KSI has reacted to the announcement of Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua’s fight.
Joshua and Paul will go toe-to-toe in Miami, Florida, on December 19. The pair will contest an eight-round professional contest consisting of three-minute rounds while wearing 10-oz gloves.
Former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Joshua has not fought since he sustained a crushing knockout defeat against fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
Paul last fought in June of this year when he boxed to a unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
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The 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer has a long list of iconic combat sports names on his record, including Mike Tyson, Nate Diaz, and Ben Askren.
Meanwhile, Joshua boasts wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, and Carlos Takam, just to name a few.
There had been suggestions that the Watford-born fighter was in line to fight the currently retired Tyson Fury next, but no such fight has materialised between the two Englishmen.
The announcement of his fight against Paul has drawn a mixed reaction on social media.
Joshua himself told Netflix that fans should expect to see “a lot more fighters take these opportunities” in the future when speaking about crossover fights between so-called ‘real’ and ‘influencer’ boxers.
The pair are reportedly set to pocket a tidy £70 million each for their efforts in Miami. Given his superior resume and boxing ability, taking the fight was seemingly a no-brainer for Joshua.
As for Paul, ‘AJ’ will be a huge step up from his previous opponents.
Even Paul’s long-time foe, KSI, seemingly recognises the risk ‘The Problem Child’ is taking based on his reaction on social media.
Quote-tweeting Joshua’s announcement post, KSI wrote: “Yeah, fair enough Jake,” alongside a crying laughing emoji.
British journalist Piers Morgan also offered his take on X.
“Wow… fair play to Jake Paul. This is a proper fight,” Morgan claimed.
Former cruiserweight world champion-turned-pundit Johnny Nelson also weighed in during an interview with Sky Sports and expressed how he thought the fight would never happen due to Joshua’s desire to become a three-time heavyweight champion of the world.
“To me, it shows his [Joshua's] desire," Nelson said. “Yes, pick up £50 million along the way. Nobody can knock him. This is business. For Jake Paul, [this is] absolutely crazy.
“Jake Paul is a domestic-level professional fighter here in the UK. Would he win a British title? No. I don’t think so.
“So now they are putting a domestic-level fighter in with a former two-time champion of the world.”
'AJ' will have to fall within a weight limit for the first time in his professional career, with reports suggesting that he cannot weigh more than 245 pounds. The Brit weighed in at a career low 237 pounds ahead of his 2019 rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr, although he tipped the scales at 252.2 pounds last time out against Dubois.
Topics: KSI, Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua, Boxing
Luke Davies