Anthony Joshua has responded after American Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul challenged him to a fight.
Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn have responded to boxer and YouTube star Jake Paul, who challenged the British-Nigerian fighter to a bout.
Paul, 28, since entering the world of professional boxing has been associated with some heavily publicised fights, including his matches against Tommy Fury (lost) and Mike Tyson (won). And now, he has AJ in his sights.
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Anthony Joshua’s response
Joshua took to his Instagram story to respond after a viral clip from Paul’s BS w/Jake Paul podcast, in which the American called him out, detailing his weaknesses and boasting he could beat him. He shared a screenshot of a call between himself and Paul, with the caption “2026.”
His promoter, Eddie Hearn, had more details. In a conversation with DAZN, per Matchroom Boxing, the British boxing promoter confirmed Joshua was willing to fight anyone, including Paul.
He believes that the fight would attract eyeballs but stated confidently that the former IBF champion would make light work of the part-time YouTuber.
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“I look at it and think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua,” Hearn told Matchroom Boxing. “For me, we’d do it for the banter. AJ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone, to be honest with you.
“If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’d need the relevant insurance. The only disappointing thing was he said 2026.
“I spoke to AJ this morning and he said, ‘Of course, I’d fight him.’ Jake creates massive events. You know that will create unbelievable viewership. No disrespect to Jake Paul; it’s a straightforward night’s work.”
What Jake Paul said
As Pulse Sports reported, Paul is no stranger to celebrity fights, underscored by the fanfare surrounding his bout with the great Mike Tyson, despite the age-gap criticism.
He is utilising a similar strategy again, leveraging his huge social media following to taunt and generate buzz for a possible fight between himself and Joshua.
“I want to fight Anthony Joshua,” Paul said in his podcast. “Because I know I will f***ng beat Anthony Joshua’s a**.
“He doesn’t have a chin and he has no skill and he’s stiff. I love you, Anthony. We’re friends all this s**, but I want to fight you.”
Despite Paul's bold claim, boxing aficionados expect that the 6'6" Joshua would make light work of him, as he did to Francis Ngannou in their cross-over bout in Saudi Arabia.
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Anything other than a flawless victory, and Joshua, still reeling from the defeat to Daniel Dubois, which worsened his boxing record to 28-4, would see his stocks further tank.