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Anthony Joshua will face Jake Paul on Saturday night as the latest spectacle opponent the YouTuber-turned-boxer has engineered in the sport.
Joshua has all the advantages heading into the fight. He has the experience, height, weight and reach over Paul. The British superstar has wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz Jr. and Francis Ngannou in his career, while Paul has wins over Mike Tyson, Nate Diaz and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
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Anthony Joshua takes the stage during a matchup against Jake Paul at a press conference to promote his upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Those key statistics are why Joshua’s loss to Paul would be “an absolute disaster and terribly embarrassing,” according to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
Hearn expressed his opinion on the fight in a BBC column. He said it was “crazy” for Joshua to take on Paul but acknowledged it was part of a strategy to revitalize the career of the two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist.
“AJ will fight a world-class opponent in February and, if all goes well, he will fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn wrote.
“So there is a method to this madness and taking this fight (against Paul) doesn’t affect AJ’s legacy. But losing to Jake or even going all the way would. It would be an absolute disaster and terribly embarrassing.”
Hearn also made it clear that the fight was not scripted.
Jake Paul, left, and Anthony Joshua face off during a press conference to promote their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
DEONTAY WILDER, CLOSE TO 40, SAYS HE IS ‘WILLING’ TO FIGHT JAKE PAUL AS HE HAS ’10 YEARS’ LEFT IN HIS CAREER
“First of all, if it were, the FBI would investigate us,” he wrote. “It would be illegal. This is a professional competition and a sanctioned fight where people bet.
“And do you think I would ever allow AJ to have a script with Jake? A script where we could lose or even delay him and look bad? No way. We’re not going to give this guy an advantage or the opportunity to say, ‘I told you I was better than AJ’ or ‘I won rounds.’ This would be catastrophic for AJ and we’re not going to take that risk.”
It will be the biggest challenge of Paul’s career so far. He only has one blemish on his record in a loss to Tommy Fury.
“When I knock out Anthony Joshua and win, I’ll be the face and the king of boxing, and people undeniably won’t be able to say anything. It’s silence across the board,” Paul told Pak Gazette Digital earlier this month. “So they think they have me cornered, but I really have the world cornered, and that’s exactly where I want them to be.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua promote their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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“I know that God is on my side and I have faith in that. He has always guided me in everything I have done in my boxing career and in my life. And that is why I can step into that ring with extreme confidence, knowing that this is the right time for me.”
