Anthony Joshua could reportedly pocket a staggering £75 million when he finally meets fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury in their long-awaited blockbuster clash at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
The proposed payday would rank among the biggest of Joshua’s professional boxing career and reflects the enormous commercial interest surrounding a fight that has been discussed for years but repeatedly failed to materialise.
According to a report, the Fury versus Joshua fight is expected to generate a total prize pot of around £150 million, with neither fighter holding an advantage in the purse negotiations. On that reported 50/50 split, both Joshua and Fury would receive approximately £75 million each.
However, the precise purse has not been officially disclosed by the fighters’ promoters, meaning the £75 million figure should be treated as a reported estimate rather than a confirmed payment.
The financial scale of the contest is hardly surprising given the stature of the two fighters. Joshua and Fury have been among Britain’s biggest boxing attractions for more than a decade, with both men having held world heavyweight titles and built enormous global fan bases.
Their professional meeting has also been one of boxing’s longest-running unfinished stories.
Talks for the two British rivals to meet originally gathered serious momentum in 2020, when Fury and Joshua were the leading names in the heavyweight division. A deal was eventually discussed for the pair to fight in 2021, but contractual complications surrounding Fury’s obligation to face Deontay Wilder prevented the proposed showdown from taking place.
Both fighters subsequently went on to face Oleksandr Usyk, who inflicted two defeats on Fury and two defeats on Joshua.
Despite those setbacks, the possibility of a Fury-Joshua fight never disappeared. Both heavyweight stars rebuilt their careers, while negotiations continued behind the scenes.
The long-awaited fight was finally confirmed for December 11, 2026, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium selected as the venue. The event is expected to be one of the biggest boxing occasions ever staged in Britain.
The decision to stage the fight in Cardiff also ended months of uncertainty over the location. New York had previously emerged as a serious possibility, with financial considerations and the potential for a prime-time American broadcast playing a role in discussions. The eventual agreement to bring the fight back to Britain was therefore a significant development.
The Principality Stadium provides an indoor venue capable of accommodating a huge crowd while also allowing the organisers greater flexibility over the fight’s start time. The stadium has previously hosted major boxing events, including Joe Calzaghe’s famous meeting with Mikkel Kessler.
Joshua enters the contest having rebuilt his career following defeats by Usyk. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion has continued to compete at the highest level and remains one of the sport’s biggest commercial attractions.
Fury, meanwhile, returned to boxing after another period away from the sport and secured victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov. His return helped revive the possibility of finally settling his rivalry with Joshua.
The financial stakes extend beyond the fighters’ reported purses. The event is expected to generate substantial revenue through broadcasting, sponsorship, ticket sales and other commercial arrangements.
Sky Sports has reported that both fighters are set to receive British-record paydays, although exact figures have not been publicly confirmed by the promoters.
Other reports have suggested an even larger overall financial package, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the final numbers before official disclosures are made. The different figures being reported demonstrate why Joshua’s £75 million estimate should not yet be presented as a confirmed purse.
Regardless of the final amount, the financial rewards underline just how significant the fight is commercially.
For Joshua, victory would provide another major milestone in a career that has already included Olympic gold, multiple world heavyweight championships and some of the biggest fights in modern British boxing.
For Fury, the contest represents the chance to finally settle the rivalry that has followed both men for years.
The two fighters will therefore enter the Principality Stadium with more than money at stake. They will be fighting for bragging rights in one of the most anticipated all-British heavyweight contests in boxing history.
After years of failed negotiations, changing opponents, retirements, defeats and contractual complications, Fury and Joshua are finally scheduled to share the ring.
And if the reported figures prove accurate, Joshua could walk away with a career-high £75 million payday, regardless of the outcome.
