Joshua

Author: Gist Correspondent

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are reportedly set to share a purse of nearly $200 million for their December 11 heavyweight showdown at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

According to the BBC, the two British boxers are expected to receive approximately $100 million each, although the figures have not been officially confirmed. Earlier reports had suggested that each fighter could earn as much as £100 million.

The Times reported that negotiations over the purse took time, with Fury seeking a larger share before the two camps eventually agreed on an almost equal split.

The reported earnings would surpass their previous career-high purses of about £65 million ($85 million) each.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said the former world heavyweight champion agreed to take a pay cut of more than £10 million ($13 million) to ensure the fight remained in the United Kingdom.

Hearn disclosed that Saudi Arabian boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, UFC chief Dana White and streaming platform Netflix had pushed for the bout to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“To keep it in the UK, he (Joshua) has got to turn down eight figures plus,” Hearn said.

Cardiff was eventually selected as the venue because the Principality Stadium has a retractable roof, allowing the fight to proceed regardless of weather conditions.

Promoter Frank Warren described the financial terms as unprecedented, saying the fight would generate the biggest purses of the boxers’ careers and potentially the highest earnings ever recorded by British fighters.

“It is huge, huge purses. Massive money. The highest of their careers, I should think the highest of any British fighter’s career, ever,” Warren told SunSport.

Demand for the bout has been enormous, with approximately 80,000 tickets reportedly selling out within an hour on October 9. More than 500,000 people were said to have joined the Ticketmaster queue.

Ticket prices ranged from £88.50 to £13,128, including fees, reflecting the huge commercial interest surrounding the long-awaited clash between the two heavyweight rivals.

White also disclosed that the gate had been projected at approximately $34 million, which he described as a British record.

Fans will be able to watch the fight on Netflix without paying an additional fee beyond their existing subscriptions.

The financial scale of the contest is comparable to the reported $190 million total purse for the 2024 rematch between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, although the distribution of that money was not disclosed.

Neither Joshua’s nor Fury’s promotional team has officially released the fighters’ purses. Details of Netflix’s broadcasting fee, sponsorship earnings and payments to undercard fighters also remain undisclosed.

The main-event ring walks are expected at around 1 a.m. on December 12, Nigerian time, with the fight scheduled for December 11 in Cardiff.