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What should have been an exhibition fight against Gervonta “Tank” Davis, about 40 pounds lighter than Jake Paul, has turned into a professional heavyweight bout with Anthony Joshua.
Paul’s fight against the two-time champion will take place on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami and will be a sanctioned heavyweight bout. It is scheduled for eight, three-minute rounds with 10-ounce gloves.
Paul has been criticized for taking fights with opponents for many reasons – Mike Tyson was too old, Andre August and Ryan Bourland were no names, and Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva were MMA fighters, not boxers.
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Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face each other after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at the Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Of course, Joshua is no longer in his prime – he last held a title in August 2022, and in his last fight he came up short in an IBF title fight against Daniel Dubois on September 21, 2024. But he fits what Paul’s critics have been looking for. Joshua is five centimeters taller and Paul has only one heavyweight fight in his career – last year’s fight against Tyson. And it hasn’t been that long since Joshua’s last main event.
“You know, the world is against me, but what they don’t realize is that I’ve got them where I want them,” Paul said in a recent interview with Pakinomist Digital.
Paul may very well be the face of boxing to the outside world. Maybe some will say it’s not for the right reasons, but he expects that to change in a few weeks.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face each other after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at the Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
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“When I knock out Anthony Joshua and win, I’m the face and the king of boxing and people will undeniably not be able to say anything. It’s silence across the board,” said Paul. “So they think they have me in the corner, but I really have the world in a corner, and that’s exactly where I want them to be.
“I know that God is on my side and I have faith in that. He has always guided me in everything that I have done in my boxing career and in my life. And then I can walk into that ring with extreme confidence, knowing that this is the right moment for me.”
(LR) Jake Paul was announced as the winner against Mike Tyson during LIVE On Netflix: Jake Paul Vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
Joshua is 28-4 in his career, while Paul is 12-1.
