Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to earn more than twice the pay of Daniel Dubois in their IBF heavyweight clash at Wembley on Saturday, despite being knocked out in the fifth round.
According to a report by Sporty Salaries via GB News, Joshua was guaranteed £6 million just for stepping into the ring, with his total earnings potentially rising to £25 million, depending on pay-per-view revenue.
Dubois, who defied expectations by knocking out Joshua, had a guaranteed purse of £3.5 million, which could increase to £10 million.
The 34-year-old Joshua’s higher payout is attributed to the significant attention he generated for the fight, despite the loss to his fellow Brit.
Following his fourth career defeat, Joshua has vowed to keep fighting, despite growing calls for his retirement. In a video posted to his Instagram on Monday, he expressed optimism:
“We came up short, but we’ve got to focus on the positives. That’s the mindset—always positive. Look at what we’ve achieved in 11 years, and I want to thank everyone who’s supported me. It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s far from over.”
Dubois’ victory has catapulted him to the top tier of the heavyweight division, opening the door for potential future fights against Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. A rematch with Joshua is also a possibility.
The fight reportedly set a record for the largest crowd at a British boxing event, with Turki Alalshikh claiming an attendance of “more than 98,128” fans.
