Boxing journalist Steve Bunce says Anthony Joshua was given an “offer he simply couldn’t refuse” to fight Jake Paul.
Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, will face YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul at the Kaseya Center in Miami on 19 December. The bout is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds with both fighters using regulation 10-ounce gloves. Joshua, 36, who weighed more than 250lbs in his last three fights, must weigh in under 245lbs for this contest.
Bunce described the matchup as “ridiculous” and called 28-year-old Paul a “novice”, but acknowledged the financial logic for Joshua, who is reportedly set to earn £36.9m ($50m). Bunce pointed to Paul’s high-profile November fight with Mike Tyson, which attracted massive global audiences and large fees, as the commercial engine behind this event.
“That’s the reason this fight is happening,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live. “AJ has been made an offer he simply couldn’t refuse and he’s accepted.” He added that if the money helps Joshua’s community work and pays him handsomely, he has no problem with it.
Bunce said Joshua remains in talks over a potential fight with Tyson Fury, and sees the Paul bout as one of Joshua’s final big paydays despite an obvious mismatch. He noted the physical gap: Joshua could be at least six inches taller and around four stone heavier, stressing AJ’s pedigree as an Olympic champion. “Jake Paul is a terrific novice… a great novice in a weight division below — cruiserweight,” Bunce said, but one who generates “ridiculous fights.”
Paul’s manager and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian dismissed safety concerns. “I don’t think it’s reckless in any way shape or form,” he told BBC Sport, arguing Paul has a strong chance because Joshua, while big and strong, may be slower and more vulnerable to Paul’s movement. “In my mind this is more sanctionable than many fights in the sport of boxing.”
Not everyone agrees. Former British middleweight Nick Blackwell, who retired after a career-ending brain injury, called the contest “so dangerous” and said he does not want anyone to endure what he experienced. Still, he acknowledged the bout’s global appeal and the money on offer.
Bunce referenced recent crossover fights, citing Francis Ngannou’s contests with Fury and Joshua. Fury claimed a controversial split-decision win over Ngannou in October 2023, while Joshua stopped Ngannou in round two in March 2024. Bunce highlighted the physical differences between Ngannou and Paul, noting Ngannou was bigger and had been seen as extremely tough — yet Joshua still knocked him out early. “Lord only knows what will happen to Jake Paul once the first bell sounds,” he said, predicting viewers will tune in regardless.
Bidarian labeled the fight a “career-defining moment” for both men. “For Jake Paul it’s a chance to show how far he has come. For Anthony Joshua it’s a chance to end the Jake Paul train,” he said, adding it’s also risky for Joshua if he doesn’t perform as expected. Bidarian predicted it will be the “biggest combat sports event of 2025” and argued the bout could be the largest of Joshua’s career in reach and viewership.
Bunce, while critical on purist grounds, acknowledged boxers have taken unusual fights before and joked about oddities in the sport — referencing Chuck Wepner’s famous fight with a bear — to underline how unpredictable boxing can be. He said he would have preferred Joshua to have fought Fury earlier in his career, but noted that window has closed and this fight is the path Joshua has chosen.
