Joshua, a former two-time world champion, is coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. He's got size, reach, power, and experience on his side. Paul, on the other hand, is still new to boxing. He's had 13 fights, mostly against former MMA fighters and older boxers. But he's recently beaten Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Jake Paul's team has confirmed they're talking about a fight with Joshua. This news has upset some people in the boxing world.
Tony Yoka shared his thoughts with Box Nation:
"That's b******t. I can't believe it. You can't make me believe that Anthony Joshua is going to fight Jake Paul, like, why? Joshua does not need money; he's the fighter who makes the most. Everybody knows he's the one. Joshua is still good for a heavyweight; he is 35, 36 years old, you can't tell me he is going to fight Jake Paul. What's the point? I can't believe it."
Yoka himself has been linked to a fight with Joshua recently. When asked about it, he said:
"I guess you've got to wait to see it. Call them and tell them you want to see this fight. I think it's going to be an interesting match. I can swear to you 100% of people will be shocked that night. I know my place is up there [on that level]."
Yoka, a former Olympian, has had 17 fights as a pro. He lost three in a row from May 2022 to December 2023 against Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam, and Ryad Merhy. But he's bounced back and won his last three fights.
He's now signed with Frank Warren's Queensberry and could be in line for some big fights. Besides Joshua, there's talk of a rematch with Joe Joyce from their Olympic bout. Joyce has said he wants that Olympic gold medal if their 2016 fight is proven to have been manipulated.
As for Joshua vs Paul, we'll have to wait and see if it actually happens. But it's clear that not everyone thinks it's a good idea.