NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
What should have been an exhibition match against Gervonta “Tank” Davis, about 40 pounds lighter than Jake Paul, turned into a professional heavyweight bout with Anthony Joshua.
Paul’s fight against the two-time champion will take place on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami and will be a sanctioned heavyweight bout. Eight three-minute rounds are planned with 10-ounce gloves.
Paul was criticized for picking fights with opponents for many reasons: Mike Tyson was too old, Andre August and Ryan Bourland were no names, and Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva were MMA fighters, not boxers.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at the Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Of course, Joshua is no longer in his prime – he last held a title in August 2022, and in his last fight he came up short in an IBF title fight against Daniel Dubois on September 21, 2024. But he fits what Paul’s critics were looking for. Joshua is five inches taller and Paul has only had one heavyweight fight in his career – last year’s fight against Tyson. And it hasn’t been that long since Joshua’s last main event.
“You know, the world is against me, but what they don’t realize is that I have them right where I want them to be,” Paul said in a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital.
Paul could very well be the face of boxing. Some might say it’s for the wrong reasons, but he expects that to change in a few weeks.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at the Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
BOXER VANES MARTIROSYAN, WHO COMPETED FOR TEAM USA AT THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES, DEAD AT 39
“When I knock out Anthony Joshua and I win, I’m the face and the king of boxing, and people will definitely not be able to say anything. It’s silence everywhere,” Paul said. “So they think they have me in the corner, but it’s really the world that’s stuck, and that’s exactly where I want them to be.
“I know that God is on my side and I have faith in that. He has always guided me in everything that I have done in my boxing career and in my life. And so I can walk into that ring with extreme confidence, knowing that this is the right time for me.”
(L to R) Jake Paul was announced as the winner against Mike Tyson during LIVE on Netflix: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
Joshua is 28-4 in his career, while Paul is 12-1.
