With three championship belts on the line and over $150 million up for grabs, the rematch of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua has the potential to be one of the most lucrative fights in boxing history.
Two things are certain in the Oleksander Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight world title rematch on Saturday, Aug. 20.
One man will be declared the winner, and both fighters will make bank.
It’s one of the biggest heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport, and it’s going down at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.
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Appropriately dubbed the Rage on the Red Sea, the rematch will see Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) seek revenge after a stunning defeat at the hands of Usyk in September 2021, in which he was outboxed over 12 bruising rounds in front of 70,000 stunned spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), who won the first fight by unanimous decision, will be putting his WBA, IBF, and WBO belts on the line after claiming them in dramatic fashion in the first go-around.
It’s a fight many are considering to be a career-defining clash for both boxers.
But win or lose, both men will be handsomely paid simply for touching gloves. Let’s get into the Usyk vs. Joshua purse details for Saturday’s mega-rematch.
Usyk vs. Joshua Purse Payouts
Unlike the first fight — where Usyk earned a $4.2 million purse and Joshua walked away with a reported $17 million payout — this fight will pay much more and will be split evenly between the two heavyweights.
Per multiple reports, the base purse for the rematch is expected to be a total of $150 million. This means Joshua will net $75 million, and Usyk is expected to earn the same $75 million.
A hefty increase from their first fight, indeed.
This also doesn’t take into account fight bonuses and sponsorship deals each fighter has lined up. Joshua is reportedly raking in another $44 million in fight bonuses and sponsorship deals.
Lastly, you can’t forget about the earnings each will make off pay-per-view numbers. While it’s unclear exactly how much of a percentage each will get from the pay-per-view figures, the expectations are that the fight will be well watched around the world.
In the US, the rematch will be streamed on DAZN for a subscription starting at $19.99, while in the UK the fight will go for £26.95 on UK’s Sky Sports Box Office.
You can try to do the math, but it’s pretty simple. Both fighters are about to make a lot of money.
And don’t forget about the coveted championship belts. The undefeated Usyk will look to hold onto his trio of heavyweight titles and continue his upward trajectory in the boxing world.
Joshua, meanwhile, will aim to rebound from his defeat nearly 11 months ago, and re-assert himself as the man standing in the middle of the ring with his hand raised.
While the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Usyk as the favorite to win the fight outright at -200 and Joshua at +164, we’ll have to wait and see what happens come Saturday evening in Saudia Arabia.
Whoever wins the rematch could have a hungry Tyson Fury to fight in an undisputed title unification match should the 34-year-old heavyweight decide to un-retire.
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