Having scuttled a planned November bout with Gervonta Davis after “Tank’s” latest allegation of domestic violence, Jake Paul is officially set to meet former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua atop a December 19th Netflix card in Miami, Florida.
Per various outlets, this will be “an actual, sanctioned heavyweight bout…contested over eight, three-minute rounds with the fighters wearing 10 oz. gloves.” The press release does not state whether the stacked undercard prepared for the Davis fight will remain intact.
“Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy,” said Joshua. “I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected. Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”
“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,” said Paul. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”
I don’t think I need to elaborate on how farcical the fight is. For all his recent struggles, Joshua (28-4, 25 KO) is a genuinely good boxer with stout fundamentals and a nasty punch. The last time he found himself in similar circumstances, taking on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, he smoked “The Predator” in under six minutes. Assuming he doesn’t carry Paul (12-1, 7 KO) as a sort of “pay it forward” gift for Paul’s careful handling of Mike Tyson, it’s hard to envision anything other than an absolute massacre at “AJ’s” hands.
