The unified heavyweight champion is set for his biggest payday yet if he travels to New York to face the undefeated American
Anthony Joshua is set for a record pay-day if he decides to fight Jarrell Miller in New York, according to reports.
Last week, news broke suggesting terms had been agreed for the two unbeaten heavyweights to face off at Madison Square Garden in June for Joshua’s world titles.
And while it remains to be seen if the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion will accept, reports are suggesting he will earn his best ever purse if he does so.
According to The Independent, Joshua is set to pocket between £25-30million this summer if he fights Miller – incredible considering ‘Big Baby’ is probably the fourth-choice opponent in Joshua’s mind.
The bulk of the money is set to come from DAZN, the streaming service on which the fight will be shown in America and who have a lucrative, long-term contract with promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing.
Despite talks of a unification fight with WBC champion Deontay Wilder, it appears as though the ‘Bronze Bomber’ is willing to run back his controversial draw with Tyson Fury.
And Dillian Whyte, who is also promoted by Hearn and Matchroom, turned down a third and final offer to headline Wembley on April 13 for a reported £6million fee.
Although it was not planned at this stage for the 29-year-old to try to crack America, Hearn admitted this was a daring move by the Brit.
“We have got to do something a little bit out of the ordinary,” Hearn said. “Something a little bit left field which we look like we will be doing [in fighting Miller].
“But sometimes I sit down and think ‘what a great move’. We’re going to go and open up a completely different market and once these Americans see Anthony Joshua in the ring and out of the ring, this guy is going to be a massive, massive star over there.”
When it was suggested Joshua would be set for a pay cut, the promoter could barely contain his glee as he revealed the Olympic gold medallist is set to surpass the £20million he received from knocking out Alexander Povetkin in September.
“But it’s not just DAZN,” Hearn points out. “It’s Sky Sports Box Office, it’s Madison Square Garden, it’s international TV.
“We see from the commercial deals and the TV deals that we have with him globally that he’s by far the biggest star, when you take America and the UK out which are probably the two biggest markets in boxing right now, he’s the biggest star in the sport.
“But in America his profile is quite small to be honest with you. Fury and Wilder’s profile was the same size before their fight. Now Fury and Wilder’s profile has probably outgrown Joshua’s out there.
“If we’re going to make him a big star in America this is the perfect moment and the perfect timing for him and obviously with the TV deals available and everything else, the revenue means that this is a no brainer for us.
“He would prefer to still be fighting at Wembley on April 13 but we’ve got to a stage where [New York] now looks like the right thing to do, if we can get the deal over the line in the next few days, week then I’m very, very excited. I think it’s brilliant.”