Anthony Joshua to Earn ₦135 Billion in Mega Bout Against Jake Paul on December 19

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua is set to pocket a staggering ₦135 billion naira (£70 million) for his upcoming fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on December 19, 2025, in Miami.

Joshua, who has not fought since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley 15 months ago, sees the matchup as a tune-up ahead of a potential showdown with Tyson Fury next September. Despite the enormous payday, Joshua admitted the purse will not be the biggest of his career, telling TMZ: “Unfortunately not.”

The British boxer emphasised that he must knock out Jake Paul, saying: “I can’t afford to be taken many rounds… I need to [KO Jake] and that’s my intention, to seek and destroy.”

READ ALSO:

• JUST IN: ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency Across West Africa Amid Rising Coups
• Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Seal New Defence Cooperation Deal to Boost Security
• Nationwide Glo Network Outage Disrupts Data Services Across Nigeria

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, reinforced the seriousness of the bout, describing a clear game plan: “Is there a script? Yeah, there is a script: we come out and try to knock him out clean – out cold – as soon as possible. We wanna go in there, do a job for boxing, which is what we should be doing, ironing this guy out ASAP.”

Jake Paul, who holds a 12-1 professional boxing record, recently defeated former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and has wins over multiple ex-UFC fighters. In November 2024, Paul outpointed 58-year-old Mike Tyson, further boosting his controversial boxing career.

In preparation for the bout, Paul has been training with heavyweight contenders Lawrence Okolie, Jared Anderson, and Frank Sanchez, while Joshua is training in Spain alongside unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The fight, which will be streamed on Netflix, is expected to be one of the most-watched boxing events of the year, coming just days before Christmas, and marks a high-profile clash between a seasoned heavyweight champion and a social media superstar.

Anthony Joshua to Earn ₦135 Billion in Mega Bout Against Jake Paul on December 19

The Rock’s Daughter Ava Officially Dating WWE NXT Superstar Tatyanna Dumas

Simone Johnson, daughter of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and WWE performer under the ring name Ava, has officially confirmed her relationship with fellow WWE NXT wrestler Tatyanna Dumas. The couple announced their romance with a heartfelt Instagram Reel, sharing personal moments and publicly celebrating their bond.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Reacting to the announcement, The Rock wrote: “Crying screaming throwing up. I am so lucky,” expressing his joy at the milestone in his daughter’s life. Fans and followers across social media have warmly welcomed the news, praising the couple for their openness.

READ ALSO:

• Tinubu Orders Urgent Rescue of Remaining Students Abducted from Niger School
• Carragher Hits Back at Mohamed Salah, Says Egypt Star Has ‘Won Nothing Internationally’
• Real Madrid Eye Shock Move for Mohamed Salah as Liverpool Crisis Deepens

The relationship had been hinted at earlier this year, when the pair were seen together at the UK premiere of Johnson’s film The Smashing Machine. At the time, Dwayne Johnson playfully commented on a video of the couple, saying: “Break out the Teremana ladies.”

Simone Johnson signed with WWE in February 2020 and currently serves as General Manager of the NXT brand, while Dumas joined the company earlier in 2025 and made her on-screen debut during the WWE LFG show.

The announcement has drawn significant attention in the wrestling world, marking one of the most high-profile WWE relationships to be publicly confirmed this year. Fans have praised the couple for celebrating their relationship while maintaining their professional careers in WWE.

The Rock’s Daughter Ava Officially Dating WWE NXT Superstar Tatyanna Dumas

Carragher Hits Back at Mohamed Salah, Says Egypt Star Has ‘Won Nothing Internationally’

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has issued a fiery response to Mohamed Salah following the Egyptian’s explosive comments after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Leeds United, insisting the forward must remember he “hasn’t won anything for Egypt” at international level.

Salah, who was dropped for a third consecutive match, said the club had “thrown him under a bus”, triggering backlash from fans, pundits and within the club. His remarks have reportedly contributed to his exclusion from the squad travelling to face Inter Milan in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher suggested Salah’s comments were strategically timed and likely influenced by his agent to undermine manager Arne Slot and possibly push for an exit.

READ ALSO:

• Real Madrid Eye Shock Move for Mohamed Salah as Liverpool Crisis Deepens
• Tinubu Govt Flags Off Nationwide Patriotism Campaign ‘My Nigeria, My Responsibility’
• Naira strengthens as official, parallel market rates align further

Carragher said:
“One thing I want to remind Mo Salah of is that before he came to Liverpool, he was known as the guy who failed at Chelsea. That’s a fact. He’d never won a major trophy.”

He added that despite being regarded as Egypt’s greatest-ever footballer, Salah has never won the Africa Cup of Nations, even though the country is the most successful nation in AFCON history.

Carragher emphasised that Salah’s success at Liverpool came through collective effort, noting:
“You weren’t a big star before you came to Liverpool. You haven’t really won anything with Egypt. What that tells you is that no matter how good a player you are, you need help from your team-mates, your manager and the fans.”

The former defender criticised Salah’s post-match tone, saying his comments centred too much on “me, me, me”, at a time when Liverpool are struggling for form.

Carragher Hits Back at Mohamed Salah, Says Egypt Star Has ‘Won Nothing Internationally’