Jake Paul has initiated legal proceedings in the wake of his heavyweight defeat to Anthony Joshua, targeting online claims that the high-profile bout was fixed.
Controversy Follows Brutal Knockout
The YouTuber-turned-boxer was stopped in the sixth round by former world champion Anthony Joshua in a fight staged in Miami last Friday. The contest took a decisive turn in the fifth round when Paul was knocked down twice, before Joshua finished the fight with a powerful right hand in the sixth. The punch was so forceful it resulted in Paul suffering a broken jaw in two places.
Speculation that the fight's outcome was pre-arranged had circulated before the event, with unsubstantiated rumours suggesting Joshua had agreed not to knock out his opponent. Both camps had firmly denied these allegations prior to the bout.
Legal Team Targets Social Media Claims
In the aftermath, Paul's business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, has confirmed that their legal representatives are actively pursuing individuals propagating the fight-fixing narrative. He specifically cited one viral social media post that garnered approximately 200,000 likes.
"Our lawyers are actively going after a number of people, one who claims to be a lawyer himself online," Bidarian stated during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani show. He described the post as claiming "there was an agreement for AJ not to knock out Jake but AJ disregarded it and decided to forego his payday to knock out Jake Paul."
Bidarian vehemently denied any such arrangement, asserting, "There has never once in Jake Paul’s career been any talk of that sort." He emphasised that the fight was conducted under the same legitimate conditions as any professional boxing match.
Promoter Dismisses Fixation Claims
Anthony Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, also rubbished the suggestions, pointing to the severity of Paul's injury as clear evidence of the fight's authenticity. "You do know that he's broken his jaw in two places? He may never be able to fight again," Hearn remarked.
He elaborated on the potential career implications, noting, "People just think, 'Oh, you just get your jaw wired, bolted together by a couple of screws, and on you go.' There have been many fighters who have had their jaws broken that never boxed again."
Bidarian further countered the rumours by recalling Joshua's own pre-fight confidence, stating the Briton had been "on record saying that if he didn’t finish him in the first round, that would be disappointing." The narrative of an easy victory for Joshua was prevalent until the fight's conclusive and damaging outcome.
The legal action underscores the intense scrutiny and spread of misinformation that now surrounds major crossover boxing events, with Paul's camp determined to defend the legitimacy of the contest and his professional reputation.
