Anthony Joshua has been crowned boxing’s most efficient earner, with a new study revealing that the two-time world heavyweight champion has pocketed an average of £172,346 for every punch he has landed across his professional career, Sports Extra reports.
The research, conducted by online casino website 247Bet, analysed 25 professional boxers who have featured in at least one bout aired by a major broadcaster in the United Kingdom in the last five years, comparing estimated total career earnings from prize money against the estimated total of career punches landed.
Joshua, who has landed 2,289 punches across 33 professional bouts and earned an estimated £394.5m in career prize money, tops the rankings ahead of YouTube-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul, who earned £162,562 per punch landed across just 11 fights, and Tyson Fury, who banked £147,559 per punch landed across 37 bouts. The study also found that Joshua earns £50,108 with every punch thrown, whether it lands or not.
Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder completed the top five, earning £107,543 and £65,554 per punch landed respectively across a combined 72 career fights. Canelo Alvarez, despite earning more prize money than any other boxer in the study at an estimated £455m, ranked sixth at £64,249 per punch landed, having also thrown by far the most punches of any fighter analysed at 7,088 across 67 fights.
Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, Terence Crawford and Conor Benn rounded out the top 10.
The findings come as Joshua, 36, continues his recovery from a horror car crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 29, just 10 days after he knocked out Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami.
The crash, which claimed the lives of his friends, personal trainer Kevin Ayodele and recovery therapist Sina Ghami, has delayed his return to the ring, with promoter Eddie Hearn now targeting a comeback in July before a potential fight with Fury in the summer.