Paul vs. Joshua: All you need to know about the boxing match

jake paul He’ll take a big step up in competition when he faces the former two-time heavyweight champion anthony joshua in a heavy battle December 19 at the Kasia Center in Miami. (Netflix). It’s a massive change of gears after Paul originally faced the WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis Last Friday in an exhibition fight at a catchweight of 195 pounds. However, Paul’s fight with Davis was canceled In view of November 3 Lawsuit filed against davis His ex-girlfriend had accused him of assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Paul will face Joshua, a rival who is 100 pounds heavier than Davis, in a professionally sanctioned heavyweight boxing match. Unlike his exhibition fight with Davis, Paul won’t have a size advantage To address the skills gap. Joshua is fighting at around 250 pounds, while Paul is fighting at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. Paul would shock the world and pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

But how did we get here and what does it all mean?

Why is Paul fighting Joshua?

After Paul’s showdown with Davis was cancelled, the YouTuber turned boxer made every effort to compete before the end of 2025. According to Paul’s promotional organization, Most Valuable Promotions, there were talks with several potential opponents before landing on Joshua.

Earlier this year, Paul expressed interest in fighting Joshua and included him in their revised hit list Which he recently shared with ESPN. However, the original timeline of the fight with Joshua would have had the two meeting sometime in 2026 after the Davis fight. Paul immediately turned his attention to Joshua, who was there Sidelined after elbow surgery in JuneAnd an agreement was agreed upon between the two parties.

Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, told ESPN that Joshua was looking to fight once in late 2025 before aiming for a fight with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury in 2026.

Is this an exhibition fight?

No, Paul vs. Joshua will be a sanctioned heavyweight fight scheduled for eight three-minute rounds. The fighters will also wear 10-ounce gloves, which are standard for heavyweight fights.

Paul is close to Joshua in weight but now has to contend with both a size and skill difference. Joshua – a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified heavyweight champion – has weighed in at a maximum of 254 pounds and a minimum of 229 pounds in his professional career. Paul’s highest weight was 227¼ pounds for a November 2024 showdown against former heavyweight champion Mike TysonPaul weighed in at 199,4 pounds in his most recent fight, resulting in a dominant win, Against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. In June.

Why would Paul want to fight Joshua now?

Stupidity with a hint of delusional confidence?

Say what you want about Paul, but he is constantly willing to challenge himself, even though he is still considered a novice in boxing. Paul has faced criticism for his choice of opponents. His career has included MMA fighters, YouTubers, a former NBA slam dunk champion, journeyman boxer, and a retired heavyweight. In his last fight, Paul had his closest encounter with a “real” boxer in Chavez, a former middleweight champion, and prevailed against a fighter whose best years were long behind him.

last time Joshua was in the ring with a novice boxerHe obliterated the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou In two rounds in March 2024.

Still, Paul wants to test himself, and we’ll see where he stands when he steps inside the ring with Joshua.

Why would Joshua fight Jake Paul?

Why wouldn’t he? It’s a low-risk, high-reward fight on a big stage that will be streamed globally on Netflix. Joshua has faced some of the best heavyweights of his generation and has already sought to compete before the end of 2025. As one of the biggest stars in British boxing history, the bout will also boost Joshua’s status in the United States, where he has not fought since a devastating knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2019.

The only market that Joshua hasn’t captured is the US, and facing someone with Paul’s reach will certainly help him when he faces Fury in 2026.

How will this affect Joshua’s career?

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Hearn: Only Turki Al-Sheikh can make Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury

Eddie Hearn speaks about a potential clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

If Joshua does what most people think he will and defeats Paul, of course, then his plans for a megafight with Fury remain intact. Fury has retired, but he could be tempted joshua to return to fight,

We saw what Joshua did to Ngannou five months later almost caused a major upset Lost to Fury in split decision. It is unlikely that Joshua would have any interest in taking on Paul in an entertaining fight. However, for every round Paul survives, Joshua’s stock may suffer a loss. And if the fight is somehow competitive, there will be questions about Joshua’s current status in boxing. The last time he was in the ring was in September 2024. He was stopped in five rounds By Daniel Dubois. This is forgivable given Dubois’s tenure in boxing. A competitive fight with the less experienced and younger Paul would not bode well for his future.

How will this affect Paul’s career?

This is an interesting question because the expectation is that a highly decorated, hard-hitting heavyweight will beat Paul clearly, and the chances of an upset against Paul would be very high. This is a fight that Paul is expected to lose, and because of this, the idea of ​​stepping into the ring and surviving may give him a moral victory, unless he is brutally beaten early in the fight.

If Paul can somehow find a way to make it competitive, it will help his boxing stock rise. He has already proven that a loss will not completely derail his career, and his widespread presence on social media will allow him to lick his wounds and return, if not more marketable, by earning respect from the boxing community that has criticized his boxing career.

Its About This is a no lose situation for Paul as he should never have been able to get in the ring with the former Heavyweight Champion at this stage of his career. Any time spent at his feet would be a win. However, if he ends up on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knockout, he’ll go viral for all the wrong reasons.