What boxing experts have said about Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight | Boxing | Sport

Anthony Joshua is poised to return to the ring in a contentious showdown with Jake Paul. The former world heavyweight champion has remained inactive since his defeat to Daniel Dubois last September.

It has been confirmed that Joshua will take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in Miami on December 19. The encounter will span eight rounds and will be recognised as a professional bout. Joshua is set for a lucrative payday after agreeing to the fight, which will be streamed on Netflix, despite his exclusive arrangement with DAZN. Paul has compiled a 12-1 boxing record, with numerous victories secured against former MMA fighters. He claimed a points win over Mike Tyson last November and has since triumphed against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. His only loss occurred against Tommy Fury in 2023. The YouTube sensation has predominantly competed as a cruiserweight, providing Joshua with a considerable weight advantage over his relatively inexperienced adversary. Here, Express Sport looks at what several prominent boxing personalities have previously said about the matchup.

Derek Chisora

“If that fight happens, somebody better go to jail. AJ is going to kill him, it’s unfair. Someone has to go to jail,” former heavyweight title challenger Chisora told Seconds Out.

“Right now, Jake Paul will be watching the last fight that AJ had [with Dubois], and he is going to jump on him. It’s all about [how] AJ deals with the man in front of him. Whatever happens, it will be exciting.

“He [Paul] hasn’t got the power to knock out Joshua. Jake Paul goes home in an ambulance [after that fight].”

Joseph Parker

“AJ was a great champion when he was champion. And if he is serious about boxing and serious about still being involved in the sport at a top level, that fight doesn’t make any sense at all,” former WBO heavyweight champion Parker, who faced Joshua in 2018, told Sky Sports.

“Jake Paul has done well, you know, to promote himself in saying that he’s one of the best in the world, but if you look at it, he’s not really a real boxer.

“He’s a YouTuber come into boxing, and he has done well. But if AJ wants to be serious, then he needs to fight the top fighters in the world.”

Tommy Fury

“If I can beat Jake Paul, then excuse my French, then what the f*** is ‘AJ’ going to do to Jake Paul,” Fury said to The Stomping Ground. “Even if ‘AJ’ had a broken arm in there, it still wouldn’t go past a minute. To be quite honest with you, as a safety aspect, there’s no way that fight can go ahead.

“How are we even talking about this? He got his nut boxed off by me a little over two years ago, and now all of a sudden he’s talking about beating Anthony Joshua. Come on, he can’t be serious. He can’t beat me, and I’m not Anthony Joshua, am I? It’s just ludicrous.”

Anthony Joshua’s coach Ben Davison

“Yeah [Jake Paul] is (successful) in lots of different fields, but like I said, Anthony Joshua is probably the most dangerous man, or one of the most dangerous men in the sport. To be stepping in the ring with him, I just think it is deluded from Jake Paul,” Joshua’s trainer Ben Davison said.

Eddie Hearn

“No, not an exhibition,” Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports before the bout was confirmed. “We’re not interested in exhibitions. It’s a real fight.

“There’s stuff to be resolved and discussed. It would be a real fight with Queensberry rules, 10-ounce gloves. The rounds would be agreed. The weight, I mean, we may come down to a number that’s more suited for Jake, if that is even a thing.

“It’s a heavyweight fight. There was a bit of a jumping of the gun from the media last night. It’s a cruiserweight moving up to heavyweight.”

Hearn continued: “We didn’t expect that to be against Jake Paul, but it just so happens that if it is, it’s for 50 times more money than we were going to fight for.

“I think if there is any chance of that fight happening next week, you’ll probably hear about it. It’s not done, despite rumours. We have had an approach from MVP (Most Valuable Promotions). I have my doubts.

“I mean, if he would be crazy enough to entertain that, we would be willing to oblige, in all honesty.

“I think it would be virtually impossible for the levels of money involved to turn down the opportunity to be in that fight. But, like I said, nothing confirmed yet, and we’ll see what happens.”