A world champion boxer has admitted he was surprised by Jake Paul's readiness to fight Anthony Joshua ahead of a blockbuster clash on Friday.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will face former heavyweight champion Joshua in a headline bout at the Kaseya Centre in Miami.
The fight, which will be live-streamed on Netflix, is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds, with both fighters wearing 10oz gloves.
It has drawn criticism from boxing experts, many of whom believe the contest is a mismatch and have raised concerns for Paul's safety given Joshua's experience and power.
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In an attempt to pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Paul has committed to an intense training regime.
He recently shared a video on Instagram offering a glimpse into a typical day as he prepares for the fight.
Sparring forms a key part of that routine, with WBC lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson among those who have been in the ring with him.
Speaking to journalist Ariel Helwani, Stevenson suggested Paul could be more competitive than many expect.
He said: "I think Jake is better than people would even understand... I was impressed for sure. I was surprised.
"You could tell he had a good coach in his corner, who's telling him the right things. He's listening to the right things.
"His instincts is like, to not get beat up or not get hit, and I was surprised by it for sure... "As long as Jake don't get knocked out, as long as he stay on his P's and Q's in there, I think he should be ok."
Paul's Instagram post showed his day beginning with sparring, pad work and bag drills.
That is followed by a recovery session involving red light therapy and stretching, before a second workout focused on strength and conditioning.
The American has also significantly increased his food intake as he looks to add weight ahead of the bout.
Both fighters agreed to meet at heavyweight, but Joshua as the bigger man, will be capped at 245lbs.
When the Briton last fought Daniel Dubois in September 2024, he weighed in at 252.5lbs.
Meanwhile, Paul, is a natural cruiserweight at around 200lbs and has previously weighed as low as 185lbs.
Outside of the weight stipulations, the bout will be contested under standard professional rules.
The pre-fight news conference will be held on Wednesday at 23:00 GMT, with the weigh-in scheduled for the same time the following day.
Ring walks for the main event are expected at around 03:30 GMT on Saturday morning, but that time could be moved depending on the length of the undercard.
Topics: Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Heavyweight Boxing
James Taylor