The deal is not yet complete, but reports suggest the prize pool could be as high as £140 million.

A fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul is a possibility before the end of 2025, but Eddie Hearn says talk of striking a deal is premature.

Joshua, the former heavyweight champion of the world, is set to meet YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul later this year with two dates planned either side of Christmas.

Discussions are ongoing but Joshua’s promoter Hearn said no contract has been signed yet.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “We are focused on 2026. We have a big fight planned for February and hopefully a big fight against Tyson Fury next year.

“We could run out of it in 2025. We were just going to have a low-key fight somewhere – if it was going to destroy Mr. Paul’s race and make tens of millions of dollars in the process, then maybe. Nothing is confirmed yet.”

Davis fight canceled, leaving door open for Joshua

A meeting with Joshua would represent a major step forward in class for Paul.

The American was scheduled to face lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis tomorrow, but the exhibition bout was canceled after Davis’ ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit accusing him of aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Paul’s only previous experience fighting a heavyweight came 12 months ago, when he beat 58-year-old Mike Tyson on points.

The Daily Mail reported this morning that a £140million price tag would be on offer if Joshua faces Paul, most likely in Miami. The fight would be linked to a Netflix documentary on the Briton.

Hearn added to the Mail: “It’s not done yet. There’s been a lot of wrangling about it. I think Jake Paul would be crazy to take the fight but we’re in talks. We were discussing a very low-key fight for AJ but an opportunity came up to make 50 times the money. People who criticize him need to be honest: what would you do in AJ’s place?”

Joshua is a former IBF, WBO and WBA world champion but has not fought since a crushing defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley last September.