AJ banks over £100m after beating Andy Ruiz Jr to regain heavyweight world titles
Anthony Joshua got his revenge against Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, December 7, 2019 and earned a fortune in doing so.
The Brit, who suffered a shock defeat to the Mexican-American at Madison Square Garden six months ago, produced a boxing masterclass in the UK to become heavyweight king once again.
While he will return to England with his belts, Joshua will also take home an incredible pay packet.
AJ’s final sum for the rematch no min will depend on the pay-per-view sales generated by the event, mainly in the UK, but also worldwide.
It is expected, thought, that he will earn between £40million-£60million for part 2 with Ruiz.
The Brit’s huge earnings will not be the biggest in boxing history, with Floyd Mayweather holding that record for his £250m fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
But it will mean Joshua could double his net worth to over £100m. He is currently estimated to be worth around £42m by Forbes.
Despite going into the rematch as the champion, Ruiz Jr banked a set fee of around $10m (£7.7m), significantly less than Joshua’s payday.
The reason for this is because many details of the second fight between the pair were pre-agreed in the contract for their first bout – through a rematch clause.
This clause had Ruiz Jr’s purse for the second fight already set out, though it is known that his team managed to negotiate a slightly higher number after initially kicking up a fuss about the bout taking place in Saudi Arabia.
READ ALSO: Anthony Joshua regains heavyweight titles by unanimous decision against Andy Ruiz Jr
Joshua, speaking ahead of the rematch, said: “When you look at it, out of every hundred quid, a lot goes to the taxman and a lot to the trainers and the team. Before you know it, what you’re left with in reality is about 30 to 40 per cent.
“Honestly, one of my main objectives in this sport was not to be owned. Not to be taken advantage of. It’s not easy in this sport. You put so much into it but before you know it your career is over.”
Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the Ruiz Jr vs Joshua rematch ahead of a rival bid from Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International have highlighted their concerns about the fight’s location in Saudi Arabia, owing to the country’s ‘abysmal’ human rights record.
Restrictions on freedom of expression and women’s rights have been questioned, while the controversial death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi still looms over their heads.
Amid all of the controversy, it has not stopped the country holding major sporting events in recent months, including Amir Khan’s victory over Billy Dib in July and WWE pay-per-views Crown Jewel and Super ShowDown.
It is understood the Saudi Arabian authorities paid over £30m to host the Joshua vs Ruiz rematch.
(Talksport)
Yetunde Adegoke
