The former two-time world champion did not mince his words when asked for his opinion of Jake Paul ahead of their heavyweight showdown next month
Anthony Joshua was full of praise for Jake Paul after their stunning heavyweight showdown was announced.
The two boxing stars will meet in a professional dust-up at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on Friday, December 19. Their clash will be contested over eight three-minute rounds, with both men set to wear 10oz gloves. There is a slight catch, though, after Joshua was told he cannot weigh more than 245lb.
Joshua has not fought since suffering a devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024 at Wembley Stadium. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion has been sidelined for the majority of 2025 due to injury. As for Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s last appearance came back in June when he defeated ex-champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Paul was due to face Gervonta Davis earlier this month, but was forced to cancel the scrap after ‘Tank’ was accused of battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping by an ex-girlfriend. In a desperate plea to stay active, the ‘Problem Child’ called out several stars within the sport of boxing, and it was Joshua who ended up accepting the call.
Watch Jake vs Joshua live on Netflix for free
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will face off for a heavyweight clash in Miami on December 19. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle, the brand’s ‘lowest ever price’ for Sky TV.
Many within the boxing fraternity have condemned the upcoming showcase, largely due to the huge size disparity between the two foes. Paul has been labelled ‘delusional’ and ‘crazy’ for accepting the fight, but Joshua does not echo those sentiments. “I think he is a smart operator. I think he has managed to put a good team around him to help him achieve his wildest dreams. But, in short, I think he is a smart, young man.”
When asked whether he thought Paul was crazy for accepting the fight, ‘AJ’ replied: “I am going to come to fight. And, by the way, there’s no stuff in the contract that says I cannot do this. I will come to fight. That’s what he wants, though. So, it’s not crazy. He is getting what he wants. He is not crazy. I do not think Jake is crazy. He is a realist. He is a logical man. And he wants to fight.”
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Merely days after their showdown was confirmed, the pair at an official launch press conference over in Miami. The two stars were rather cordial towards each other, but when the talking was done, fans were left shocked by the huge difference in height between both men.
“It’s not a win for me if I just beat him; I need to knock him out,” said Joshua. “I’m going to break his face and break his body. I’m here to prove I’m the better fighter and will do that until I stop fighting. I’m going to go in there and do a job. I want to hurt him, I’m going to want to really hurt him in the ring.
“I’m going to come forward and impose myself. I’m going to land heavy punches and expose him to certain tricks in boxing that he maybe hasn’t seen yet. And I’m going to bring him to a different school of boxing that he maybe hasn’t been exposed to yet.”
While Paul said: “No one ever thought that this would be possible, that we would be here when I first started boxing. No one thinks I’m going to win so join the list and be ready to be shocked. I know that I have the power and the timing. It’s the shots you don’t see coming, and I’m a tricky knockout artist; he has to be careful. I think it will be a fourth or fifth-round knockout. I’m ready to die to win this fight.”
When is Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul?
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are set to go head-to-head in Miami on 19 December, just six days before Christmas. The pair are expected to make their ring walks around 11pm local time, which is 4am UK time.
The timings of fights are usually scheduled to suit American viewers and can change depending on how long the undercard bouts last. Netflix will be streaming the event live.
