Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is in discussions for a potential fight against YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul, with the bout reportedly being considered for December in Miami, Sky Sports News understands.
Joshua, who has not fought since his September 2024 defeat to Daniel Dubois, is reportedly exploring a sensational return against Paul. The American, who had been preparing for an exhibition bout with lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis, saw that fight cancelled following a civil lawsuit against Davis. Joshua is now in negotiations for what could be one of the most unexpected match-ups in recent boxing history.
Paul, who lost to Tommy Fury in 2023, has limited professional experience at heavyweight. His only prior heavyweight fight was an eight-round exhibition against 58-year-old Mike Tyson last year, fought with larger-than-standard 14-ounce gloves.
Joshua, by contrast, boasts a decorated career: Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist in 2012, two-time unified heavyweight world champion, and in crossover action, a two-round stoppage over former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Despite the clear difference in experience, Paul has expressed confidence in taking the risk. “Take a massive risk and a massive challenge and to go into a fight where no one thinks that I would even have the slightest chance of winning, that excites me,” he told Sky Sports previously.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed that discussions were ongoing regarding a potential tune-up fight in December. “We will make a decision this week in terms of if he will fight this year. We have to decide by this weekend basically,” Hearn said. “It doesn’t really matter where it is. I’d love him to go in there and just smash someone up.”
Hearn also suggested that the bout could provide Joshua with a lucrative opportunity while simultaneously allowing him to “extinguish” Paul in the boxing world. “AJ-Paul is never a fight we anticipated, and it’s never a fight we’ve targeted. But if Jake Paul is crazy enough to step in the ring with Anthony Joshua, who knows? You could see AJ against Jake Paul next.”
Jake Paul has a professional record of 12 wins since turning pro in 2020 and remains one of the most polarizing figures in modern boxing, combining social media fame with his growing presence in the sport.
If finalized, the fight would mark Joshua’s first appearance in the ring since his defeat to Dubois and would generate global attention given the high-profile nature of both fighters.
