Anthony Joshua could be too dangerous an opponent for Jake Paul, warns former world champion Richie Woodhall.
On December 19th, Joshua will box with YouTuber turned professional boxer Paul over eight rounds.
There is a gap between them in terms of class, experience, and size.
Paul has had 13 professional fights, winning all but 12, but has never fought a heavyweight in his prime. In fact, he only weighed in above the cruiserweight limit once, and that was against 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
In contrast, Joshua has been a professional fighter for over 12 years and won an Olympic championship before that. He is a two-time unified heavyweight world champion and is also known as a power puncher. Of his 28 career wins, 25 have come inside.
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Jamie ‘TKV’ Chikeva says Jake Paul is dangerous to fight Anthony Joshua and he would be surprised if the American wins.
Richie Woodhall, a former world champion and Olympic medalist in his own right, told Sky Sports:
“I think this is a really dangerous fight, and I don’t care how much money is involved. In boxing, you can get seriously injured. If AJ connects with the right hand that we know he can do, he’ll land in the next universe, which Jake Paul will do. It’s that simple.”
“So this is a really dangerous fight. For a full-time professional boxer who’s been in the fight for a long time just to fight A.J., it’s a dangerous fight, especially when you give that kind of weight.”
“Any boxer, if you’re giving that kind of weight, if you’re a full-time pro, you’re really dangerous. I’ve actually been impressed with Jake Paul in that he’s worth it. He’s pretty decent, but he’s obviously a beginner, and that’s the way I look at it.”
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Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has shared his thoughts on the upcoming heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul and believes a big upset by Paul could spell the end of boxing.
Joshua will weigh significantly more than Paul on this night, while AJ will have to make weight for the first time in his career. He agreed to the condition that he could not weigh more than 245 pounds for the fight.
However, the 245-pound weight limit is not as low as Woodhall expected. “Then he’ll probably take it a little more seriously and get in shape. I’m really surprised,” he said.
“I’m sure AJ is licking his lips, but he can’t believe it. He believes there’s no weight limit now. He has to get down to 240 kilos, so he’s going to have to train hard to get down to that weight, so that’s going to turn him on even more for the fight. I think it’s a really dangerous fight for Jake Paul.”
“They’re sanctioned[in Florida]. Will they be sanctioned here[in the UK]too? I don’t know. They’re sanctioned over there too. It’s a dangerous situation where someone could be seriously injured. God forbid that would never happen. If it happened, everyone could see it happening.”
“I’m really worried about Jake Paul.”
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Watch excerpts from Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua’s first press conference ahead of their fight in Miami on December 19th. Credit: MVP/Netflix
Woodhall knows from first-hand experience just how great a puncher Joshua is. As the coach of the GB team, Woodhall did a lot of pad work with him.
“AJ is still a really decent heavyweight and I think he’s good enough to be world champion again. I’ve had him on pads and I know how hard he hits,” Woodhall said.
“I’ve been in this (GB) program since 2009, and I’ve never felt as good in my right hand as I did against AJ. He’s the strongest rear-hand fighter I’ve felt in this program. His power was truly phenomenal.”
“I think the hardest jab I’ve ever felt in this program was Daniel Dubois, but for a right-hander it was AJ. If he connects with it…I know it’s only eight rounds, but eight rounds is a long time.”
“Jake Paul is going to want to make it an interesting fight, he’s going to want to try it, and it’s a dangerous fight.”
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Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will meet for the first time ahead of their fight in Miami on December 19th.
Adelaide: Don’t push Paul down.
British heavyweight David Adeleye, who trained in the gym with Paul, is more optimistic about the event.
“But I have to give credit to Jake. A lot of people don’t give him credit for even picking this fight,” Adelai said.
“When Jake gets in the ring, everyone knows his power. So one of the things we have to accept is that Jake isn’t stupid either. He’s not a pushover.
“It’s a good fight.
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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
“We’re all obviously going to be watching. It’s going to be interesting,” he added. “If you go back a few years, Muhammad Ali was doing an exhibition, Floyd Mayweather was doing an exhibition.
“That’s the thing. If there are any other big YouTubers out there who need a dance partner, please give me a call.”
