Joshua faces weight challenge ahead of Paul clash
Anthony Joshua will enter his December showdown with Jake Paul carrying a significant disadvantage, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who admits the heavyweight’s required weight cut is “not easy” to manage, reports BritPanorama.
The former unified world champion agreed to a bout widely seen as the most lucrative offer in boxing when he accepted a 19 December contest against the American social media star-turned-fighter.
The clash will be professionally sanctioned at heavyweight over eight three-minute rounds, using 10-ounce gloves, however, Joshua must weigh no more than 245 pounds at the weigh-in. This represents a notable shift for the Briton, who has been over 250 pounds in each of his last five outings and is currently walking around at roughly 260 pounds.
For the first time in his career, he will need to shed more than a stone to make weight. Hearn noted in Riyadh that Joshua’s physical adjustment should not be underestimated. “That’s not easy for AJ because people say, ‘Oh he’s boxed at 242 before.’ That was quite a long time ago,” he explained.
“So we are having to deal with the science of that, which again, it’s not going to be brutal, but it’s something you’ve got to keep your eye on. But that’s fine. We surely need some kind of disadvantage going into this fight.”
Paul, who has fought most of his professional career around the cruiserweight limit, enters the bout with a lighter frame and substantially less boxing pedigree. He holds only one defeat on his record, against Tommy Fury in 2023, while his previous heavyweight appearance was a controversial contest against 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November, which drew widespread criticism.
Amid conspiracies likely to surface again, Hearn was unequivocal in dismissing suggestions of any limitations on Joshua’s ability to compete. He confirmed that full drug testing will occur in the lead-up to the event, stating, “I’ve heard people say, ‘I bet there’s something in the contract where you have to take it easy on him.’ I mean, don’t be so ridiculous. Can you imagine? Also, by the way, that’s illegal. It’s a professional contest. You can’t have an agreement about how a fight’s gonna go; that’s called fixing.”
Joshua has not fought since being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024, but he produced one of the most brutal finishes of his career earlier in 2024, knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in two rounds. Hearn warned Paul should not expect any form of patience or gradual approach from Joshua.
“AJ will make the decision what he does. Will he go in there and just sort of have a look for a minute or so?” Hearn speculated. “But probably he was supposed to have a look against Francis Ngannou and he dropped him in the first round and then knocked him out in the second round. And he was a man mountain.” He concluded, “So I don’t think AJ’s capable of having a look. He’s going to go out there and as soon as Jake Paul gets hit on the chin, clean, the fight’s over.”
In the turbulent world of boxing, the upcoming match holds significant intrigue — not only for the stakes involved but also as a demonstration of how two contrasting styles can collide in the ring. As Joshua prepares to face the unconventional Paul, the atmosphere promises to blend the spectacle of sport with the allure of celebrity engagement.
