Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will step into the same boxing ring on Friday night in Miami, a matchup that still feels strange even as the opening bell approaches.
Joshua turned professional in 2013 as an Olympic champion, widely tipped to dominate the heavyweight division. At the same time, Paul was a teenager building an online following through short comedy clips.
More than a decade later, they are meeting under full professional rules at heavyweight. That leap, rather than the spectacle itself, has left many within boxing uneasy.
“I’m not worried about what people think about the integrity side, I’m more worried about are they talking?” Joshua said. “That’s the whole point of this fight. It creates conversation.”
Paul believes he will “shock the world” and crown himself the “king of boxing.” The rules offer no safety net. Eight three-minute rounds, ten-ounce gloves, and no concessions.
From novelty bouts to top-level boxing
Paul’s boxing career has followed a controlled progression. Early wins came against fellow influencers. He then moved on to ageing MMA fighters, before stepping in with Tommy Fury, a professional boxer but not a heavyweight puncher.
Joshua represents a different level of threat.
He has stopped 25 of his 28 opponents. His power has ended fights abruptly, most recently when Francis Ngannou collapsed after a single clean punch. Robert Helenius suffered a similarly violent finish.
Joshua’s questionable declaration
In Miami this week, Joshua dropped the promotional tone entirely. His wording was criticised by many in the sport, though it may just be one last attempt to sell the fight.
“If I can kill you, I will kill you,” Joshua said.
He repeated that mindset a day later, underlining that this would not be an exhibition or a carried performance. When asked directly about safety, Joshua offered no reassurance.
“He’s got his groin guard on and his gum shield,” Joshua said. “That’s the only safety he is allowed.”
Joshua has also made clear he will not hold back once the bell rings.
“I’ve never gone in there and knocked someone out within 10 seconds,” he said. “There’s a methodical process to knocking someone out.
“But if the opportunity presents itself, I’m not planning on carrying Jake for one second more than I have to.”
There is a vast gap between surviving managed matchups and sharing a ring with a heavyweight who has spent a decade ending fights at the highest level.
