Jake Paul Snubbed Mike Tyson When Naming the ‘Hardest Puncher’ He’s Ever Faced
Jake Paul has declined to name former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson as the hardest puncher he has ever faced ahead of his fight with Anthony Joshua.
Paul and Joshua are set to step into the ring at the Kaseya Center in Miami, with ring walks expected at around 03:30 GMT on Saturday morning.
The bout, which is reportedly set to see both fighters earn £70 million, is one of the most anticipated fights in years.
However, several professional boxers have raised concerns over how Paul will cope with the power of former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua.
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The Briton has won 28 of his 32 professional fights, with 25 of those victories coming by knockout.
In 2023, Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou in the second round, which promoter Eddie Hearn described as the "most frightening thing" he has ever seen ringside.
Paul has already beaten one former heavyweight world champion, having defeated Tyson by unanimous decision last year.
Although Tyson is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in history, at 59 he is no longer at the peak of his powers.
As a result, Paul overlooked Tyson when asked about the hardest punch he has ever faced, instead naming Tommy Fury, who handed him his only professional defeat in February 2023.
Speaking on the 'BS with Jake Paul' podcast last year, Paul explained: "I would say Tommy Fury, because it's the shots you don't see.
"Tommy was a little tricky. And what I mean by that is, if you see the punch coming, you can prepare for it.
"If you're going into something and you can't see it, and then all of a sudden you get hit, that's when it hurts, Tommy was more tricky with that."
Paul added: "But Mike's punches I could see coming, he was strong, but he didn't land anything clean.
"I honestly didn't feel Mike Tyson's full power, but that's good.
"You don't want to. I was just moving, staying elusive and the only thing he was kind of landing was that hook, but I just kept my hand up."
Paul's admission that Fury is the hardest puncher he has ever faced will only fuel arguments that he should not be stepping in the ring with Joshua.
The only reported stipulation for the fight, which will be contested over eight three-minute rounds with 10-oz gloves, is that Joshua must not weigh more than 245 lbs.
Trainer Joe Gallagher told BBC Sport he 'worries about Jake's health', while former world champion Richie Woodhall described Joshua as the 'hardest puncher' he has ever faced.
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Topics: Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Mike Tyson, Tommy Fury
James Taylor