A Jake Paul victory over Anthony Joshua would shake up the boxing world and, in Eddie Hearn’s opinion, spell the end of it.
Paul, a former YouTuber and current fighter, boxed with Joshua in Miami on December 19th.
Of course, Joshua is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight world champion, and is by far the bigger man of the pair.
His skill level and experience dwarf Paul, who has 13 professional fights and operates around the cruiserweight limit.
Losing to Paulo would be a disaster for Joshua and would leave a stain on his accomplishments. However, his promoter Hearn does not think that will happen.
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Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will meet for the first time ahead of their fight in Miami on December 19th.
“He’s a top 50 cruiserweight in the world,” Hearn said of Paul. “He’s a legitimate cruiserweight now. I don’t think he’s world class. I don’t think there’s a non-world class cruiserweight who can step up to heavyweight and beat Anthony Joshua.
“Maybe I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, I think my time is up. I think we should all retire, not just AJ and I. So, AJ, the weight of boxing is on your shoulders, dude!”
Hearn naturally expects Joshua to get rid of Paul quickly. “I truly believe this will be easily wiped out,” the promoter told Sky Sports. “This is a real fight. This is a sanctioned contest.
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Jake Paul called for a fight against Tyson Fury in 2026 at a press conference ahead of his fight with Anthony Joshua. Credit: MVP/Netflix
“It is completely illegal to reach any agreement on how the match will play out.
“Fair play to Jake Paul, he signed up for a real fight,” he continued. “Within a minute of that fight, he’ll be thinking, ‘What the hell did I do here?’ And more importantly, ‘What am I going to do?’
“Jake Paul has absolutely no escape in this fight…You’ll soon find out what this game is about, and it won’t be fun for you.”
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Ahead of his bout with former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, let’s take a look at Jake Paul’s boxing resume.
It’s not yet clear what success means for AJ. Does he want Paul out in the first two rounds, the first round, within the first minute?
“AJ, he’s not interested in hanging out. He can’t do that,” Hearn pointed out. “He can’t do that, because the moment he smells weakness, the moment he smells blood, he lets go.
“And the moment he lets go in this game, it’s going to be a big problem for Jake Paul.
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Heavyweight boxer Jermaine Franklin shares his thoughts on Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul
“Will[AJ]take a look? Maybe. But if Jake Paul shows any signs of aggression, the fight is over. If he doesn’t, he’s going to get walked down and beaten.”
“I think two rounds is reasonable for Anthony Joshua. I’ll be disappointed if AJ can’t get him out of there in the second round.”
