring trying to avoid a fight.
However, as the rounds progressed, so too did Joshua's frustration, with the former Olympic champion eventually taking down his opponent and retaining his reputation as a world-class boxer who was not to be trifled with.
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Following their bout, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has shared the severe injury he's received on the back of Joshua's devastating right hook, though he seemed in high spirits about the fight.
"I'm feeling good, that was fun, I love this sport. I gave it my all, it's crazy. I had a blast, thank you to all the fans," he said.
"Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, I got beat, but that's what this sport is about. I will come back and keep on winning.
"I've already won in every single way of life. My family, my beautiful fiancé, this sport has helped me so much in my life."
Meanwhile, Joshua admitted that it wasn't his 'best performance', adding: "The end goal was to pin Jake Paul down and hurt him. That has been the request leading up, that was on my mind.
"It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination."
He also gave 'props' to Paul for his performance, as he continued: "Jake Paul has done really well tonight, I want to give him the props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.
"You have to give Jake credit for trying, but he came up against a real fighter tonight."
Joshua was adamant that him knocking out Paul is what the world of boxing has been waiting for - a pressure that he's relishing.
"With [Francis] Ngannou, I remember he beat up Tyson Fury over 10 rounds and somehow Fury got the decision," Joshua said.
"When I fought Ngannou, I knew there was a lot riding on it.
"With this one it feels like I'm being pulled in to save the purists of boxing because people don't like I'm fighting Jake.
"If we look at the people that don't want me to be here, but want me to put an end to 'the Jake Paul show', I understand it and that's why I carry boxing on my back with this fight."
The influencer-turned-boxer has made the bold claim that he has influenced boxing in the last decade more than anybody else in the sport.
"No one has done more for the sport of boxing in the last decade than myself," Paul said.
"So if people cared about boxing, they would want me to win. But I see the angle they're coming from in the sense he's been doing it all his life."
Before adding: "But I think that I'm more important for boxing so if they cared about the sport they would want me to win."
The bout between the pair is unprecedented. Ahead of Paul's announcement that he was to fight the former Olympic gold medalist, the Daily Mail reported: "Sources tell us that a gargantuan prize pot of around £140m [$184m] has been mooted."
However, according to the YouTuber-turned-boxer, the purse on offer stands at a staggering $267 million, with reports suggesting that it will be split evenly between the two.
"Stop asking me. $267 million," he posted on X.
That's larger than the prize pool for both Uysk vs Fury fights - the first with a purse reportedly standing at $150 million, and the second between $190 million and $195 million. In fact, there's only ever been two fights for more money in the history of boxing.
"Even if the lower figure – the rumoured $184m purse – is true, AJ could bring home $92m," sports accountant Oriana Morrison told The Independent.
"We haven’t seen a boxing match with a purse at this level since Mayweather vs Pacquiao in 2015 or even Mayweather vs McGregor in 2017.
"It’s higher than any Saudi purse to date.”
Frank Warren, Tyson Fury's promoter, warned Joshua that if he couldn't get over the line with Paul, then he should forget about the fight between himself and Fury next year - which the British public have been waiting for, for the last decade.
"Well, if it does, he won't be fighting Tyson Fury, that's for sure," Warren told Sky Sports.
"Jake Paul has had 12 fights. He's never fought at this level, he's never fought at this weight at heavyweight and he's fighting a two-time world champion, former Olympic gold medallist who's still ranked in the top 10 despite his loss that he had against Daniel Dubois, his comprehensive loss against him.
"He should have too much - much, much too much - for Jake Paul and if he can't beat Jake Paul, we shouldn't even be talking about him fighting Tyson Fury."