Jake Paul, fresh off his latest win, might step into the most outrageous and ambitious fight of his career. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has verbally agreed to face Anthony Joshua, according to Turki Al-Sheikh, a key figure behind Saudi Arabia's recent boxing boom.
Al-Sheikh revealed on Tha Boxing Voice podcast, "Jake Paul accepted now. Next week, I will talk with Joshua about it." The powerful promoter sees potential in this matchup, saying, "If Joshua just destroys him, that's good for me. And if Jake Paul wins? Then Joshua is finished, and Paul deserves to be ranked."
Paul's record stands at 12-1, with his most recent victory coming against former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision. This win propelled him to the No. 14 spot in the WBA cruiserweight division. After the fight, Paul called out several high-profile names, including Anthony Joshua.
Responding to critics on social media platform X, Paul stated:
"I will do what I want, with who I want, when I want... You rodents talk so much s--- but when I take on the biggest challenges, you start having panic attacks."
Joshua, who was previously eyeing a showdown with Tyson Fury, now finds his options shifting due to Fury's official retirement. Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, Joshua's promoter, commented on the potential Paul-Joshua matchup:
"If Jake Paul was mad enough to do it, I think Anthony would probably say yes as well. Not really a fight we've been targeting-but if it's presented, why not?"
Hearn's statement suggests this fight isn't as far-fetched as it once seemed. In today's boxing landscape, where spectacle often trumps tradition, a Paul-Joshua bout could become one of the most talked-about events of the decade.
The ball is now in Joshua's court. If he agrees, we might witness a clash that pushes the boundaries of conventional boxing matchups even further.
