Anthony Joshua Confirms Controversial Rule for Jake Paul Fight
Anthony Joshua has provided an update on the controversial weight rule for his upcoming fight with Jake Paul.
On November 14, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul was set to return to the boxing ring for a bout with lightweight world champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
However, with Davis facing a legal case brought forward by his ex-partner, the fight was called off, with two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua stepping in as Davis' replacement.
Ahead of their fight on December 19, Paul and Joshua met for the first time as opponents during a press conference inside the Kaseya Center at 6pm GMT on November 21.
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And during the press conference, Joshua took time to address a controversial rule that has been introduced for the fight regarding his weight.
Given the clear gap in experience between Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, and Paul, who has just 13 professional fights in his record, fans were eager to learn about the rules for the pair's fight.
Despite some rumours claiming it was set to be an exhibition fight, it has since been confirmed that it will be classed as a professional contest with the fighters set to use 10oz gloves across eight three-minute rounds.
It was also reported that Joshua, who stands at six feet six inches compared to Paul, who is six feet one, cannot exceed 245lbs (111.13kg) despite the bout being a heavyweight fight which typically have no weight limit.
When asked by press conference host Ariel Helwani if this is true, Joshua confirmed: "I think that is the case. 111kg (245lbs) is what I've got to weigh in at. That is what I am focusing on. Anything else after that is a bonus after that."
Throughout his career, the Brit has tipped the scales above 250 pounds on several occasions, including during his loss to Daniel Dubois, but he weighed in at 240lbs and 244lbs for each of his fights with current heavyweight champion Oleksandr Uysk.
Meanwhile Paul confirmed that, although he is struggling to put weight back on having cut ahead of his scheduled bout with Davis, he expects to be between 97kg and 102kg for the fight.
He said: "I was cutting for Gervonta [Davis], so it’s been tough building my strength back up for this. But I’ll be anywhere between 215 and 225 pounds."
Paul's exhibition fight with Davis was set to be contested at a catchweight limit of 195 pounds (88.4kg).
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul, Boxing
Ben McCrum