Eddie Hearn gives bombshell update on Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight and aims savage dig at US star

Anthony Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has aimed a dig at Jake Paul amid rumours the pair could be fighting in the near future.

Joshua, 35, has been out of action since he was beaten by Daniel Dubois at Wembley last September.

Since that defeat, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist has undergone elbow surgery and is targeting a return to the ring in 2025.

Meanwhile, YouTuber turned boxer Paul has beaten the likes of Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at heavyweight and cruiserweight, respectively.

Recently, it has been tipped that Joshua and Paul could take on each other in the ring.

According to a report by Sky Sports, promoter Hearn has stated that Paul is the 'frontrunner' to face Joshua.

The report read: "Jake Paul is absolutely the "front-runner" to fight Anthony Joshua next, says promoter Eddie Hearn."

Could Anthony Joshua return to boxing this year? Image: Getty

Hearn also stated that it is 'bizarre' that Paul thinks he could get the better of the former heavyweight world champion.

He said: "I think Jake Paul is absolutely the frontrunner to fight Anthony Joshua next. I'm here in New York for meetings about the fight, there's an open dialouge between myself and MVP.

"I don't know what to tell you other than it's mental. I can't sit here and tell you that this is a 50/50 match. The whole thing is bizarre, I think it's extremely dangerous for Jake Paul.

"The general feedback is that the boxing world is say 'Please AJ, go in there and evaporate this young man from the boxing world so we can all get on as normal'."

Jake Paul. Image: Getty

Hearn added: "You then got Jake Paul fans thinking bizarrely they could beat Anthony Joshua and the most bizarre thing is that Jake Paul genuinely believes he will beat Anthony Joshua.

"I think it's the only reason we're gonna see this fight, because Jake Paul, and his merry men, are telling him that AJ, his punch resistance is gone and this is a great time to fight him.

"I'm telling you, be careful what you wish for! Because this is the most dangerous thing. This is going into the ring with one of the fiercest punchers of this generation. By the way, if you're going in there thinking you're gonna win, that's even more dangerous."