By Conal Quinn
MEXICO CITY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Anthony Joshua says boxing needs saving — and he is happy to play the hero — as the former heavyweight champion prepares to face YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.
The fight, which pits the former twice unified heavyweight champion against the social media celebrity, has attracted its fair share of critics. Former WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder has dismissed it as a ‘money grab’ while some of Joshua’s previous opponents
have raised concerns for relative novice Paul’s safety in the ring against one of boxing's heaviest hitters.
Joshua is no stranger to crossover clashes, knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou after just two rounds in March 2024. The London 2012 Olympic gold medallist told Reuters he is aiming for another statement win against Paul.
“I've been called out of my hiatus to save boxing once again,” said Joshua, referring to his year out of the ring after losing his last fight against Daniel Dubois in a fifth-round stoppage.
“I'm the saviour. I saved boxing from Ngannou and now I have to save boxing from Jake Paul,” Joshua added, embracing the biblical symbolism of his surname.
Since first entering the ring in 2020, Paul has amassed a 12-1 record with 7 knockout wins. In that time the former YouTube-prankster and Disney Channel star has fought and beaten other influencers, basketball star Nate Robinson and a host of MMA champions, including Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
Such a record pales in comparison to Joshua, who has fought some of the heavyweight division’s greatest champions in Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk. At their November 21 face-off, 6’6 Joshua towered over 6’1 Paul, and the British veteran is expecting an easy payday.
INTEGRITY OF BOXING
“I’ve got to take the positives from this: I get to go home early,” Joshua quipped, adding that it was not his responsibility to be concerned for a ‘deluded’ Paul’s wellbeing in the eight-round, 10-ounce glove contest.
“This is boxing. I can't go in there thinking about him. I'll think about myself. He’d do the same thing to me if he could.”
Asked whether the bout would erode the integrity of the sport, Joshua told Reuters he wasn't paying attention to the criticism. “I understand from the point of view of pugilist purists this shouldn't be happening”, the 36-year-old explained.
“But God willing I live until I'm 70, I don't want to look back and say, ‘I wish I took the opportunity and I didn't do it because the purists said so.’” The opportunity in question is a prize purse of $50 million guaranteed plus bonuses for each fighter, with the spectacle to become only the second boxing event broadcast live on Netflix.
The first fight put on by the streaming giant was Paul’s controversial win over heavyweight great Mike Tyson last year, which was also criticised for pushing the boundaries of safety in sport.
Aged 58 at the time of that fight, Tyson had not entered a boxing ring in almost two decades, and squared off against the then 27-year-old Paul after struggling with sciatica and even occasionally using a wheelchair.
Allegations of match-fixing were subsequently raised when Paul claimed he pulled his punches to let the Netflix main event go the distance. What’s certain, however, is Paul’s ability to pull in viewers with the Tyson fight becoming the most streamed sporting event in history.
"Eyes are eyes and there's more eyes on the sport. There's no denying that,” Joshua said, crediting Paul for bringing boxing to new audiences at a time when other combat sports such as MMA were encroaching on its market share.
As for what happens after the Paul bout, Joshua said he was not ruling out the possibility of coaxing former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury out of retirement to finally deliver the mega-fight boxing enthusiasts have waited over a decade to see. “It's up to Fury. I’ve signed to fight him a number of times. I don't want to get my hopes up and be let down again.”
(Editing by Kate Mayberry)
