Bold claim: boxing needs saving—and Joshua positions himself as the hero who will do it again. Joshua’s latest headline grab comes as he prepares to meet Jake Paul in Miami on December 19, a matchup that has polarized fans and critics alike.
The spectacle pairs a former two-time unified heavyweight champion with a social media celebrity who has built his career on influencer-style bouts. Not everyone is convinced. Deontay Wilder, a former WBC heavyweight champion, dismissed it as a “money grab,” while some of Joshua’s past opponents have questioned Paul’s safety against one of boxing’s biggest punchers.
Joshua isn’t new to crossover clashes. He previously knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in two rounds in March 2024. The Olympic gold medallist from London 2012 says he intends to deliver another eye‑catching win against Paul.
“I’ve been summoned out of retirement to save boxing once again,” Joshua told Reuters, referencing a layoff after his stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois. “I’m the saviour. I saved boxing from Ngannou, and now I have to save boxing from Jake Paul.” He leans into the symbolic resonance of his surname.
Since debuting in 2020, Paul has gone 12-1 with seven knockouts, stepping into the ring against other influencers, NBA star Nate Robinson, and several MMA champions, including Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
But those numbers don’t match Joshua’s resume, which features battles with heavyweight elites such as Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk. In their November 21 face‑off, Joshua, at 6’6”, loomed over Paul, who stands about 6’1”, inviting speculation that the bout is only a payday for the veteran.
INTEGRITY OF BOXING
“I’ll take the positives: I get to go home early,” Joshua joked, while downplaying concerns for Paul’s welfare in the eight‑round, 10‑ounce glove contest. “This is boxing. I can’t go in there worrying about him. I’ll worry about myself. He'd do the same to me if he could.”
Asked if the bout could erode boxing’s integrity, Joshua told Reuters he wasn’t bothered by the critics. “From a pugilist purists’ point of view, this shouldn’t be happening,” the 36-year-old acknowledged. “But if I live to 70, I don’t want to look back and think, ‘I should have taken the opportunity, but I didn’t because the purists said so.’”
The opportunity on offer is a $50 million guaranteed prize purse, with bonuses for each fighter, and the event poised to be Netflix’s second live boxing broadcast. Netflix previously aired Paul’s controversial win over heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last year, an event that drew heavy scrutiny over safety and timing: Tyson, 58 at the time, hadn’t boxed in nearly two decades and faced a then-27-year-old Paul amid health concerns, including sciatica and limited mobility.
There were later whispers of match‑fixing when Paul claimed he softened his punches to extend the Tyson bout. Regardless, the Tyson melee set viewership records, making Paul’s event the most streamed sporting spectacle in history.
“Eyes are eyes, and there are more eyes on boxing than ever,” Joshua reflected, crediting Paul with drawing new audiences at a time when MMA is expanding its footprint in the market.
As for the future after the Paul bout, Joshua didn’t rule out the possibility of luring Tyson Fury out of retirement for the long‑anticipated mega‑fight that fans have waited a decade to see. “It’s up to Fury. I’ve agreed to fight him several times. I won’t get my hopes up and be let down again.”
