Eddie Hearn insists that Jake Paul won’t last four rounds against Anthony Joshua in their fight on December 19th. He states that the bout will end as soon as Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) hits Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) on the chin.
Why Joshua Must Destroy Jake
Matchroom promoter Hearn needs AJ to destroy Jake, as a loss would be a disaster for AJ’s career. He’s already getting dumped on my fans for taking the fight, as they view it as a greedy money-grab on Joshua’s part.
Joshua’s Decline Since 2019
Joshua hasn’t been on the slow decline since 2019, but it’s sped up lately with his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois on September 21, 2024. He’s not made things better by choosing to sit inactive since that loss, dealing with injuries, and nursing his bruised ego.
The former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua and Paul will meet in an eight-round contest that will go on the official record in 24 days on December 19, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The event will be shown live on Netflix.
“Father Christmas came early with 400 sacks full of cash, and said, ‘AJ, would you like your greatest Christmas yet?’ And we said, ‘Yes, please.’ And that’s basically how the fight was made,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul clash set for December 19th.
Risk Avoidance for Team AJ
The money was too good for Joshua to pass up. What Hearn isn’t saying is that it would have been too risky to have AJ take a run-out against anyone decent that wouldn’t be laughed at by fans. Putting Joshua in with even a bottom-feeder would have been a problem because Hearn is still holding out hope that Tyson Fury will finally agree to face him next year. He also has the trilogy match with Oleksandr Usyk he’s targeting for 2026.
“He’s [Jake] mad as a hatter taking the fight. The fight will end whenever Anthony Joshua wants the fight to end,” said Hearn. “He’s getting a near career-high payday. Thank you, Jake Paul and MVP, for the opportunity. How can we turn it down? I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s fight of the year.”
Jake Paul’s Win-Win Scenario
Jake isn’t crazy for agreeing to fight Joshua. It’s the perfect fight for him. He’ll make massive money, and if he pulls off the upset, a rematch will likely happen. That’ll be a bigger payday for Paul. So, it’s a win-win for him to fight AJ.
“The only person it’s dangerous for is Jake Paul. He’s absolutely mad. Don’t start talking to me about, ‘Is there anything in the contract where you have to take it easy?’ No, in fact, exactly the opposite. We’re going to go in there and get it done in double quick time, destroy him, and get on the plane and then go home for Christmas. It’s not going four rounds. The fights over as soon as AJ hits Jake Paul on the chin,” said Hearn.
Hearn’s Ngannou Flashback
Eddie is replaying images of Joshua’s fight against Francis Ngannou in his head, believing that he can do the same thing to Jake Paul. The chances of that scenario happening are slim. Paul is a better fighter than Ngannou, and he’s not going to change stances the way he did.
