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

[Grilling Machine]

Unless the story is that Joshua suddenly contracted the flu or a shoulder injury while warming up, I’m struggling to see how this “agreement” plays out to anyone’s benefit. It’s surely too big a gap to close, in any sort of convincing way.

I think you might be overestimating the intelligence of Paul's fans. There'll be more of his crowd watching than our sort.

[stufm]

Am indifferent to Paul but I suspect AJ is a shot fighter now, it’s hard not to after watching the Dubois fight and considering the inactivity since then. The problem is if his legs are even slightly gone that he doesn’t have the defensive game to compensate, ie zero head movement, etc. so he becomes this big, vulnerable target. Against someone equally large and lumbering it’s ok as his right hand will see him through, but is it not true that Paul is somewhat of a smaller, faster target, and potentially then harder to hit? I dunno, I think people are giving their predictions for a prime AJ vs a novice Paul and I don’t think either of those things are true, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is competitive.

[Coco]

JP is a novice, a little novice too, if AJ can't knock him out with the first couple of jabs, it is a fix

[Boxerbeetle]

The only thing I can't account for is the referee not properly punishing Paul for running when it's Paul's promotion. I'm also not putting on thousands to get around a quarter of the the return. The early round KO's are interesting if there are boosted odds. If Tommy Fury did enough to not follow the gameplay then I'm sure Joshua will.

25% interest is incredible for an instant return. Boosted odds only allow a limited stake, usually £10.

I've lumped on at 1/4. This is the easiest money since Floyd and Connor.

On paper it is, but this is exactly the type of fight I’d never bet on, just too many potential shenanigans to consider. Even if it’s only a tenner, I’d rather keep it in my own pocket than rely on this circus show.

[CaptainSpacerod]

I imagine AJ will win in a way that’s palatable to all parties, a bit of an AJ Jake bromance will blossom in the aftermath, Jake will join AJ’s camp and will train with him as they both prepare for next summer’s mega card where Jake v Tommy will be chief support to AJ v Tyson

[jamesmcdonnell]

25% interest is incredible for an instant return. Boosted odds only allow a limited stake, usually £10.

I've lumped on at 1/4. This is the easiest money since Floyd and Connor.

On paper it is, but this is exactly the type of fight I’d never bet on, just too many potential shenanigans to consider. Even if it’s only a tenner, I’d rather keep it in my own pocket than rely on this circus show.

Ditto, makes no sense betting on a fight that is almost certainly at least partially predetermined.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Kilburn]

Unless the story is that Joshua suddenly contracted the flu or a shoulder injury while warming up, I’m struggling to see how this “agreement” plays out to anyone’s benefit. It’s surely too big a gap to close, in any sort of convincing way.

I think you might be overestimating the intelligence of Paul's fans. There'll be more of his crowd watching than our sort.

Lol there’s still going to be a hell of a lot of Netflix subscribers who are neither Jake Paul fans nor boxing anoraks, who are going to have a view on what takes place, and are intelligent enough to see when something isn’t real. They are by far the largest group I would say.

[TBA]

People will watch because of the intrigue.

There was a round in one of the Joshua-Usyk fights where Joshua rushed Usyk from the bell and had him in all sorts of bother. There's no way JP can outrun Joshua if Joshua decides to go for it. No way.

With that said, Ngannou vs Fury set the model. No one will give a crap about the result in the end of the day even if it ends Joshua on points. They will cater the narrative and it will be onto the next fight.

Last point it will all coming down to Joshua pride. Olympic athlete, after his devestating loss to Dubois does he really want a points win over a novice coming up in weight here? He didn't versus Ngannou so I don't know if he would here.

And that's the only part of intrigue other than people watching to see Paul get his KO'd.

From Paul side a big KO won't affect nothing. He will just say he went up against a heavyweight, too big. Etc, etc, and the caravan will keep on moving.

[mickey1975]

He hasn't been this verbally aggressive since he warned Dubois that he wouldn’t tolerate his disrespect and threatened to put a chair over his head.

[IRONFIST]

Get this naff "fight" out of the way and then Tony Bigbucks can get knocked out again by a proper boxer next year.

[Boxerbeetle]

I might stay up for this, don’t usually get to sleep until 2am anyway so not that much difference really. Although usually when I actually try to stay awake, I feel much more tired than when I’m actively trying to sleep, very annoying

[jamesmcdonnell]

He hasn't been this verbally aggressive since he warned Dubois that he wouldn’t tolerate his disrespect and threatened to put a chair over his head.

Always thought that was a weird thing for a professional fighter to say, why would you need a chair?

I'd like to see a rematch actually, I think Joshua does him second time around, unless he really is mentally shot.

He just didn't do anything at the start and left his chin hanging in the air.

[ShadrachSimmo]

The only thing I can't account for is the referee not properly punishing Paul for running when it's Paul's promotion. I'm also not putting on thousands to get around a quarter of the the return. The early round KO's are interesting if there are boosted odds. If Tommy Fury did enough to not follow the gameplay then I'm sure Joshua will.

25% interest is incredible for an instant return. Boosted odds only allow a limited stake, usually £10.

I've lumped on at 1/4. This is the easiest money since Floyd and Connor.

The 8/13 for Floyd stoppage in that fight was the best price I’ve seen in recent times. This fight is quite similar in terms of betting people thought mcgregor had a chance because of all the sh1t he spouted, same could be true for Paul..

[joshj909]

17/2 Paul to go down in round 1 and Joshua to win in round 2 seems like a decent offer but not guaranteed.

Joshua to win in round 1-2 at 13/10 seems good money.

Joshua to win in 60 seconds is 10/1 or to win in the first minute of any round is 13/5.

If someone can find odds of both fighters landing under 10 punches either total or in each of the first few rounds then that would be a good bet.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua drug testing carried out by USADA, not VADA

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has presided over the drug testing for the upcoming heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, with both fighters having been tested “well over half a dozen times,” according to Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.

The event is being promoted by MVP – led by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian – meaning the drug-testing for the fights was at its discretion. For Paul’s last bout, a 10-round decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr, the highly respected Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) was responsible for testing the fighters.

“We didn't request no VADA testing [this time], we requested more intense testing with USADA, which is in place,” Bidarian told Boxing Scene.

Paul had been scheduled to take on Gervonta Davis until the lightweight ran into out-of-the-ring legal issues and on November 17, a little more than four weeks ago, Joshua was confirmed as a shock replacement.

“The most comprehensive program that the US Olympics use is USADA,” Bidarian continued. “When Jake [Paul] was going to fight Gervonta Davis, he put forward VADA. Gervonta [Davis] was very concerned, given he's a smaller man. His team wanted USADA, so we agreed to USADA. When we moved on to fight Anthony Joshua, we said, ‘Of course you want a drug test, but we're using USADA’.”

Hearn claims he and Joshua were happy to be tested by USADA, though he did stipulate that the decision to not use VADA – widely regarded as the leaders in the field – had nothing to do with them. “That was a decision from MVP,” Hearn said.

Asked whether they pushed for VADA testing, he added: “Yeah, but we've been VADA-tested our whole career. USADA are a very reputable agency as well.

“We didn't have a problem with it. USADA are extremely reputable, it's not like some random agency that's popped up from nowhere. But we were tested by UKAD as well. Well over half-a-dozen tests, I believe. So we were happy with the procedure.”

[Kilburn]

In a world where there is no script or agreement in place, and Joshua can fight however he likes, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he makes a quiet start, particularly if JP is shifting around the ring like a jack rabbit. One thing AJ is never comfortable with is missing punches.

As I’ve said before, I just hope beyond hope that the fight is either conclusively real or conclusively fake, with no room for debate afterwards.

A lot of folk on this forum don’t like to be wrong, and it won’t take much for evidence of shenanigans to be noted and then argued, however spurious it may be.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua drug testing carried out by USADA, not VADA

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has presided over the drug testing for the upcoming heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, with both fighters having been tested “well over half a dozen times,” according to Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.

Hearn claims he and Joshua were happy to be tested by USADA, though he did stipulate that the decision to not use VADA – widely regarded as the leaders in the field – had nothing to do with them. “That was a decision from MVP,” Hearn said.

“We didn't have a problem with it. USADA are extremely reputable, it's not like some random agency that's popped up from nowhere. But we were tested by UKAD as well. Well over half-a-dozen tests, I believe. So we were happy with the procedure.”

So apparently Hearn is being tested too? Didn't know promoters get tested as well

he's always "we" "we" "we"

[Ruthless-RKO]

Don Charles: Salute to Jake Paul, fighting YouTube novices to Tyson to Joshua

Less than three years after Tommy Fury scored an eight-round split decision win over Jake Paul, the latter will headline a Netflix show against two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

By his own admission, Paul didn't believe his rise would happen this fast or reach this scale.

The WBA's No. 15-ranked cruiserweight contender, Paul is about to step up to a higher level against Joshua, a faded-yet-feared concussive punching 6-foot-6 Brit who once ruled boxing's glamour division.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) hasn't boxed for 15 months, and after Daniel Dubois blitzed him in five rounds it was easy to declare him done.

Paul's professional debut came seven months after Joshua was upset in 2019 in New York's Madison Square Garden against Andy Ruiz. He fought against another YouTuber and novice boxer in Miami, and almost six years later he's the star attraction looking to do the impossible at Kaseya Center.

All things considered, it's the sort of fanciful script Netflix could've made into a docuseries.

"You have to salute Mr. Paul, who would've thought he would get to this point where people are taking him seriously in our industry, queuing up to fight him," Don Charles, who masterminded Dubois' win over Joshua last year, tells The Ring.

Two-time IBF cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis got a Paul-inspired tattoo in 2022, and there are several other world-class fighters, beltholders and contenders across multiple weight divisions who've attempted to join the circus.

Paul's selective matchmaking, consisting mostly of retired MMA fighters, nondescript club boxers and a 58-year-old Mike Tyson means many don't take him seriously.

"He puts bums on seats, earns loads of money, you've got to commend him for that, he's about to fight the world's most popular boxer, who would've thought that even two years ago?" Charles said.

"People still think it's a joke but he's done really well, irrespective of what happens — we know what will happen — I thought it was an exhibition when it was announced. He'll go down trying to survive but if Joshua doesn't get rid of him inside two rounds, something is wrong."

How would Charles prepare Joshua for such an opponent?

"I'd say don't go looking for it, take a round and collect some data, put something on him and make him know that he shouldn't be in this ring with you," said Charles, who trained Dubois for two years until their August split. "He can end it inside a minute if he wanted to, but Paul will move. He's not that foolish to stand toe-to-toe with him, so when a man is running, the hardest thing to do is try knocking him out.

"Take your time, track him, cut the ring off, put a jab on him, break him down with that jab, no rush, you've got eight rounds. Paul gets paid either way and can say he fought Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua. That's his Netflix movie."

Charles could've very well been in the opposite corner to Joshua once more, having been approached to be part of Paul's camp. He confirmed they had a conversation, but said nothing came of it contrary to reports in recent weeks.

Instead, he'll head back home to his native Nigeria with Olympic champion Tony Yoka (14-3, 11 KOs), who boxes Patrick Korte on Queensberry's Dec. 21 show in Lagos topped by Lawrence Okolie-Ebenezer Tetteh on DAZN.

Nonetheless, the world will be tuning in Friday night.

[Kilburn]

I certainly hope for JP’s sake the pre fight agreement is there. Seeing them both with their shirts off next to each other, JP has never looked less up to the task.

There is actually less of a weight disparity than for Holyfield and Bowe, surprisingly. Although that wouldn’t be something for JP to draw much encouragement from.

[Controversial]

There won't be an agreement, AJ has nothing to gain from doing that, he's not desperate for cash or fame like so many of JPs previous opponents. I reckon JP will just try and keep out of the firing line and move as much as he can.

[golden_labrador]

There won't be an agreement, AJ has nothing to gain from doing that, he's not desperate for cash or fame like so many of JPs previous opponents. I reckon JP will just try and keep out of the firing line and move as much as he can.

I'm imagining a replica of the BJS-Canelo fight, but condensed into one round

[keithmoonhangover]

Reading between the lines, AJ is going to play with him in the first and then put it on him in the second.

[keithmoonhangover]

There won't be an agreement, AJ has nothing to gain from doing that, he's not desperate for cash or fame like so many of JPs previous opponents. I reckon JP will just try and keep out of the firing line and move as much as he can.

I'm imagining a replica of the BJS-Canelo fight, but condensed into one round

So Jake's gonna quit in the corner like BJS did?