Welterweight contender Conor Benn has delivered a characteristically forthright assessment of the upcoming blockbuster fight between Anthony Joshua and YouTube sensation Jake Paul, framing it as a logical product of modern boxing's commercial reality.
'If it makes money, it makes sense'
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Sport at the IBA 2025 Boxing World Championships in Dubai, Benn refused to sugar-coat his views. He presented the bout not as a traditional sporting contest but as a reflection of where the fight game currently stands. "Boxing is dangerous anyway, but you enter at your own risk," Benn stated. "If it makes money, it makes sense. And that's really where it is."
His tone carried no hint of outrage or ridicule, merely a clear-eyed acceptance of a sport that has moved far from its traditional roots. "Ultimately, it's wild," Benn added. "It just goes to show where boxing is at the minute."
Praise for Paul's 'marketing genius'
Benn was quick to shift focus to what he sees as the undeniable truth behind the match-up: Jake Paul's shrewd self-promotion. He expressed a mix of admiration and disbelief at Paul's journey. "You've got to take your hat off to Jake Paul, mate," Benn said. "How have you managed to get yourself in a position to fight a former two-time heavyweight world champion in AJ, who's saved boxing, who's a face of boxing?"
He credited Paul's unparalleled understanding of the business side of the sport. "He understands marketing. He understands that fights have commercial value. He knows how to sell a fight. He promotes himself like nobody else," Benn explained, shaking his head.
Benn believes other fighters could learn from Paul's approach rather than resent it. "I feel like a lot of boxers should take a leaf out of Jake Paul's book," he advised. "Don't get jealous of him. Don't be mad at him. Don't start hating him. Ultimately, he understands the game."
Entertainment value and legacy concerns dismissed
For Benn, the entertainment factor is paramount, and he argued that Paul delivers where others fail. "If you're asking me what I'd rather watch, I'd rather watch Jake Paul than some of these so-called elite fighters," he claimed. He used Devin Haney as an example of a talented fighter who, in his view, doesn't engage enough to captivate audiences.
He was equally dismissive of suggestions that facing Paul could tarnish Anthony Joshua's legacy. "AJ can do whatever the hell he wants to do," Benn asserted. "He's sold out stadiums back to back. He's done bits for British boxing." He imagined Joshua's perspective: "'Brother, I don't care. I'm making bank and my kids' kids' kids' kids are going private school.' That's legacy."
Benn laughed off the weight of online criticism, questioning its long-term significance. "You think the people commenting rubbish on Twitter or Instagram are going to matter in 10 years?" he asked rhetorically.
He also pointed out the hypocrisy of critics. "If you offered any of the people commenting £50million to fight Jake Paul, they'd take it in a blink of an eye," Benn said. "Course I would. I'd take it for 10. I'd take it for five. So who cares?"
He concluded with a pragmatic view of the sport's direction: "Boxing's moving in a mad direction. If you can get £50million to have an easier fight, why wouldn't you take it? Less damage, more bank is always the goal."
On safety, improvement, and training loyalty
Addressing safety concerns, Benn reiterated his initial point: "Enter at your own risk. He knows what he's signing up for." He noted that boxing's progression has never been strictly linear, with amateurs sometimes fast-tracked to top-level fights, and acknowledged Paul's improvement.
While clear about the gulf in class—"Has he fought anyone near AJ's level? No. Not even close"—Benn understands a fighter's mindset. "Maybe he thinks he just needs one shot. Maybe he thinks he's faster, younger, fresher."
He firmly dismissed any notion of the fight being fixed. "People saying it's rigged, no chance," Benn stated. "AJ doesn't strike me as that guy at all. That would ruin his legacy. He's not doing that."
Finally, when asked about Joshua's recent link-up with members of Oleksandr Usyk's training team, Benn expressed confusion, seeing little similarity between the two fighters' styles. He contrasted this with his own philosophy of loyalty to his long-time coach, Tony Sims. "I'm a relationship guy," Benn affirmed. "A loss doesn't mean it was your trainer's fault. Sometimes it just didn't work that night."
