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Anthony Joshua will face Jake Paul on Saturday night as the latest opponent for the spectacle the YouTuber-turned-boxer has engineered in the sport.
Joshua has all the advantages of 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 stands on stage during a face-off against Jake Paul at a press conference promoting their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
These key stats are why Joshua losing 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 go up against Paul, but acknowledged it was part of a strategy to revitalize the two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist’s career.
“AJ will fight a world class opponent in February and – if all goes well – he will then 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 the distance 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 each other during a press conference promoting their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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“First, we would be investigated by the FBI if it was,” he wrote. “That would be illegal. This is a professional competition and a sanctioned fight where people bet on it.
“And do you think I would ever allow AJ to have a script with Jake? A script where we might lose or even hold him up and look bad? No way. We’re not giving this guy an advantage or a chance to say, ‘Told you I was better than AJ’ or ‘I won rounds.’ That would be disastrous for AJ, and we don’t want to risk that.”
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’m the face and the king of boxing and people will undeniably not be able to say anything. It’s silence across the board,” Paul told Pakinomist Digital earlier this month. “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.
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 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.”
