Jake Paul Linked with Anthony Joshua Super-Fight

Love him or loathe him, Jake Paul has opened professional boxing up to a whole new audience of fans and now the YouTube star is believed to be setting his sights on some of the biggest names in the sport ahead of what could be a game-changing 2025 for boxing. In the immediate aftermath of this month’s unanimous points win over Mike Tyson, Jake Paul called out pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez whilst a heavyweight bout against two-time world champion Anthony Joshua or even reigning IBF champion Daniel Dubois could be on the cards for next year.

Taking on any of these current or former world champions would represent Jake Paul’s biggest challenge to date and Paul’s team are rumoured to be in talks with Anthony Joshua’s representatives. AJ was sensationally stopped inside five rounds by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September but he remains one of the biggest names in the sport. Whilst boxing purists would detest the idea of a former world champion of Joshua’s calibre succumbing to the vast riches a fight against Jake Paul would command, the money inevitably could prove too much to turn down for a fighter many believe is showing signs of decline.

The Draw Of Jake Paul

70,000 people packed into the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas to see Jake Paul defeat Mike Tyson with more than 100 million viewers streaming the event on Netflix across the globe. 58-year-old Mike Tyson is believed to have pocketed $20 million from the fight and those numbers certainly talk.

Boxing fans remain hopeful of seeing a British heavyweight superfight between Joshua and Tyson Fury but that fight seems some way off after their respective defeats against Dubois and undisputed heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk. Anthony Joshua is eyeing a return to the ring in the spring but a rematch with Daniel Dubois is believed to be off the table whilst a meeting with Fury is unlikely to happen until at least late-2025. This doesn’t leave AJ with too many options for a spring/summer bout, ramping up the speculation over a meeting with Jake Paul.

The Thoughts Of Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn commented on the possibility of being approached over a potential bout between Joshua and Jake Paul, commenting,

“I’d go to AJ and say, ‘do you want to do this?’. I think the answer would be no, but we’d look at the money.”

Hearn added,

“I’d love to see AJ fight Jake Paul.”

Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom has also promoted several of Canelo Alvarez’s recent bouts and was asked about the possibility of the Mexican taking on Paul. Hearn claimed,

“Canelo makes it very clear, It’s all about the money and the deal and if he’s going to make the kind of money that he would make to fight [David] Benavidez or [Dmitry] Bivol and it would be more than that, why wouldn’t he?”

Hearn continued,

“I don’t know Jake, but I get the feeling that he’s competitive enough to one day go, ‘f*** it, let me try it with him.’ He’s got to be bright enough to know that Canelo Alvarez absolutely destroys him, but I’d quite like to see it.”

However, not everyone is convinced that these superfights featuring Jake Paul are for the good of the sport. Commenting on the possibility of Jake Paul stepping into the ring with Anthony Joshua or Canelo Alvarez, a spokesperson at popular betting platform, betting.bet commented,

“The new army of fans that Jake Paul is bringing to boxing is undeniable but getting in the ring against Anthony Joshua or Canelo Alvarez would be a step too far for this YouTuber-turned-boxer. A fight against Anthony Joshua would be a mismatch.

They added,

“As sport enthusiasts and boxing purists, the betting.bet team are unanimous in our desire to see Jake Paul remain an entertainer rather than getting in the ring with some of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. A rematch with Tommy Fury or perhaps a crossover boxing match against UFC star Connor McGregor holds far more appeal to us.”