Misfits & Mismatch: Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul

Misfits & Mismatch: Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul

As people devour the final series of Stranger Things on Netflix, something even stranger, maybe something even less believable, will land on that giant streaming service this Friday night. A YouTuber, a content creator, a so-called social media sensation, will take on a former Olympic champion and a two-time heavyweight champion of the world.

Jake Paul will take on Anthony Joshua in Miami this Friday night. It seems like a match-up of utter stupidity. And an extremely dangerous one. It can’t possibly be remotely competitive. It carries a huge risk of imminent danger for a novice cruiserweight like Paul. If there is any doubt about that risk, just look at what that big Joshua right hand did to Francis Ngannou not so long ago. The mouth cashing cheques, the body can’t cash springs to mind. As much as you can admire the dedication and the sheer audacity of what Paul is trying to do, there are levels. They are a million miles apart. Or at least, they should be. The confidence, arrogance, is probably a better word, that Paul believes he has a chance of beating Joshua, is one of delusion. Be careful what you wish for.

Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions have done so much for the female side of the sport. It’s not that much of a stretch to say that Paul has saved women’s boxing. But sometimes you need saving from yourself.

Jake Paul has talked himself into a fight that he can’t possibly win. An uninspiring 12-1 resume that has been built on extreme caution. I am being extremely kind with those words. Being older and smaller helps get the gig. But the seismic jump in class that Paul will experience on Friday night is akin to a father competing in his kid’s sports day 100-meter dash, to suddenly being parachuted into the Olympic Marathon. Paul will have far more to worry about than just hitting the wall.

The one defeat on his record, to Tommy Fury in 2023, highlights his limitations. There are many. Any small improvements made since that sobering defeat to the former Love Island contestant will not be anywhere near enough against Joshua. Even this version of a former heavyweight champion, who is probably on that irreversible slide from the fighter he once was. Paul thinks he will be catching the 36-year-old at the perfect time. But if Paul catches just one right hand from Joshua, he will likely be knocked into oblivion. Reality hits very hard indeed.

Paul will cling to the hope that Joshua is a badly depleted fighter coming off elbow surgery and the brutal demolition that Daniel Dubois inflicted on him in his last fight over a year ago. He will hope, pray even, that he will face an Anthony Joshua with a fragile confidence and enough ring rust that narrows the obvious gap in ability. The 28-year-old will think it could be all about timing. It will be, but not in the way he thinks.

“I’m going to shock the world and pull off the biggest upset in sports history,” Paul said this week. He is dead right, it would be. But he won’t.

For Joshua, it’s incredibly good business. High reward, minimal risk. Strip away all the fame and eyeballs that Paul brings to the table, and it is a gross mismatch that has no right to be sanctioned. Even with the modified rules, it’s an absolute disgrace that someone of the ability and experience of Jake Paul is facing someone of the calibre of Anthony Joshua. An already dangerous sport just got a whole lot more dangerous. I know money talks, but come on.

Everyone will hope that they get away with it, and they can all go home without any dire consequences, and count the obscene amount of money that they will earn in Miami, and then move on safely to whatever lies ahead. All involved will surely hold their breath on that score.

It’s not a matter of who wins, but how quick, and there is genuine concern from many that Paul could get seriously hurt. It has the ring of those WWE squash matches. The talent and the jobber. But this isn’t scripted. Paul is in deep. Too deep. There is every chance he won’t even land a punch on Joshua.

How long the circus lasts will largely depend on how Paul approaches it. If he is in kamikaze mode and tries to rush Joshua, hoping to catch him cold, it probably won’t last a minute. But as the first bell nears, and he looks into the eyes of Joshua and suddenly realises the size of the task in front of him, Paul is likely to be thinking, ‘What the hell have I got myself into?’ All the pre-fight bravado will suddenly give way to negativity and a desire for survival and self-preservation. The only intrigue is how long it will last. Which won’t be long.

If Paul gets out of the opening round, it will be some kind of moral victory. The longer it lasts, the more kudos he will receive. In some ways, Paul has nothing to lose. In other ways, he has everything to lose.

Joshua is unlikely to mess around too much. He will probably have a little look for a minute or so, but once he assesses there is very little in the way of danger in front of him, Paul will learn the hard way about the brutality of the sport he has chosen to dabble in. I can see Paul bumbling and fumbling his way to seeing out the first three minutes, but I would be astonished if he makes it to round three.

Photo Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui, Getty Images for Netflix