Boxing writer Steve Bunce says Anthony Joshua accepted an offer he “simply couldn’t refuse” to take on Jake Paul. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion will meet the YouTuber-turned-boxer at Miami’s Kaseya Center on 19 December in an eight-round contest of three-minute rounds, with both men using regulation 10oz gloves. Joshua, 36, who has weighed over 250lb in his last three fights, must weigh in under 245lb for this bout.
Bunce described the matchup as “ridiculous” and called 28-year-old Paul a “novice,” but he acknowledged the clear financial logic: Joshua is reportedly set to earn about £36.9m ($50m). Bunce pointed to Paul’s high-profile November fight with Mike Tyson — which drew huge global audiences and big purses — as the commercial engine behind the 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 payday funds Joshua’s community work and secures his future, there is little objection.
Bunce said Joshua remains in talks about a potential showdown with Tyson Fury, and suggested the Paul fight represents one of AJ’s final major paydays despite the apparent mismatch. He emphasized the physical disparity — Joshua could be several inches taller and around four stone heavier — and stressed AJ’s pedigree as an Olympic champion. “Jake Paul is a terrific novice… a great novice in a weight division below — cruiserweight,” Bunce said, while noting Paul’s ability to generate high-profile, often controversial matchups.
Paul’s manager and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian dismissed safety worries. He told BBC Sport he did not view the fight as reckless, arguing Paul’s movement could trouble Joshua, who, despite his size and strength, may be slower and vulnerable. “In my mind this is more sanctionable than many fights in the sport of boxing,” Bidarian said.
Not everyone agrees. Former British middleweight Nick Blackwell, who retired after a career-ending brain injury, called the contest “so dangerous” and said he would not want anyone to suffer what he experienced, while also acknowledging the bout’s global appeal and the money involved.
Bunce referenced recent crossover bouts involving Francis Ngannou — Fury’s controversial split-decision win over Ngannou in October 2023, and Joshua’s second-round stoppage of Ngannou in March 2024 — to underline boxing’s unpredictability and the difficulty of forecasting outcomes. “Lord only knows what will happen to Jake Paul once the first bell sounds,” he said, predicting massive viewer interest regardless.
Bidarian described the fight as a career-defining moment for both men: a chance for Paul to prove his progress and for Joshua to halt Paul’s momentum. He suggested the event could be the biggest combat sports show of 2025 and one of the widest-reaching cards of Joshua’s career. Bunce, while critical from a purist standpoint, conceded fighters have taken unusual paths before and said he would have preferred Joshua to face Fury earlier, but acknowledged the window for that may have closed and this is the route AJ has chosen.
