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What should have been an exhibition match against Gervonta “Tank” Davis, roughly 40 pounds lighter than Jake Paul, has turned into a professional heavyweight bout with Anthony Joshua.
Paul’s bout against the two-time champ will take place on Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami and will be a sanctioned heavyweight fight. It is scheduled for eight, three-minute rounds with 10-ounce gloves.
Paul has been criticized for taking 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.
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Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Sure, 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 bout against Daniel Dubois on Sept. 21, 2024. But he does fit the bill for what Paul’s critics have been looking for. Joshua stands five inches taller, and Paul has just one heavyweight fight in his career – last year’s bout against Tyson. And it has not 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’ve got them where I want them to be,” Paul said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
Paul may very well be the face of boxing. Perhaps some will say it’s not for the right reasons, but he expects that to change in a couple of weeks.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off after a press conference announcing their heavyweight boxing match at Kayesa Center. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
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“When I knock out Anthony Joshua and win, I’m the face and king of boxing, and people undeniably won’t be able to say anything. It’s silence across the board,” Paul said. “So they think that they have me in the corner, but I really have the world cornered, and it’s exactly where I want them to be.
“I know God is on my side and I have faith in that. He’s always guided me in everything that I’ve 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 moment for me.”
(L-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 Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
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Joshua is 28-4 in his career, while Paul is 12-1.
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