Anthony Joshua has five first-round victories in his 12-year professional career, but could YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul survive any longer if the two were to meet?
What once seemed like pure fantasy – little more than noise designed to generate attention – appears to be edging closer to reality. While Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insists no deal has been finalised, Ring magazine’s Mike Coppinger has reported that the fight is set for December 19 in Florida, live on Netflix.
Joshua, a former Olympic gold medallist and two-time unified heavyweight champion, is pushing to return to title contention, but a bout with Paul would look like nothing more than a warm-up and a lucrative detour.
Paul’s boxing résumé includes a single defeat – to fringe British-level fighter Tommy Fury – making the idea of him stepping in with one of the leading heavyweights of the past decade appear both ludicrous and dangerous.
Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew is firmly against the matchup but told The Stomping Ground how long he believes the fight would last if it did take place.
“As long as Josh’ wants it to. Simple as that. As long as he wanted to.
The same way it did with Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the same way it did with Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. The professional boxer will have the say in how long it goes.”
With the proposed fight date just over a month away, any final decision on whether Joshua vs. Paul does indeed take place is expected in the next few days.
