Jake Paul has vowed to knock out Anthony Joshua in their sanctioned eight-round clash in Miami on December 19 and declared he wants to face Tyson Fury in 2026. The pair squared off at the end of their first press conference, where Paul outlined how he plans to beat the former world heavyweight champion.
“He is one of the best heavyweights ever, but I believe fighting a smaller man is often harder for a heavyweight because of the speed difference, the footwork, the angles, the head being off-centre,” Paul said. “All that power is great, but I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds — and I believe I can do that. I know I can pick him apart, score points, and make this a great contest. Don’t respect me just for getting in there; respect me because I’m going to win.”
A comparison of the two fighters highlights contrasting records and sizes: Paul 12–1–0 with seven KOs, roughly 200 lb (90.7 kg) fighting as a cruiserweight; Joshua 28–4–0 with 25 KOs, around 245 lb (111 kg) as a heavyweight. Paul’s last win was a unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.; Joshua last fought in September last year when he suffered a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
Joshua responded to Paul’s claims, warning against underestimating the YouTuber-turned-boxer. “Jake is a serious fighter. You cannot underestimate anyone. I need to cut him up, break him up and hurt him. There is nothing more to it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, I need to do a job,” he said.
To prepare for the fight, Joshua has teamed up with the coaching group behind reigning world champion Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua confirmed a split from long-time trainer Ben Davison — who recently said the bout was “not good for boxing” — and said training with Team Usyk has been a challenging, valuable experience. He added that he has not sparred with Usyk, who has been in and out of his own camp.
Paul went further than predicting a win, saying he intends to upend Matchroom Boxing’s plans and target a fight with Tyson Fury next year. He claimed he would “become the CEO of Matchroom Boxing, changing the plans,” and urged those arranging an all-British Fury fight not to book travel. “Look what happened the last time they came to America and the plans they had. Andy Ruiz stopped that. This is Andy Ruiz 2.0,” Paul said.
Safety concerns around the weight gap between the fighters have been sharpened by the terms for Joshua: he must weigh in at 111 kg (245 lb), and there is no rehydration clause after the weigh-in. “That is the case,” Joshua said. “111kg (245lbs) is what I’ve got to weigh in at. That is what I am focusing on. Anything else after that is a bonus.”