A huge update on the future of Anthony Joshua has dropped just days before his highly anticipated professional heavyweight bout against Jake Paul.
Joshua, who has previously been the unified heavyweight champion of the world twice, is due to go toe-to-toe with YouTube-turned-boxer Paul in Miami on December 19.
The Watford-born 2012 Olympic gold medallist has shared a ring with the very best fighters of the past decade and has wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, and Dillian Whyte while losing to Oleksandr Usyk twice.
Meanwhile, at first glance, Paul has several notable wins, including victories over Mike Tyson, Nate Diaz, and Tyron Woodley, although all of these came when his opponents were well past their prime – namely, Tyson, who was 58 and hadn’t fought for nearly 20 years when the pair boxed in November 2024.
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And most boxing experts are expecting a routine victory for ‘AJ’ with some even suggesting that Paul, who will box at heavyweight for just the second time, could get seriously hurt given the skill and power of his opponent.
Despite the naysayers, Paul has claimed that Joshua can’t knock him out and that “he won’t be able to line up his shots properly to land the hard punch” that he needs during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show.
"I think it is going to be a very tough fight for multiple rounds,” Paul said.
"But then, when I figure out his pacing, his style, his speed, his footwork, he is going to get tired trying to chase me around, and then I am going to set up the shot.
"I'm not going to say exactly what [the shot is]. But I see it, and I think it will end in the fifth or sixth round."
The American’s confidence is certainly something to behold, and even getting in the ring against one of the best heavyweights of a generation is commendable.
For ‘AJ’, aside from earning a reported £70 million, the contest is a lose-lose. Joshua is expected to win comfortably, and anything less than an early knockout will be seen as a failure.
At 36, there’s no doubting that the Englishman is in the latter years of what has been an illustrious career, but the question on fans’ lips is, ‘What comes next?’
As reported by The Ring, Joshua is set to face Tyson Fury as part of Riyadh Season 2026.
The self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ is currently retired, having lost against Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in December 2024.
According to the outlet, the bout is “as close as ever” to happening, but the duo are likely to have separate bouts in early 2026.
The British fighters were previously close to fighting back in 2021 before Deontay Wilder triggered a rematch clause for a third fight with Fury, meaning Joshua boxed Usyk instead.
The date and venue for the proposed all-British showdown are still unclear.
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul, Boxing, Tyson Fury, Heavyweight Boxing
Luke Davies