Anthony Joshua has promised he will not settle for a decision win when he faces Jake Paul in a boxing match next week, saying he vows to destroy Paul.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Joshua made his intentions crystal clear.
Joshua vows to destroy Paul
“I know the expectations and demands these fans have,” Joshua said.
“And I respect it. If I didn’t respect it, I’d be honest with you and say, ‘No they’re talking rubbish,’ but I do. I do get it because I hold myself in that same regard, so I need to [KO Jake] and that’s my intention, to seek and destroy!”
Joshua has agreed to weigh no more than 245 pounds on December 18. He can add weight afterwards, and he hinted he might take advantage of that.
“On fight night, I may come in a couple of pounds heavier, but if I’m honest with you, I really do like this weight,” he told TMZ Sports. “It’s actually been a blessing in disguise that this task was put upon me because I feel good.”
The former unified heavyweight champion enters the bout with a 28–4 record and 25 knockouts. He has not fought since losing to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, but he insists the fire is still there.
Paul enters the ring with a 12–1 record and a June win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The eight-round clash streams on Netflix on December 19 at 8 p.m. ET, which gives it the kind of spotlight Joshua has never shied away from.
Jake Paul takes a hit in sparring
While Joshua talks about destroying Jake Paul next Friday, Paul has been taking literal lumps in the gym. His right eye tells the story.
Paul revealed he picked up a black eye during sparring with Britain’s Lawrence Okolie, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs around 270 pounds. It was not a gentle session.
“I’m sparring a bunch of world champion heavyweights,” Paul told Adin Live. “I think Okolie did that to me. He’s 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds.”
Okolie has been helping Paul by giving him a taste of true heavyweight power. He also made it clear he wants Paul to feel what a world-class big man brings.
“What I don’t [want] to happen to him is he gets absolutely destroyed in a round or whatever if AJ turns it on,” Okolie told ESPN. “I want him to have a decent feeling of what it’s like to be in there with a world-class heavyweight beforehand.”
Paul insists he is on weight. He expects to weigh around 215 pounds for the fight and says he might come in a few pounds heavier on the night.
Clear gulf in size
“He will be 250 pounds in the ring. It’s definitely a pretty wild fight,” Paul said.
Joshua, who weighed 253 pounds one year ago, says he is already on track to hit the 245-pound limit.
