Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder
Josh Lawless
Anthony Joshua is set to earn a huge payday for his main event fight against Otto Wallin.
'AJ' headlines a stacked 'Day of Reckoning' card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in what is his first bout since he knocked out Robert Helenius at the O2 Arena back in August.
It's a third contest in Saudi for Joshua, who beat Andy Ruiz but lost to Oleksandr Usyk in the country.
Even without any titles around his waist, the former world heavyweight champion remains a massive draw in the sport of boxing.
Joshua is teaming up with Tyson Fury's former trainer Ben Davison for the fight and The Mirror say he will make at least £10 million irrespective of the result.
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The 34-year-old has earned similar fees for wins over Helenius and Jermaine Franklin.
His biggest payday is believed to £33 million, from his rematch with Usyk for the titles he lost.
Joshua had been braced for a mammoth pay packet early next year, with a mega-fight against Deontay Wilder seemingly a formality for March 9.
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However, the fight was conditional on the two winning their respective fights in Riyadh and a spanner was thrown in the works after Wilder was beaten by world champion Joseph Parker via unanimous decision.
The 'Bronze Bomber' celebrated the final bell as though he had won but suffered a third career defeat.
Joshua is ticking off a third fight of 2023, completing his goal of remaining active inside the squared circle.
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He is aiming to go one better next year by fighting four times.
"I’m a fighter by nature. I look at myself in the mirror and all I see is a fighter. It’s just what I do. Whether I’m in camp or not, I’m always ready to fight,” he told Matchroom Boxing, as per Boxing Scene.
“For me personally, inactivity is a great killer of ambition, so I made sure I’m staying active, I’m staying ambitious. The good thing about this card is that it shows you don’t really need long training camps.
"As long as you’re staying busy and active so next year I could actually get more busy.
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"I tended to have this mindset where it was that three month camps are important to get ready for fights. This came around really quickly. I said three [fights] this year so I’m ticking that box off. Next year I might go for four.”
Joshua has fought and beaten Wallin at amateur level, while the two have also sparred in the past.