It was without the biggest payday out there for Anthony Joshua in his next fight, and probably the one with the least risk, but it will not be happening any time soon.
The 35-year-old two-time world heavyweight champion has not been seen in a professional ring since that stunning fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley in September 2024.
Since then AJ (now 28-4) has been sidelined by an elbow injury which required surgery in May, but now talk is very much turning to who the Watford superstar will face in his return to action.
A ton of options have been thrown out there – including of course that long-awaited British blockbuster vs Tyson Fury, and a potential trilogy match with current heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua vs Jake Paul
But the option that many favoured for AJ was a crossover blockbuster with Youtuber turned boxer Jake Paul. Remember ‘The Problem Child’ drew in more than 100million viewers for his showdown with Mike Tyson in Texas last November.
Former world champion George Groves summed up the thoughts of many when he said it would be a ‘gift fight’ for Joshua, offering a huge payday with ‘zero risk’. No disagreements from us there, at all. Even AJ’s promoter, Matchroom supremo Eddie Hearn, said AJ vs Jake WOULD happen if Paul really wanted it. He said there were no major barriers to it happening after in-depth talks with MVP (Most Valuable Promotions).
Now though the dream is over – at least for now. Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul will not be happening with Jake heading in a different direction, and a quite stunning one. Instead of taking on a world heavyweight champion, he will fight instead a lightweight. Yes, you heard that right.
The 200lbs Paul will meet Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in what is being described as ‘an exhibition’ in Atlanta on Friday November 14, of course streaming live on Netflix. While the rules and rounds have yet to be officially agreed, there is an eight-inch height difference between the pair, and around 65lbs in weight. So you get why this will not be an officially sanctioned boxing match.
Is Joshua vs Jake dead for good?
So here is the interesting bit. While it now appears likely that Jake will not be Joshua’s next opponent, the fight is far from dead. It could absolutely happen in 2026, and potentially early 2026.
Joshua may well take a tune-up fight first, and then look to secure the bag (and a big one at that) for facing Paul in early 2026. And for Paul, an exhibition against a man who is almost five stones later does not appear to have the potential to rule him out for months.
