A potential boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul might mark the conclusion of Paul`s relatively short career in the sport.
After his recent victory against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday, Jake Paul brought up the idea of facing Anthony Joshua in the future. This isn`t the first instance Paul has expressed interest in fighting the former two-time unified heavyweight champion. A fight between them would undoubtedly generate significant attention given their combined celebrity status.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn commented on the potential fight in an interview with talkSPORT. While supporting the idea from a business standpoint, he raised concerns about the health implications for Jake Paul.
“Look, he’s challenging Gervonta Davis, a 135-pound lightweight, and also Anthony Joshua, who is a heavyweight monster,” Hearn stated. “I believe Jake Paul is daring enough to fight Anthony Joshua because the financial rewards would be astronomical. It`s a severely mismatched bout that audiences would still watch, primarily because it would likely spell the end of Jake Paul`s boxing journey. Hopefully not in a literal sense, but it`s that risky.”
“Honestly, I don`t think it`s a fight that should realistically take place,” Hearn added.
Since his professional boxing debut in 2020, Paul holds a record of 12-1. He has accumulated wins against well-known names, primarily from combat sports outside of professional boxing. While “The Problem Child” hasn`t yet faced a currently ranked professional boxer, he has fought and defeated former UFC standouts like Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Mike Perry, and Ben Askren.
His most significant, and perhaps most criticized, opponent was heavyweight icon Mike Tyson. Their fight, which took place last November on Netflix, saw Paul secure a unanimous decision victory over the 58-year-old Tyson. The bout received considerable criticism but also set new viewership records.
Hearn acknowledged that Paul deserves some credit for his boxing progress, irrespective of his opponents.
“I must say about Jake Paul, I believe you have to start showing him some degree of respect,” Hearn remarked. “He`s committed to the process, doing rigorous sparring. He recently completed 10 rounds against a former world champion, albeit a fighter past his prime, who nevertheless trained for the fight. They are strategic about opponent selection. They won`t take a massive risk unless the financial incentive is immense, and it wouldn`t surprise me if Jake Paul pursued an Anthony Joshua fight.”
Anthony Joshua (28-4) recently suffered a significant knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September. This loss ended a four-fight winning streak for Joshua, who was competing for Dubois` IBF title at the time. The British boxer is no stranger to high-profile crossover bouts himself, having notably delivered a spectacular knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in March 2024.
It remains uncertain whether Joshua will focus on returning to title contention or potentially engaging in a fight with Paul.
“He isn`t exactly viewing Jake Paul as his ultimate dream opponent,” Hearn commented regarding Joshua`s perspective. “However, would he step into the ring and comprehensively defeat him for an enormous sum of money? Likely. I`d certainly encourage it; I`d want to witness that.”
The WBA recently included Jake Paul in their cruiserweight rankings, placing the former influencer at number 14. While Hearn believes Paul hasn`t yet proven he belongs at that level, he has shown notable improvement, particularly considering his late entry into the sport.
“Many governing bodies, despite their official status, are influenced by commercial factors,” Hearn suggested. “They likely believe having Jake Paul in their rankings will be beneficial. I`d place Jake Paul within the top 100 cruiserweights globally, and honestly, I don`t see that as a poor accomplishment, given he started boxing in his mid-twenties. I think he`s performing well and showing progress.”
“Is he world-class? Certainly not. But he is improving and is significantly better than many fighters out there. So, in a sense, I wish him luck. It`s hard to believe I`m saying this, but genuinely, good luck to him.”
