Jake Paul will take an enormous step up in competitors when he faces former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight combat Dec. 19 at Kaseya Heart in Miami (Netflix). It is a drastic shift in gears after Paul was initially scheduled to face WBA light-weight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in an exhibition bout with a catchweight of 195 kilos final Friday. Nevertheless, Paul’s combat with Davis was canceled Nov. 3 within the wake of a lawsuit filed towards Davis by his ex-girlfriend that accused him of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional misery.
Paul will face Joshua, an opponent 100 kilos heavier than Davis, in a professionally sanctioned heavyweight boxing match. In contrast to his exhibition combat with Davis, Paul will not have a dimension benefit to offset the ability hole. Joshua has been combating at round 250 kilos, whereas Paul fights on the cruiserweight restrict of 200 kilos. Paul would look to shock the world and pull off what could possibly be one of many greatest upsets in boxing historical past.
However how did we get right here and what does this all imply?
Why is Paul combating Joshua?
After Paul’s exhibition with Davis was canceled, the YouTuber-turned-boxer did all the pieces he may to compete earlier than the tip of 2025. In line with Most Precious Promotions, Paul’s promotional outfit, there have been talks with a number of potential opponents earlier than touchdown on Joshua.
Earlier this 12 months, Paul expressed curiosity in combating Joshua and included him on his revised hit listing that he not too long ago shared with ESPN. Nevertheless, the unique timeline for a combat with Joshua would have had the 2 meet someday in 2026 after the Davis combat. Paul rapidly turned his consideration to Joshua, who had been sidelined after present process elbow surgical procedure in June, and the 2 sides got here to phrases on a deal.
Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, had instructed ESPN that Joshua was seeking to combat as soon as on the finish of 2025 earlier than concentrating on a combat with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury in 2026.
Is that this an exhibition combat?
No. Paul vs. Joshua shall be a sanctioned heavyweight combat that’s scheduled for eight three-minute rounds. The fighters will even put on 10-ounce gloves, commonplace for heavyweight fights.
Paul is way nearer in weight to Joshua however will now need to cope with each a dimension and ability hole. Joshua — a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified heavyweight champion — has are available as excessive as 254 kilos and as little as 229 kilos in his professional profession. Paul’s highest weight was 227¼ kilos for his November 2024 exhibition towards former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Paul weighed 199.4 kilos in his most up-to-date combat, a dominant win towards Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June.
Why would Paul need to combat Joshua now?
Foolishness with a touch of delusional confidence?
Say what you need about Paul, however he has been persistent with eager to problem himself, despite the fact that he is nonetheless considered a novice in boxing. Paul has drawn criticism for his alternative of opponents. His profession has consisted of MMA fighters, YouTubers, a former NBA slam dunk champion, journeyman boxers and a retired heavyweight. In his final combat, Paul fought the closest factor to a “actual” boxer in Chavez, a former middleweight champion, and dominated towards the fighter whose finest years are lengthy behind him.
The final time Joshua was within the ring with a boxing novice, he obliterated former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in two rounds in March 2024.
Nonetheless, Paul needs to check himself, and we’ll see precisely the place he is at when he steps contained in the ring with Joshua.
Why would Joshua take a combat with Jake Paul?
Why would not he? It is a low-risk, high-reward combat on an enormous stage that shall be streamed globally on Netflix. Joshua has confronted among the finest heavyweights of his era and has already sought to compete earlier than the tip of 2025. As one of many greatest stars within the historical past of British boxing, this bout will even see Joshua’s standing develop in the US, the place he hasn’t fought since a disastrous knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. at New York’s Madison Sq. Backyard in 2019.
The one market that Joshua hasn’t cornered is the U.S., and dealing with somebody with the attain of Paul will definitely assist in the occasion he finally ends up dealing with Fury in 2026.
How will this have an effect on Joshua’s profession?
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Hearn: Solely Turki Al-Sheikh could make Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury
Eddie Hearn speaks concerning the potential conflict between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
If Joshua does what most assume he’ll do and definitively beats Paul, his plans for a megafight with Fury will keep intact. Fury is retired, however could possibly be enticed to return for a Joshua combat.
Now we have seen what Joshua did to Ngannou 5 months after the latter practically pulled off an enormous upset in a break up determination loss to Fury. It is unlikely that Joshua can have any curiosity in carrying Paul to an entertaining combat. Nevertheless, for each spherical Paul survives, Joshua’s inventory may take successful. And if the combat is someway aggressive, there shall be questions on Joshua’s present place in boxing. The final time he was within the ring, in September 2024, he was stopped in 5 rounds by Daniel Dubois. That’s forgivable contemplating Dubois’ tenure in boxing. A aggressive combat with the less-experienced and smaller Paul would not bode effectively for his future.
How will this have an effect on Paul’s profession?
That is an attention-grabbing query as a result of the expectation is {that a} extremely adorned, hard-hitting heavyweight will defeat Paul categorically, and the probabilities of an upset shall be closely towards Paul. This can be a combat that Paul is predicted to lose, and due to that, the thought of stepping within the ring and lasting may earn him an ethical victory, so long as he is not brutally knocked out early within the combat.
If Paul someway finds a technique to make it aggressive, it is going to solely assist his boxing inventory rise. He has already proved {that a} loss will not utterly derail his profession, and his huge presence on social media will enable him to lick his wounds and return, if no more marketable, having earned respect from a boxing neighborhood that has criticized his boxing profession.
It is virtually a no-lose scenario for Paul as a result of he ought to by no means have been in a position to step into the ring with a former heavyweight champion at this stage of his profession. Any time spent on his toes shall be a win. Nevertheless, ought to he find yourself on the improper finish of a highlight-reel knockout, he’ll go viral for all of the improper causes.
