Jake Paul's Three-Fighter Back-Up Plan Revealed as Anthony Joshua Fight Slammed

Jake Paul’s list of backup opponents ahead of his heavyweight bout with Anthony Joshua has been revealed.

Paul, 28, and Joshua, 36, are set to face off in Miami, Florida, on December 19 in a professional heavyweight bout.

If you told the 36-year-old that he’d be fighting a YouTuber when he was first crowned as the unified heavyweight champion of the world after beating Wladimir Klitschko in 2017, it’s safe to say he would’ve laughed at you.

But less than a decade on, Joshua, who still has ambitions of becoming a three-time world champion, could not turn down a reported £70 million payday.

Joshua was recently linked with an all-British showdown against the currently retired Tyson Fury, but no such bout materialised.

Paul was scheduled to fight lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis on November 14 before the bout was cancelled after Davis was accused of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress by his ex-partner.

Many high-profile names were mooted to step in before the ‘AJ’ fight was confirmed on Monday (November 17).

Well-respected journalist Mike Coppinger told Inside Ring Show, that Netflix told Paul that they needed a “legitimate challenger” for him before proposing bouts against American welterweight Ryan Garcia and undisputed super middleweight world champion Terence Crawford.

The Ring’s Mike Coppinger reveals that Jake Paul was given three possible replacements after his fight with Gervonta Davis fell through.#InsideTheRing | Latest episode available on DAZN 📺 pic.twitter.com/L7Mb7AjRtj

— InsideRingShow (@InsideRingShow) November 17, 2025

“Terence Crawford, I'm told, said no,” Coppinger said.

“And they were left with Anthony Joshua.”

Crawford recently beat Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and is arguably the pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet, and clearly has ambitions of adding to his already lengthy list of accolades he’s achieved in the sport of boxing.

As for Garcia, he claimed that he “would’ve fought him” if it weren’t for the fact that he is preparing for a fight in February.

But it is Britain’s Joshua who will exchange blows with Paul at the Kaseya Centre, with the bout set to be streamed on Netflix.

The fight will be over up to eight three-minute rounds, with the pair set to wear 10-oz gloves.

Of course, some fans and members of the boxing community have praised the bout and understand that Joshua has been offered a fee he can hardly refuse.

However, not everyone approves. 2008 Olympic bronze medallist and ex-heavyweight David Price described the fight as making “a mockery of the sport” despite admitting that the bout won’t “tarnish” Joshua’s career.

Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson told Sky Sports: "It sounds like there's 50 million reasons why Anthony Joshua is taking this fight. In my head, I never, ever thought this fight would happen. Why? Because of Anthony Joshua's desire to be in the history books and a three-time champion of the world.

"To me, it shows me his desire. This is now business."