Anthony Joshua emerged victorious after a highly anticipated clash with Jake Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19, following a hard-fought match.
The match consisted of six rounds, each lasting three minutes, with Joshua securing the victory by knocking out Jake Paul after several knockdowns.
The showdown began tentatively, as both fighters struggled to land significant punches, with Paul attempting to evade Joshua’s advances by moving around the ring.
As the fight progressed, Joshua’s irritation grew, and the former Olympic champion eventually overpowered Paul, affirming his status as an elite boxer.
Joshua expressed confidence that defeating Paul was a significant moment for the boxing world, a challenge he eagerly accepted.
“With [Francis] Ngannou, I remember he beat up Tyson Fury over 10 rounds and somehow Fury got the decision,” Joshua noted.
“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, Jake Paul, has boldly claimed he has had a significant impact on boxing over the last decade.
“No one has done more for the sport of boxing in the last decade than myself,” Paul asserted.
“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.”
Paul further added, “But I think that I’m more important for boxing so if they cared about the sport they would want me to win.”
The fight between Joshua and Paul was an unprecedented event. Before Paul announced his intention to face 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 Paul, the prize was actually an astounding $267 million, with reports suggesting an even split between the two fighters.
“Stop asking me. $267 million,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This amount surpasses the prize pools of both Uysk vs Fury fights, with the first offering a $150 million purse, and the second ranging from $190 million to $195 million. Historically, only two other boxing matches have exceeded this sum.
“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, promoter for Tyson Fury, had a stern warning for Joshua, stating that failing to defeat Paul could jeopardize a long-awaited match with Fury.
“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.”