Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul Bout Ranks Among 2025’s Top Boxing Events

The December boxing showdown in Miami between British heavyweight Anthony Joshua and social media star-turned-boxer Jake Paul generated the highest combined fight purse of the year, at $267 million, according to a report by Hamattan Sports Extra. Joshua secured the victory with a sixth-round knockout.

A comprehensive analysis by Betsson, which ranked major fights based on factors including online searches, live attendance, and purse size, placed the event second overall in impact for the year. It scored 90 points, finishing just behind the September clash between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez, which topped the rankings with 94 points.

The Crawford-Alvarez bout benefited from a live attendance of 70,400 and 1.5 million online searches, despite a lower purse of $200 million. The Joshua-Paul contest, held at Hard Rock Stadium, attracted greater online interest with 2 million searches, though its live attendance was 19,600.

Completing the top three was the heavyweight rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, which earned 76 points. That fight drew the largest crowd of the year at 90,000 spectators and also featured a $200 million purse.

The data compilation noted that figures for search volume, attendance, and purses were gathered from official sources and major publications, with estimates used where information was not publicly available.

Joshua’s win over Paul marked a successful return following his defeat to Dubois in September 2024. However, the 36-year-old former two-time world champion was involved in a fatal car accident in Nigeria on December 29, ten days after the Miami fight, which resulted in the deaths of two of his close friends. Joshua sustained minor injuries.

According to a statement from his uncle, Adedamola Joshua, the boxer has decided to retire from the sport in the wake of the tragedy.