Anthony Joshua has spoken out following the announcement of his money-spinning bout against Jake Paul.
The two stars resumed negotiations recently when Paul’s exhibition fight with Gervonta Davis was pulled just weeks out following the latter’s most recent domestic violence allegations.
They will face off over eight rounds in a professionally sanctioned heavyweight main event, though ‘AJ’ reportedly must adhere to a limit of 245lbs — seven pounds lighter than he weight against Daniel Dubois in August of last year.
The Brit had been expected to have a low-key run out before the end of the year to prepare for a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury in 2026. He will instead co-star in an extremely high profile event, being paid handsomely for what should be a simple night’s work, perhaps his simplest.
Alongside the announcement for the December 19 Miami event, ‘AJ’ said that this was perhaps a shift in prize fighting, expecting others to follow suit. He also confirmed that he will be fighting with ‘no mercy.’
“Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy. I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me.
“Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected.
“Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”
The Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time unified heavyweight world champion followed up on social media with “He’s loco mhen,” the translation being “he’s crazy, man.”
Paul matched the confidence in his own statement.
“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime.
“When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry.
“On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”
The fight, though undoubtedly set to be one of the biggest events of the year, will draw criticism from many boxing circles due to the dangers it presents.
