If Anthony Joshua underperforms against Jake Paul, it would not only put his potential fight with Tyson Fury at risk, but also his own future boxing career, says Frank Warren.
Fury could end his retirement and return in 2026 in boxing’s biggest fight, a long-awaited bout with Joshua.
Joshua hasn’t fought since losing within five rounds to then-IBF world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, but the former two-time unified titlist is making a return in the most unexpected of ways – boxing YouTuber turned fighter Jake Paul, essentially a novice pro cruiserweight, making his return in Miami next month.
It’s almost inconceivable that Joshua loses the fight to Paul, and it would be shocking for him to struggle at all.
But if that were to happen, it would jeopardize a potential future fight with Tyson Fury.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren told Sky Sports: “If he has a bad impression of Jake Paul, I think given his experience and what Jake Paul has gained, he should give it up.”
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Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will meet for the first time ahead of their fight in Miami on December 19th.
“I come from a traditional boxing background, and I think the bottom line is that a good big UN beats a good little UN. Well, AJ didn’t look that good in his last fight, he got completely battered by Daniel Dubois,” he explained.
“Jake Paul, he’s had 13 fights, that’s all. He’s stepping up. People are accusing him of deceiving people. What you have to consider is that Jake Paul is actually in the gym, he’s training, he’s still a licensed boxer.”
But Warren added, “This is a very big step up for him. To fight a natural heavyweight, a big name, a two-time heavyweight world champion, an Olympic gold medalist, all that, it’s a very big first step up and he’s going to fight as a big underdog, a big, big underdog.”
“But everyone is watching.”
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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
There could be a terrible conflict. “I liken it to a car accident,” Warren said. “(People) are going to buy into it, watch it, and do great things with it.”
Fury is close to announcing his future activities and could fight twice next year if he returns.
“If he’s going to come back, he’s going to make a decision, and if he’s going to come back, he’s going to do it pretty quickly,” Warren said.
“He’s shown he wants to do it. It’s not just about whether he wants to do it or not. It’s also about the finances and what the contract looks like. Let’s see what happens.”
