Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua appears poised for a dramatic return to boxing, with reports suggesting he will face YouTube sensation turned professional boxer Jake Paul this December in Miami.
Ending the Hiatus
Anthony Joshua has been absent from the ring for 14 months, his last fight being a stunning fifth-round stoppage defeat to British rival Daniel Dubois in September of last year. That loss halted the significant momentum he had built under trainer Ben Davison and disrupted his path towards another world title opportunity.
The potential for a comeback fight was confirmed by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn. Speaking at the grand arrivals for the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II fight on Tuesday night, Hearn revealed that a tune-up bout was being considered for Joshua.
The Path to Paul
Rumours of a clash with Jake Paul have intensified over recent months, and reports from the United States now indicate the bout is close to being finalised for a December date in Miami. This would mark a significant step for Paul, whose boxing career has been a subject of much discussion.
Jake Paul's recent record includes a loss to Tommy Fury, Tyson Fury's brother, in 2023. He later secured a high-profile victory over the legendary Mike Tyson in an eight-round contest last year. More recently, Paul was scheduled to face Gervonta Davis, but a civil lawsuit against the WBA lightweight champion caused that proposed exhibition fight, set for November 14, to be scrapped.
Decision Time for Joshua's Camp
Eddie Hearn emphasised the urgency of the situation earlier this week, stating that a decision on Joshua fighting in 2025 needed to be made imminently. "We will make a decision this week in terms of if he will fight this year. We have to decide by this weekend basically," Hearn told Sky Sports on Monday.
He described the unique nature of the potential fight, noting, "It doesn't really matter where it is. You won't know about it until maybe even fight week. Honestly. That's the whole purpose of it." Hearn believes the low-profile, low-pressure bout would be beneficial for Joshua, despite the lack of a major financial incentive.
"I think it would be so good for him but bizarre at the same time because there's no money in the fight. We're not going to start using him to sell tickets. Literally he will just pop up on a show," Hearn explained. "He's really up for it. I think it would be so good for him. I'd love him to go in there and just smash someone up."
The defeat to Dubois ended a run of four consecutive victories for Joshua, which had come after he suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. With his old rival Tyson Fury expected to resume his own boxing career in 2026, a long-awaited blockbuster fight between Fury and Joshua remains a distinct possibility for the future.
