Jake Paul is said to have finalized the fight against Anthony Joshua on Netflix
Boxer Jake Paul seems to be heading for a far more formidable foe: Anthony Joshua, the two-time former world heavyweight champion.
Multiple media sites reported on Wednesday that a matchup between Paul and Joshua is anticipated to occur before the year ends.
Plans for the fight, which was initially announced by Ring Magazine on Netflix, are anticipated to take place in Miami in December.
Paul was slated to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis, the current lightweight champion (135 pounds) and former super featherweight and super lightweight titlist, in an exhibition bout on Friday in Miami.
On November 3, the fight was called off when Davis was the focus of a criminal investigation and a legal complaint. Davis was charged by his ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel with battery, aggravated battery, kidnapping, false detention, and purposeful infliction of emotional distress.
Compared to Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), who has fought at weights ranging from 183 pounds to 227 pounds, Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) would have been significantly lighter. Paul, who is more of a cruiserweight (200-pound limit), has won two high-profile fights by unanimous decision: in June, he defeated Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. (39), and in November, he defeated retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson (then 58).
British-born Joshua, who stands 6′-6 compared to Paul’s 6-1, has battled at least 250 pounds in his last five fights.
Paul, a 28-year-old former YouTube sensation who made his professional debut in 2020, has a lot less experience than Joshua, 36.
After winning the gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the 2012 Olympics, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) went pro in October 2013.
However, since Daniel Dubois knocked him down four times in the fifth round on September 21, 2024, Joshua has not competed.
