Anthony Joshua Faces Jake Paul in Upcoming Fight

Anthony Joshua has seen this kind of scenario before, but Jake Paul? Well, he’s a different case altogether.

Joshua was selected by someone who’s not a professional boxer. While there’s a respect for the heavyweight champion’s accomplishments, it’s likely that his boxing credentials were somewhat overvalued.

The opponent, Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion known for his striking power, faced Joshua on March 8, 2024. Unfortunately for Ngannou, he suffered a brutal knockout in the second round after a powerful overhand right.

Paul’s approach is not quite the same.

Even though Paul stands at 6 feet 1 inch and has participated in around a dozen professional boxing matches, his experience doesn’t compare to the likes of Joshua.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) and Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) are set to clash on December 19th at Miami’s Caseya Center. This matchup was confirmed earlier this week after Paul and Most Valuable Promotions decided to withdraw from his planned exhibition fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, originally scheduled for November 14th.

Paul, who is 28, has a height of 6 feet 1 inch, a wingspan of 6 feet 4 inches, while Joshua at 35 is 6 feet 6 inches tall with an impressive 82-inch reach.

“I plan to push myself, stay aggressive and throw some heavy punches,” Joshua stated during a press conference, outlining the straightforward strategy he intends to adopt. “I want to teach him some boxing tricks that he probably hasn’t seen before.”

Joshua emphasized, “We need to knock him out,” recalling his past experiences in the ring.

Paul acknowledged that facing Joshua is a significant challenge for him. It’s a bit of an understatement, isn’t it?

“I enjoy pushing my limits,” Paul said confidently. “I like taking on the biggest names in the sport. When I started boxing, people didn’t think I’d make it this far, so let’s see what happens.”

Paul is aware of Joshua’s reputation, emphasizing, “He’s one of the greatest heavyweights ever. His power is incredible, and I just need to avoid that punch over eight rounds. I’m not asking for respect, I’m going to earn it.”

Meanwhile, plans for the previous Paul-Davis bout didn’t seem very exciting. It’s almost like the event was set up to fail, especially with Davis’s legal troubles looming over him.

Davis faced serious accusations from his ex-girlfriend, including claims of assault and other forms of violence.

In a surprising twist, Paul moved on and proposed a lineup of alternate opponents to ESPN, with Joshua being one of the top callouts.

Before fighting Joshua, Ngannou faced Tyson Fury, who won that match by a narrow decision although he didn’t seem to take it too seriously.

Fury appeared slow and a bit careless, weighing in heavily for that bout.

In contrast, Joshua took Ngannou seriously—and decisively ended the contest in two rounds. He has the same intentions for Paul.

“I’m taking this fight seriously,” Joshua asserted, showing respect for Paul’s mindset. “He’s mentally strong and deserves recognition for that.”

Joshua, despite being a former unified heavyweight champion with two knockout losses to his name, remains a formidable figure in the boxing world, his last defeat coming against Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

Paul’s most recent match was in June, securing a notable victory over former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

It’s also important to mention that Joshua is planning to train with Oleksandr Usyk’s team to prepare for this upcoming fight. Usyk, once the undisputed heavyweight champion, previously defeated Joshua in their two encounters in 2022 and 2023.