Deontay Wilder takes a controversial stance on Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight

Deontay Wilder has weighed in with a strong view on the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul fight.

The controversial fight between Joshua and Paul takes place next week, with the two men squaring off at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on Friday 19 December.

It brings together a two-time former world heavyweight champion in Joshua and a YouTuber-turned-boxer in Paul, with a vast difference in size, experience and skill between the duo.

Joshua was last in action in September 2024 when he suffered a fifth round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, while Paul’s most recent outing was in June, defeating former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in their cruiserweight bout.

Another former world heavyweight champion that has now offered his take on the match-up is Wilder, who held the WBC crown for five years between 2015 and 2020.

Speaking to ESNews, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ revealed that he has doubts on the legitimacy of the contest, claiming that he believes it is ‘scripted.’

“Just because they say it’s a real fight, that makes it a real fight? What makes it a real fight? For me, with a situation like this, I think it’s entertainment. I think it’s exhibition style stuff. For me, I think it’s scripted. We’re going to see.”

Paul’s promotional company, MVP, have previously hit back against such claims, pointing out that fixing or scripting the outcome of a professional contest is a federal crime. Joshua has also assured fans that the contest is legitimate and he will be pulling no punches.

A victory for Joshua could lead to a future bout against Wilder, with the two men having been rumoured to face one another for a number of years, while ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has also been linked to a fight with current unified heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.