Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will meet at heavyweight in Miami on December 19, it has been confirmed.
There are rumors of a fight between Paul, a YouTuber turned boxer, and Joshua, a former British heavyweight champion of the world. was tracked down earlier this month and Paul's company Most Valuable Promotions confirmed the news on Monday. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix.
“This is not an artificial intelligence simulation. This is Judgment Day,” Paul said. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, all doubts disappear 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 apologize. On Friday, December 19th, under the lights of Miami, live around the world only on Netflixthe torch is passed and Britain's Goliath is put to sleep.”
Joshua, a 36-year-old former two-time world heavyweight champion, has not fought since. being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
“Jake or someone else could have the job. There's no mercy,” said Joshua, who won gold at the 2012 Olympics. “I took a break and I'm coming back with a mega show. This is a big opportunity for me. Like it or not, I'm here to make big numbers, have big fights and break records while staying cool, calm and collected. Mark my words, you'll see a lot more fighters take advantage of these opportunities in the future. I'm going to break the Internet over Jake Paul's face.”
Paul was originally scheduled to fight Gervonta Davis on November 14 in Miami, but the event was canceled after Davis was removed from the card. amid allegations of domestic violence.
Netflix's first boxing show Paul's fight with Mike Tyson – became the most-broadcast sporting event in history, peaking at 65 million simultaneous live streams and attracting an average of 108 million live viewers worldwide. The broadcast accounted for 56% of all US television viewership during the fight's main event hour and was the number one title on the platform in 78 countries this week. Paul and Joshua are set to earn tens of millions from their December fight.
Joshua will be the heaviest fighter Paul has ever faced in his boxing career. While Tyson is also a former heavyweight champion, Joshua is 23 years younger and still close to his prime.
“They say be careful what you wish for, I think that's all I have to say,” said Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn. “Two of the biggest names in sports will meet on December 19th. While I admire Jake's balls, he will have to experience this the hard way in Miami.”
