Boxing fans were quick to label Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul ’embarrassing’ after the pair faced-off for the first time ahead of their upcoming fight.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul (12-1) will take on the former heavyweight world champion Joshua (28-4) on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Despite the vast difference in experience and size, the bout will be classified as a professional contest and is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds in standard 10oz gloves.
Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, is five inches taller, 50lbs heavier and has a six-inch reach advantage over Paul, with that advantage clear to see as the pair squared off at their press conference.
And boxing fans were quick to take to social media to make fun of the ridiculous size disparity between the two fighters.
‘This has to be a joke,’ one fan said, with another writing: ‘This is so embarrassing.
‘Anthony Joshua makes Jake look like a baby,’ another fan joked, while another mused: ‘Easiest payday of AJ’s career if it happens.’
‘I want to really hurt him in the ring’
Joshua has not been seen in action since his vicious knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2024, meaning it will 15 months since his last fight by the time he takes on Paul.
The 36-year-old is hoping to come back with a bang, though, insisting: ‘I’m going to break his face and break his body up, and I’m going to stomp all over him, that’s my mentality.
‘I’m here to compete and I’m here to prove I’m the better fighter and will do that until I stop fighting.’
Joshua also confirmed that he will not be trained by Ben Davison for this fight and is instead working with former opponent Oleksandr Usyk’s team ahead of next month’s bout.
‘No, I won’t be trained by Ben Davison,’ Joshua confirmed. ‘I said that London’s a bit distracting to me. I was invited to train with Team Usyk, so we’ve been doing some good training in Spain. He’s one of the best in the world, [that’s] also down to his team.;
Paul, meanwhile, vowed to upset the odds and knock out Joshua and said he would then target a fight with retired British heavyweight Tyson Fury next year.
‘He is one of the best heavyweights ever, but I believe fighting a smaller man is often harder for a heavyweight because of the speed difference, the footwork, the angles, the head being off-centre,’ Paul said.
‘All that power is great, but I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds – and I believe I can do that. I know I can pick him apart, score points, and make this a great contest.
“Don’t respect me just for getting in there; respect me because I’m going to win. I’m knocking this guy out, becoming the CEO of Matchroom Boxing, changing the plans, and it’s going to be me against Tyson Fury next year.
‘Look what happened the last time they came to America and the plans they had. Andy Ruiz stopped that. This is Andy Ruiz 2.0.’
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