Jake Paul has been no stranger to a controversial decision during his colourful boxing career. However, news of the purse that he has accepted to face former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is genuinely surprising – even by the standards of ‘The Problem Child’.
The social media superstar was heavily criticised for taking on a 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November in a bout that descended into farce. An embarrassingly low number of punches were landed during the 10-round contest, as the heavyweight legend looked every bit of a man just a few years shy of his 60th birthday.
While Paul vs Tyson never lived up to the pre-fight hype, the 28-year-old still banked a fortune, reportedly earning as much as $40 million for the bout. According to Saudi Arabian boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh, Paul has agreed to a very different purse for his proposed clash with Joshua.
Alalshikh and Paul have rarely seen eye-to-eye in recent years, with Turki making his dislike of some of Jake’s choices crystal clear. Despite this, the pair were pictured together shortly after Paul’s victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last month. Among the topics they discussed when meeting was a potential fight with ‘AJ’.
| Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua’s professional boxing records (as of 18/07/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jake Paul | Anthony Joshua | |
| Fights | 12 | 32 |
| Wins | 11 (7 KOs) | 28 (25 KOs) |
| Losses | 1 | 4 |
During a recent rant on his podcast, Jake vowed that he would knock Joshua out, as the Brit “doesn’t have a chin”. Unsurprisingly, those comments soon made their way back to Joshua, who swiftly set up a phone call with the upstart fighter. Ultimately, the duo agreed to meet each other in the ring in a bout that has been pencilled in for 2026.
Jake Paul has Already Agreed to Face Anthony Joshua – With a Surprising Purse Split
Boxing’s most powerful promoter wants to see the fight happen
Now undeniably one of the most powerful men in the sport, it was inevitable that Alalshikh would have some involvement in the fight. Speaking during a recent appearance on ‘Tha Boxing Voice’ podcast, Turki explained why he is so keen to see Joshua vs Paul take place.
“I’m not against what Jake Paul’s doing in boxing, it’s good for boxing to have a younger generation… I’m against some kinds of fights he does. I’m now thinking of him against Joshua…. Joshua, if he destroys (Paul), it will be good for me….The headache of Jake Paul goes from my mind!”
Alalshikh then confirmed the unique financial terms that he had offered Paul for the fight which, remarkably, he revealed had already been accepted.
If Jake Paul wins, I will know that Joshua is finished, and Jake Paul deserves his ranking and deserves to have a future in boxing….I don’t want 50-50. In this situation, I want 99-1. Jake Paul has accepted. Now, next week, I will talk with Joshua about it.”
Given the stature of the names involved, it is not unreasonable to assume that Paul and Joshua could be fighting with a $50 million prize purse on the line. Assuming that Jake is true to his word, his 1% share would be worth just $500,000, compared to the staggering $49.5m that the Londoner would walk away with.
‘AJ’ would be a massive favourite for the fight if it does happen. With such a prestigious prize pot available, Joshua may struggle to turn down the opportunity to earn so much cash with seemingly such little risk involved.
Whether Paul will actually agree to what must be classed as one of the worst deals in boxing history remains to be seen, but the fight itself looks to be an ever more realistic prospect.
