Anthony Joshua has insisted he will pull no punches in his shock boxing match with Jake Paul.
On Friday, December 19, heavyweight star Joshua will fight the YouTuber-turned-boxer at Miami’s Cassia Center. This competition is not an exhibition but a professional competitionmeaning The result will remain in each man’s record and a knockout is possible.
However, The heavyweight bout is scheduled for eight three-minute roundsmaking it It is shorter than most major tournaments in the men’s division of the sport. In addition, Joshua will be capped at 245 pounds.
However Each man wears 10-ounce gloves instead of a larger, more forgiving pair,
Joshua vs Paul is one of the most unexpected matches in boxing history, with Joshua, 36, a two-time heavyweight champion of the world, while Paul, 28, made a name for himself on YouTube and the Disney Channel before building a boxing career.
However, Joshua has vowed to pursue a KO, saying in a press release, “Jake or anyone can get it. without womb.
“I took some time off and I’m coming back with a big show. This is a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do a lot, have big fights and break every record while being cool, calm and collected.
“Mark my words, you’ll see more fighters take advantage of these opportunities in the future. I am about to break the internet On Jake Paul’s face.
“This is not an artificial intelligence simulation, this is judgment day,” Paul said. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. Once I beat Anthony Joshua, all doubt will disappear 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 Britain, I am sorry. On Friday 19 December, under the lights of Miami, streaming globally only on Netflix, the torch is passed and Britain’s Goliath falls asleep.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn added: “They say be careful, I feel like that’s all I have to say. Two of the biggest names in the sport will collide on December 19. While I admire Jake. He will find out the hard way in Miami.”
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Meanwhile, Paul’s business partner said: “When Jake Paul said in March that he wanted to fight AJ in 2026, everyone laughed. Well, plans changed and in less than two weeks, the MVP was chosen. [Most Valuable Promotions] And Netflix have had one of the biggest fights of all time.
“Now, as only Jake Paul could and did, he was fighting one of the most feared boxers in the world. Joshua has every advantage in this fight, except one – Jake Paul’s delusional confidence, and if anyone can shock the world, it’s him.”
Joshua’s record is 28-4 (25 KO wins) and the Brit has defeated the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev, while also facing the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois at elite level.
Meanwhile, Paul is 12-1 (7 KO wins) as a pro. The American has defeated – among others – former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., former UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva and heavyweight boxing icon Mike Tyson.
Paul stopped the then 58-year-old Tyson in November 2024, winning a highly controversial fight that went 8 two-minute rounds. Paul usually fights at cruiserweight but faced Tyson at heavyweight.
Joshua has not fought since September 2024, when he was knocked out by Dubois at Wembley Stadium, suffering four knockdowns en route to the defeat – his fourth career loss and second by stoppage.
The British public is still waiting for a generational showdown between Joshua and 37-year-old Tyson Fury, whose half-brother Tommy is the only fighter to beat Paul. According to Hearn, Joshua vs. Fury is being targeted for early 2026.
In an interesting move, the fight with Paul will take Joshua away from his usual streamer DAZN to compete on Netflix.
