The boxing world has been rocked by the news that former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is in advanced talks to face YouTube sensation Jake Paul in a highly-controversial bout this December.
Fight Details and Backlash
Shockwaves reverberated through the sport on Wednesday night when it emerged that Anthony Joshua, 34, is finalising negotiations to fight Jake Paul, 28, in Miami. The potential clash is scheduled for either December 12 or 19, marking AJ's first return to the ring in over a year following his devastating fifth-round knockout defeat by British rival Daniel Dubois last September.
The development has prompted a huge outcry from the boxing community, with many questioning the state of the sport. Should Joshua proceed with the fight, nothing less than a dominant, devastating performance will be considered acceptable for the former champion.
Chisora's Brutal Assessment
Veteran heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora has delivered a characteristically blunt assessment of what Joshua must do. Speaking to iFL TV, Chisora insisted that AJ cannot afford to let the fight go beyond the early rounds.
'Delicious, good,' Chisora said of his reaction to the news. 'AJ took a year out, easy fight for him and I think it should be laid to rest because I don't think AJ's going to go in there and try and pat (him), AJ is going to smoke him.'
Chisora issued a stark warning, emphasising the high stakes for Joshua's legacy. 'I will say this about AJ: don't let that guy [Paul] knock you out, because that will be f***ing nightmares forever, but AJ has to kill him in three rounds.' The heavyweight then revised his prediction, demanding an even quicker finish. 'He has to smoke him in two rounds, the same way he did with [Francis] Ngannou.'
Hearn's Hints and Exhibition Speculation
The news follows teasing comments from Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, who just days ago hinted at a potential 'run-out' fight for the British star. 'We will make a decision this week on Anthony's next fight,' Hearn said on Tuesday. 'If he fights this year, you probably won't even hear about it, unless it's Jake Paul.'
The Matchroom Boxing chief revealed they had opponents in mind for a tune-up fight and would 'literally rock up on fight week.' Hearn's comments have led many fans to speculate that any bout between Joshua and Paul would be officially deemed an exhibition, similar to Paul's previously planned fight with Gervonta Davis, which was cancelled last week due to domestic violence allegations against Davis.
Further details regarding the fight's format, including potential weight restrictions, remain unconfirmed. The size difference between the two is significant. In Paul's most recent bout against Julio Chavez Jr, he weighed in at 199.4lbs. In contrast, Joshua tipped the scales at 252lbs 5oz for his last fight against Dubois. However, for his exhibition against Mike Tyson last year, Paul bulked up to 220lbs, a strategy he will likely need to employ again.
Fighters at a Crossroads
While the potential matchup initially brings shock, it finds both fighters at a crossroads in their careers. After defeating the 59-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson in November last year, Paul returned to the ring in the summer to defeat Julio Chavez Jr via unanimous decision. Since then, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has been searching for a more credible opponent.
Joshua, meanwhile, faces immense pressure to shake off 13 months of ring rust. The Watford fighter's brutal knockout loss to Dubois derailed his hopes of mounting another charge for the heavyweight titles. Despite a four-fight win streak prior to that defeat, his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 have left his career trajectory in question.
Former champion Carl Froch recently discussed what he termed the 'downfall' of Joshua, pinpointing his split from longtime trainer Rob McCracken as the beginning of his troubles. 'Rob guided him from amateur nobody to Olympic champion and then to world honours,' Froch told Daily Mail's Charlotte Daly. 'But AJ didn't listen. He left him. That was the worst decision he could have made.'
Froch expressed a pessimistic view of Joshua's future, stating, 'Now he's mentally distraught, physically getting old, completely lost. I honestly don't think there is a way back. I think he's done and he knows it.'
As negotiations reach their final stages, the boxing world watches with a mixture of fascination and apprehension, waiting to see if one of Britain's most celebrated heavyweights will step into the ring with the sport's most polarising figure.
