Joshua, Paul Near Miami Deal Despite Fan Backlash

A fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul is in negotiations for a heavyweight bout in December on Netflix in Miami. The particulars about whether it’ll be a sanctioned match, the exact date, and the venue have yet to be determined.

Joshua’s Reputation Takes Another Hit

The reaction from fans on social media to the Paul-Joshua fight negotiations is overwhelmingly negative. They see the fight as a joke, given that the former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, 36, is fighting an unproven cruiserweight, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), who gained his following by being a YouTuber.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, views the fight as a well-paying tune-up that will help AJ prepare for a bigger match in 2026 against what he hopes for, Tyson Fury.

According to Mike CoppingerJoshua and Paul even “finalizing a deal” for December. If the deal gets done, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) would be the replacement opponent for Jake’s originally scheduled exhibition fight against Gervonta Davis, which was supposed to have been shown on Netflix on November 14th in Miami, Florida. The match was recently canceled due to Tank Davis’s legal problems.

If the Joshua vs. Jake fight is done, it will be interesting to see how the promotion plays out. Joshua isn’t a trash talker. Hearn and Jake Paul may need to do most of the heavy lifting in building interest in the fight, as Joshua will likely take a backseat, being a wallflower.

Eddie Hearn’s Money Machine Keeps Spinning

Joshua’s net worth is estimated at $240 million. Fighting Jake Paul gives Joshua a chance to get a huge payday that could rival what he would make fighting the faded 37-year-old ‘Gypsy King’ Fury.

In the US, Paul, 28, has a larger following than Fury on social media, and it’s a fight that would likely generate more fan interest. Fury isn’t well thought of by Americans for obvious reasons. He looked terrible in his two fights against Oleksandr Usyk and his match against Francis Ngannou.

AJ wasn’t always rich. So, it’s understandable for him to have the mentality of making as much money as possible, staying in the sport to pad his bank account, and needlessly fighting guys like Jake Paul.