Eddie Hearn has warned that the boxing world would take a catastrophic hit — and possibly a final one — if Jake Paul were to defeat Anthony Joshua.
The crossover star-turned-professional, Paul, faces Joshua on December 19 in Miami. Paul began as a YouTuber and now carries a 13-fight professional record, campaigning around the cruiserweight limit. Joshua, by contrast, is an Olympic gold medallist, a two-time heavyweight world champion and the naturally bigger, more accomplished boxer.
Hearn downplayed Paul’s credentials at heavyweight while acknowledging his progress at cruiserweight. He described Paul as a legitimate top-50 cruiserweight but added he doesn’t see him as world-class. “I just don’t think he’s world class and I don’t think there’s any non-world class cruiserweight that can step up to heavyweight and beat Anthony Joshua,” Hearn said, stressing the gap between the two fighters.
He went further, saying that if Paul were to pull off an upset, it would be more than a personal embarrassment. “Maybe I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, I think my time’s up. Not just AJ and me retire, I think we should all retire. So AJ the weight of boxing is on your shoulders, my man!” Hearn said.
The promoter expects a one-sided outcome. He called the contest a legitimate, sanctioned fight and warned against any suggestion of a fixed result. Hearn praised Paul for taking the bout but predicted that the realities of facing a top heavyweight will hit him fast. “Within less than a minute of that fight he is going to think to himself: ‘What on earth have I done here?’ And more importantly: ‘What am I going to do?’ There is absolutely no escape for Jake Paul in this fight,” Hearn said.
Hearn outlined how Joshua approaches opponents: he smells weakness and immediately turns up the pressure. If Paul shows aggression, Hearn believes the fight will be over quickly; if he doesn’t, Joshua will walk him down and impose his will. “I would say two rounds is fair for Anthony Joshua. I would be disappointed if AJ didn’t get him out of there in two rounds,” he added.
In short, Hearn is adamant that Joshua should dominate and that a Paul victory would represent a severe blow to boxing’s credibility.