Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul | NETFLIX - 19 December 2025

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Shannon Courtenay prevails in MVP debut to kick off Jake vs. AJ fight week

Shannon Courtenay was physically – and, more importantly, mentally – prepared for anything that the much taller and more rugged Jessica Radtke Maltez threw her way.

In the end, the former WBA 118lbs title prevailed via unanimous decision in her Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) debut Tuesday at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida. Courtenay won by scores of 60-54, 60-54 and 58-56 for her second win of the year.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Courtenay told MVP host Sibley Scoles during their post-fight interview. “That was a scrappy fight. She was awkward and tall.

“Win by any means necessary. I’ve landed in America, MVP style.”

The bout marked the U.S. debut for Courtenay, who could not have picked a more appropriate fight week for the occasion. The 32-year-old Brit hails from Watford, U.K., also the hometown of former two-time unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), who faces Jake Paul, 12-1 (7 KOs) this Friday on Netflix from nearby Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

Courtenay’s bout officially kicked off fight week, with the three-fight MVP Fight Week Showcase 2 card serving as part of an open media workout on site.
There were times where the 5 ft, 3ins Courtenay had her hands full with Minnesota’s Radtke, 2-3-2 (0 KOs), who was 5ins taller and came to fight.

Despite some good exchanges and tense moments, Courtenay ultimately prevailed to extend her modest two-fight win streak. She dropped a stunning 6-round decision to journeywoman Catherine Tacone Ramos last October, her first fight after a two-year hiatus to deal with an assortment of issues including her own mental health struggles.

Courtenay has since become Suicide Prevention UK’s first ambassador, championing the cause as she aims to resume her title winning ways now that she’s under the MVP banner.

“It feels amazing to have these guys backing me,” Courtenay said. “When I was world champion, my phone didn’t stop ringing. Everyone loved me and I couldn’t go out. When I lost the belt, everyone disappeared.

“Now, I got these guys behind me who believe in me. I survived more than anyone can go through. When you beat mental health, you can beat anything.”

Courtenay won the WBA 118lbs title in an April 2021 win over Ebanie Bridges, whose own MVP debut comes this Friday. She never made a successful defense, as she missed weight and ultimately lost outright to Jamie Mitchell in October 2021.

Tuesday’s intimate show also featured the MVP debut of Brazil’s Luan Medeiros, 7-0 (4 KOs), who pitched a shutout over Mexico’s Hugo Macias, 7-2-1 (5 KOs) in their six-round lightweight contest. Scores were 60-54 across the board for Medeiros, who claimed his second straight win on U.S. soil. He previously defeated Tony Aguilar on a June 7 MVP show in Orlando, before eventually signing with the company.

The most physically taxing affair of the night saw Philadelphia’s Nat “No Love” Dove turn away an enthusiastic yet rough Perla Lomeli via unanimous decision in a spirited 6-round bantamweight affair. Scores were 58-54, 57-55 and 57-55 for Dove, 7-0-1 (2 KOs) in a bout that saw both boxers lose one point each in the final 30 seconds of their bantamweight affair.

Dove – who normally fights at 115lbs - also overcame a hematoma over her right eye to maintain her perfect record.

“That was a fornicating good fight,” Dove astutely summarized afterward. “I stepped up in weight and she came to fight. She [headbutted] me a lot. But we got the job done.”

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Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua both agree someone is getting knocked out

Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua kicked off their fight week by both promising their highly anticipated clash this Friday ends inside the distance.

The contest that airs live on Netflix from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, pits the former two-time heavyweight titlist Joshua against the former YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul. A baffling concept considering Paul’s best win is a coin toss between a washed up Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr or a 58 year old Mike Tyson, but in he steps with one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world.

“Jake Paul you’ve got some big balls,” said Joshua following displaying his new skills under new trainer Egor Holub at the public workouts. “I’ve got to give him respect for taking this fight because I’m fornicating ready. It’s go time.”

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist Joshua looked fleet-footed and displayed impressive movement under Holub, the trainer of two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua, who will be fighting in the away corner for the first time in his career, then took the opportunity to praise his promoter and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn who was also in attendance.

“MVP, shoutout to them, they’ve done an amazing job,” Joshua said. “But I’m going to let you into a little secret – There is no one better than Matchroom Boxing. I just tell the truth.”

There are doubts over Joshua and his chin following Daniel Dubois’ five round demolition job of him back last September. The heavyweight promised that the bout would conclude with a knockout – but he didn’t say which fighter that would be.

“What do you wanna see?” Joshua asked the crowd. “They want to see some big, heavy punches thrown and someone get knocked out. I’m going to deliver.”

The home fighter, and promoter of the event, Paul then made his walk to the ring to show the Miami crowd his skills ahead of Friday. Paul pounded away at the pads, displaying his power, and was in agreement with Joshua that the bout would not be going the scheduled distance.

“Yeah one of us is going to sleep,” Paul admitted. “That’s what we’re going to do here. That’s what this heavyweight fight is all about. I started my boxing journey here in Miami and we’re bringing it back. I’m going to shock the world and pull off the biggest upset in sport’s history.”

The opportunity to fight Joshua on this stage has not come overnight for Paul. Once a young boy featuring on the Disney Channel, he has dedicated his life to boxing over the past five years, and, although many won’t care to admit, has undoubtedly cemented himself as one of the sport’s biggest stars. Paul most certainly improved leaps and bounds from the man who bowled over AnEson Gib in 2020, however, many still believe, and rightly so, that the challenge of Joshua is several steps too far.

“It’s a testament to hard work, every single day dedicating yourself to a craft, pushing through when you don’t want to be there,” Paul said. “It all pays off in the long run. Believing in yourself and setting goals that people think are impossible. That’s really what my story is all about and I hope to inspire kids at home. I set these goals, everyone laughs at them, but then I’m the one laughing in the end.

“At the end of the day, I’m a kid with a big heart that wants to change the world. A disrupter that never took no for an answer. I’m just chasing my dreams, having fun, and living the American dream really.”

And Paul’s final message ahead of the monumental task on Friday night?

“Believe. Witness. Believe. Witness. It’s about to go down,” said Paul.

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Anthony Joshua promises Jake Paul: ‘If I can kill you, I’ll kill you’

Anthony Joshua did not take kindly to claims that he would take it easy on Jake Paul.

Like many of Paul’s bouts before, there are doubts if the contest on Friday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, will be a legitimate one. After all, why else would Paul, a man who made his name on YouTube, take on a former two-time heavyweight titleholder and Olympic gold medalist?

Now Joshua is not the kind of fighter to lie down for anyone and his response, when asked if he could carry Paul on Friday, shows exactly why not.

“Zero part of me [is going to take it easy on him], and it's not even that it's Jake Paul,” said Joshua in a steely tone. “Do you know I was actually looking at myself today, I'm a very respectful guy, brought up by a good family, but if I can kill you, I will kill you. That's just how I am, and this is just the job I do. So let's go.”

The hard-hitting heavyweight’s reply would convince many that Friday night’s contest is far from farce, but there will still be some doubters.

“That's the whole point of this fight. It creates conversation, barbershop conversations, taxi conversations, aeroplane conversations and that's what we want,” Joshua said. “The more people talking about the fight, regardless of what it is that they're talking about, it is a massive bonus. So for me I'm not too sure about, I'm not worried about what people think about the integrity side. I'm more worried about whether they are talking, and as long as they are I think we're doing a good job. They're definitely talking.”

If Paul should manage to defeat the decorated Joshua, it would truly be a sad day for the sport in many boxing critic’s eyes. A man who has built a name for himself by bowling over washed-up MMA fighters and picking on an old and frail Mike Tyson can’t hold a win over Anthony Joshua, could he? Luckily, this is not the first time Joshua has carried the reputation of the sport on his shoulders.

“I'm carrying boxing on my back, I've done it with the Francis Ngannou fight, and I'm going to do it again,” he said. “I understand the expectation, I don't carry it because the expectation I have on myself is already enough. But I understand it, I acknowledge it, and I respect it. That's about it as far as outside concerns about this fight.”

So after all the stick from fans, and jibes that he’ll take a dive, why did Joshua decide to take on the 12-1 (7 KOs) Paul who is yet to register a legitimate win over a ranked boxer?

“Boxing is not such a fun sport if I'm honest, but it was just a great opportunity to get back in the ring and get back to big time business,” he admitted. “People are talking about this fight and that's the whole point of boxing is to make big noise, be in big fights and that's exactly what this opportunity brings. It wasn't so much just for the aspect of let's get back, let's have a bit of fun, let's make some noise, let's get back at the front of the queue, at the front of the race, and show people why we are the leading fighter in the world, and with the best promotional team in the world, and the best training team in the world. We're at the front again and on December 19th we’ll prove why.”

That training team Joshua speaks of is that of Egor Holub, the coach of two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and former foe of Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk. So what has Holub and the rest of Team Usyk changed in Joshua?

“Maybe that I pray more, that's important and I learned that from the team, the importance of prayer,” Joshua revealed. “So yeah, that's important for me. So yeah, I pray more now.”

There has been talk of Joshua’s next steps already, with last week The Ring reporting that Joshua could fight again in February before taking on long-time rival Tyson Fury later in 2026.

“Of course, there's hope, especially when you're talking about doing big time boxing,” said Joshua of a bout with Fury. “And Jake's showcasing it can be done, and I'm showcasing it can be done. I’ve been in mega fights time and time again, this ain't our first rodeo, we're back again, big time boxing. I just feel like it takes two to tango and I'm on the dance floor. I'm just looking for a dance partner.”

For now though, the dance floor belongs to Jake Paul — and Joshua knows that Friday night is about proving he still deserves to be standing at the centre of it.

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Eddie Hearn Can’t Wait For Jake Paul To ‘Get What’s Coming' Against Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul has gotten under the skin of most since first arriving on the pugilistic scene in 2020.

The former YouTuber turned fringe cruiserweight contender has fought several former MMA fighters and a retired NBA player. He’s also sprinkled in a few fights against professional boxers well past their prime.

Despite not facing a championship-caliber boxer in his prime, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has said time and time again that he can beat some of the best fighters in the world. Well, he’ll finally come face-to-face with one when he takes on Anthony Joshua in a main event Netflix will stream Friday night from Kaseya Center in Miami.

Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s longtime promoter, can’t wait for them to share the ring. After spending years listening to Paul bloviate about his abilities, Hearn is convinced that Joshua is about to do everyone a favor.

“Boxing doesn’t have to worry, it’s in good hands,” a smiling Hearn told several reporters. “He’s going to get what’s coming to him on Friday. We’ll take care of business.”

Initially, it appeared as though Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) was taking the year off. The 36-year-old two-time unified heavyweight champion has been out of sight and out of mind since suffering a brutal fifth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

Yet, when Gervonta Davis was removed from his fight with Paul due to a civil lawsuit containing aggravated battery and kidnapping accusations by an ex-girlfriend, Joshua was called to replace him. Although the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is a heavy favorite, wins over past-their-prime boxers Julio Chavez Jr. and Mike Tyson have Paul feeling good about himself.

Joshua’s ring rust and Paul’s recent form haven’t unnerved Hearn. The way he sees it, there’s only one way this will end.

“The only way he can get lucky is if he doesn’t get hit flush,” Hearn concluded. “If he just gets half a shot, he’ll get knocked out, but it won't be too bad. If he gets hit clean, he’s in big trouble.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eddie saying 'we' again..

he's quite a bitter man isn't he

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Anthony Joshua Credits Jake Paul For Stepping Up As Both Promise KOs

What was once seen as a pipe dream is inching closer to becoming a reality.

Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul promised knockouts after their media workout Tuesday at LIV at Fontainebleau ahead of their fight Friday. Joshua will face him in an eight-round heavyweight bout at Kaseya Center on Netflix.

Joshua can’t weigh in at more than 245 pounds, and the fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves, which is standard for a sanctioned heavyweight fight.

“It was an honor to be invited to America to come and perform in front of some amazing people,” Joshua said at the media workout. “It has to be done. Jake Paul has got some big balls, and I’ve got to give him respect for taking this fight because I’m ready. It’s go time.”

https://ringmagazine.com/en/videos/kVK5OnEu0hs

He added: "[The fans] want to see some heavy punches thrown and they want to see someone knocked out and I'm going to deliver."

In Joshua’s lone fight in America, he was on the wrong end of one of boxing’s biggest upsets when he was stopped in the seventh round by Andy Ruiz in 2019. Joshua avenged the defeat six months later in Saudi Arabia with a unanimous decision over Ruiz to become a two-time unified heavyweight champion.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since his fifth-round knockout defeat to former IBF heavyweight titleholder Daniel Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) last year. He appears to have greener pastures on the horizon, with one bout planned for February before he potentially faces Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) later in 2026 in what’d arguably be the biggest domestic fight the United Kingdom has ever hosted.

If Joshua, 36, is going to do his part to help set up a fight against Fury, he must avoid being on the wrong end of what’d be arguably the biggest upset in boxing history.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has won six straight fights since the lone defeat of his career, a split decision to Tommy Fury in 2023. In his last fight, Paul, 28, defeated former middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision on July 28.

Paul was originally scheduled to face WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in an eight-round exhibition on Nov. 14 in Miami. Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, pulled the plug after Davis’ ex-girlfriend, Courtney Rossel, filed a civil lawsuit against him.

Paul has long billed himself as a disruptor in boxing, and he’s confident that he’ll live up to that when he faces what is by far his most difficult task to date.

“One of us is going to sleep,“ Paul said. “That’s what we’re going to do here. That’s what this heavyweight fight is all about. That’s why we’re here.

"I started my boxing journey here in Miami, and we’re bringing it back. I’m going to shock the world and pull off the biggest upset in sports history.”

The results from the three fights that took place during open workouts.

Shannon Courtenay (10-3, 3 KOs) def. Jessica Maltez (2-3-2) by unanimous decision (60-54 twice, 58-56)

Nat Dove (7-0-1, 2 KOs) def. Perla Lomeli (7-7-1, 1 KO) by unanimous decision (58-54, 57-55 twice)

Luan Medeiros (7-0, 4 KOs) def. Hugo Macias (7-2-1, 5 KOs) by unanimous decision (60-54 all three cards)

[mickey1975]

Hey, Keith, here's a positive AJ post for you. I think AJ should beat Jake Paul.

[MightyWarrior]

So if these rumours that AJ has agreed to take it easy on Paul are true, i Imagine Paul has been watching the Stanley Ketchel Jack Johnson fight, which had the same agreement in place, before the double cross.

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[samwbr]

What time will this be on?

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What time will this be on?

Main event?

Probably after 3am

[Controversial]

Apparently the ring will be 22x22 so on the bigger side

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[Bigdogsnose]

The fix is in. Look at the odds. As a gambler i am looking at 16/5 for AJ to win in 1st round. In a fair contest that's the only possible outcome, but even if you allowed AJ a little play time and went for a 2nd round - that's 7/2.

You could put equal stakes on both scenarios and still double your money.

Obviously i don't know what they have agreed on. AJ to let him have some rounds to look good, even go the distance.

All i know is that it is impossible to have a bet because the odds are clearly fabricated.

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These are the types of fights you don't want to bet on

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Here’s some of what he had to say.

Anthony Joshua on facing Jake Paul
“That’s the whole point of this fight, it creates conversation…and that’s what we want. The more people talking about the fight —regardless of what it is they’re talking about — is a massive bonus. So, for me, I’m not worried about the integrity side, I’m more worried about are they talking? And as long as they are then we’re doing a good job.”

On how he’d rate Paul compared to other opponents in his career
“The start of my career. He would be someone that I would’ve fought early on in my career. I’ve got a lot of experience now. But, yeah, someone at the start of my career, I would say. I don’t know who to say exactly but maybe someone at the start of my career.”

On whether any part of him will take it easy on Paul to make for a better show
“Zero part of me. And it’s not even that it’s Jake. I was actually looking at myself today, I’m a very respectful guy brought up by a good family but if I can kill you, I will kill you. That’s just how I am. And this is just a job I do so, let’s go.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Apparently the ring will be 22x22 so on the bigger side

Here's what he said....

“That’s accurate,” Paul said, confirming the details at the final press conference at Jackie Gleason Theater at The Fillmore. “Pretty standard. I think fights range from 20-foot rings to 24-foot rings. So, 22 feet, I feel great about it.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Some weird ass mind games

[jamesmcdonnell]

So if these rumours that AJ has agreed to take it easy on Paul are true, i Imagine Paul has been watching the Stanley Ketchel Jack Johnson fight, which had the same agreement in place, before the double cross.

I doubt there were as many lawyers involved back then.

Paul will play to the script, as will Joshua.

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Weigh-in video



The Jake Paul vs.. Anthony Joshua official weigh-ins are expected to begin at 11 am ET / 4 pm GMT

The Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua ceremonial weigh-ins are expected to begin at 6 pm ET / 11 pm GMT

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Anthony Joshua confirms there is no 'go-easy' clause in the contract for his fight with Jake Paul and tells the Mr. Verzace Podcast: "If I can end it in 10 seconds, I'll do it"

[Kilburn]

Not long till we find out.

AJ is saying there’s no script. If he’s lying then the choreography better be top notch, in these 4k resolution times we live in.

[MightyWarrior]

He can say there’s no script and be telling the truth, technically, but there will still be some type of agreement about AJ not trying too hard for the knockout, bodyshot ko allowed etc

Plus you can see there is zero tension with the two of them, as you’d get with a real fight.

Paul is two things: a narcissist who probably believes he can do anything, and also a prankster.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if he has dreams of conning AJ, thinking he’s a clown and it’s just a move around, and then somehow landing that big Andy Ruiz type life changing punch. An act of sabotage, and who cares what the fine would be, it’d be worth it to him.

[tony1234]

These are the types of fights you don't want to bet on

Wouldn't bet a penny on it with your money let alone mine, I don't think this is going to be a legitimate fight. If it is Joshua knocks him out in the first minute but who knows what's been said

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