Promoters don’t often get praised for making great fights, especially the modern promoters. Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, however, appears to have broken that chain after the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight was confirmed. After the Gervonta Davis fight was called off due to the allegations made against him by his ex-girlfriend, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) moved quickly. Reports suggested several offers were made.

Fighters like Terence Crawford, Nate Diaz, and Ryan Garcia were approached for the fight. However, in the end, it was the former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, who made the cut. And it happened pretty quickly, as Paul and Joshua are now slated to meet in the ring on December 19th at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, live on Netflix. For that, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian gives the credit to Eddie Hearn. 

Anthony Joshua won’t make the biggest purse of his career

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nakisa Bidarian was pressed about how the fight came together so quickly. “Look, it was nonstop for a good 10 days. I would say we have great partners at Netflix. We’re obviously great partners with DAZN as well. And I have to give Eddie Hearn credit, right? It comes down to the fighters. Jake wanted to do this, and AJ wanted to do this. And Eddie delivered for ‘AJ’.”

Bidarian noted that if Anthony Joshua had pushed for a bigger purse, negotiations might have slowed down. Since Joshua didn’t demand more, Hearn was able to lock the deal in record time. “I got to give the props to Eddie Hearn. He delivered. We gave him our offer, a certain amount of money, and he was able to make it happen.” When asked how much Joshua was offered—especially whether it was his biggest payday—Bidarian chose to stay tight-lipped.

“I don’t think it’s the most he’s ever made in a fight, and I can’t really speak to it. That’s a much better question for AJ or Eddie, but it’s a great payday,” he said during the interview. “There are different spectrums of what great payday means. But anytime you fight Jake Paul, of course, you’re going to get a great payday. Jake is the face of modern-era boxing.” For context, Mike Tyson reportedly earned $20 million for his fight with Paul, while Jake Paul pocketed $40 million. 

According to The Sun, Joshua made around £25 million (approximately $32.5 million) for his 2019 fight against Jarrell Miller, though his exact purse against Paul remains unclear. Despite the massive money involved, some believe Joshua is stepping into a “no-win situation”—at least according to former world champion Johnny Nelson.

Joshua has nothing to gain against Jake Paul besides money

Anthony Joshua’s upcoming showdown with Jake Paul has sparked fierce debate, with many arguing the former two-time heavyweight champion has nothing to gain beyond a massive payday. As former world champion Johnny Nelson put it, “It sounds like there’s 50 million reasons why Joshua is taking this fight.” Nelson described the matchup as a “no-win situation” for Joshua, explaining that if Paul goes the distance, “what does that tell you about AJ?” 

But if Joshua knocks him out, critics will dismiss it as expected. Per Nelson, Joshua’s decision signals a shift in priorities. “To me, it shows me his desire. This is now business.” With Anthony Joshua coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and his world-title hopes fading, Nelson believes financial incentive is the driving force. “Anybody that is honest with themselves would not turn that down,” he said. In the end, Joshua’s biggest reward may simply be the check.

While Nakisa Bidarian credits Eddie Hearn for making the fight come together so quickly, others like Johnny Nelson believe the real driving force was the money on the table. Do you side with Nelson, or do you think Hearn truly worked his magic?