Exclusive: Anthony Joshua claims £3million from Dillian Whyte fight at The 02

ANTHONY JOSHUA has hit the jackpot before he has even fought for the world heavyweight title.

 

Anthony Joshua claimed around £3million for beating Dillian Whyte earlier this month

 

The Londoner is understood to have raked in around £3million for the seventh-round destruction of Dillian Whyte at London's O2 earlier this month.

Unbeaten Joshua recently signed a five-year deal with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom that included a cut of the pay-per-view sales, and that has led directly to the big numbers many fighters can only dream of.

The 18,000 capacity O2 sold out within six hours for the bout against Whyte and pay-per-view sales have been described as "staggering".

 

Joshua, 26, is the most sought-after heavyweight in the division with the Klitschko brothers Wladimir and Vitali trying to persuade him to sign with their company K2 Promotions.

On the other side of the Atlantic, fight guru Al Haymon has been signing up British boxers like James DeGale and Lee Selby but he too lost out on Joshua, who has been with Hearn since he won the gold medal at the London Olympics.

 

In April, Joshua bids to extend his winning run to 16 when he fights again at London's O2 with the opponent yet to be named.

Joshua has already said he would welcome a rematch against Whyte who gave him his biggest test to date and came close to causing a shock before he was eventually KO'd.