Jake Paul admits to training mistakes after Joshua knockout
Jake Paul, visibly struggling to speak following surgery, has admitted that failing to train at altitude was his “biggest mistake” ahead of his heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua, reports BritPanorama.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer suffered a devastating knockout in the sixth round last Friday, which resulted in a fractured jaw that required four titanium plates to repair. The bout took place at Miami’s Kaseya Center, where Joshua floored Paul twice before delivering the final blow.
On the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Paul acknowledged that his cardio let him down against the former unified heavyweight champion. “I should have gone to altitude to train,” he stated, expressing regret over his preparation. “That was my biggest mistake. I felt good about [my camp], yeah. But I just needed to have that extra level of cardio for this, and that only can come from going to altitude.”
Post-fight medical examinations revealed that Paul’s injuries included a broken jaw in two places, alongside the loss of several teeth from the powerful hit he received. Describing the extent of his injuries to his brother Logan, he remarked, “It’s like there’s a baseball in there. Four titanium plates. It’s literally snapped, bro, completely snapped.”
Joshua, who entered the ring at 6-foot-6 and 243.4 pounds, posed a significant physical challenge for Paul, who had just three weeks to prepare after a previous fight against lightweight Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis fell through due to domestic violence allegations against Davis, which he denies. Rather than seeking an opponent closer to his natural weight, Paul opted to move up multiple divisions to face Joshua.
Paul adopted a cautious strategy, moving around the ring and maintaining distance to evade Joshua’s power. However, his tactics exhausted him by the middle rounds. Despite the comprehensive defeat, he insisted there were positives to be taken from the experience. “It’s a great experience overall to be in there with someone that’s that good. I learned a lot. I see where I could have done better,” he reflected, although he did admit to feeling disappointed, acknowledging the skill level of his opponent.
Paul’s experience speaks not only to the physical demands of boxing at the heavyweight level but also to the intricate strategies that underpin successful training and preparation, especially when stepping into the ring with a seasoned champion such as Joshua. The fight serves as a stark reminder that even in the pursuit of glory, preparation is key, and sometimes, distance can make all the difference in the outcome.
