Jake Paul, the 28-year-old boxer and promoter, has set his sights on two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua for a potential fight.
Paul has made waves in boxing, facing mostly former UFC fighters and breaking viewership records in 2023 with his fight against 58-year-old Mike Tyson. However, he's had some setbacks recently. Two high-profile bouts with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Gervonta Davis fell through in 2024 after reaching the negotiation stage.
Undeterred, Paul called out Joshua on the latest episode of his podcast. He didn't pull any punches with his words:
"I want to fight Anthony Joshua because I know I'll f**king beat his ass. He doesn't have a chin, he has no skill and he's stiff. I love you Anthony and we're friends but I want to fight you."
Joshua, known as 'AJ', responded quickly. He shared a screenshot of a phone call with Paul on Instagram, captioning it simply "2026".
AJ has had his own struggles lately. He failed in his attempt to become a three-time heavyweight world champion when Daniel Dubois stopped him inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium in 2023. His potential 2025 fight with Tyson Fury won't happen now. Fury announced his retirement, cancelling those plans.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn says AJ has two or three fights left in him. The likely scenario? One more crack at top honors, then possibly a final fight against Jake Paul in 2026.
