Anthony Joshua set to face Jake Paul in Miami
Anthony Joshua has confirmed a surprising switch in plans, opting to fight Jake Paul on December 19 in Miami instead of a previously scheduled showdown with Cassius Chaney in Saudi Arabia, promoter Eddie Hearn announced, reports BritPanorama.
The heavyweight champion’s unexpected announcement of an eight-round contest with Paul has replaced a low-key, unpublicised event originally intended for this weekend. Hearn disclosed that Joshua was initially slated to box American heavyweight Chaney but discussions with Paul escalated rapidly.
“Yes, we had a deal with a guy called Cassius Chaney, a good American,” Hearn explained. “We were gonna fight an eight-round fight this weekend… We hadn’t told anyone. We were just gonna rock up on fight night.” Hearn outlined that the plan was for Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh to introduce Joshua as a surprise feature on the card.
As negotiations with Paul progressed, the fight with Chaney became increasingly unlikely. Hearn noted, “Two weeks ago that was becoming unlikely because the negotiations with Jake Paul… the eight-round fight fell away.” Joshua, 36, last fought in September 2024, suffering a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, and is returning after 15 months out of the ring.
Paul, boasting a professional record of 12–1, emerged as a suitable opponent after plans for him to fight Gervonta Davis fell through. With other contenders like Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford unavailable, Joshua quickly rose as the star name needed for a Netflix-supported event.
Hearn believes that Paul might consider the circumstances to be favourable to him given Joshua’s extended inactivity. However, he expressed skepticism about Paul’s chances against Joshua, stating, “I just cannot fathom AJ losing to Jake Paul… this guy is still pretty much in his prime.”
The upcoming fight has been described as “madness” by Hearn, yet he acknowledged the risk Paul is taking. “You have to give Jake Paul the credit. He’s doing this because he wants to challenge himself as a boxer. I think it’s a bad move from him, but he’s obviously convinced himself and so have members of the team,” he remarked.
The bout is officially sanctioned and will be contested over eight three-minute rounds with 10oz gloves. Joshua will have a maximum weight limit of 245lbs. Despite this unexpected pairing, Hearn confirmed Joshua’s prospects for a potential clash with Tyson Fury in September, framing the December fight as a critical step in this larger plan.
“We were going to fight Chaney for maybe a 1/40th of what we’ll get to fight Jake Paul… When we smash Jake Paul in December, we’ll be unquestionably the hottest thing in boxing,” Hearn concluded.
The buzz surrounding this upcoming fight will be indicative of the unpredictable nature of modern boxing, where even the most unusual matchups can capture the public’s imagination and shift the landscape in profound ways.
