It is the latest conspiracy theory in the Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul madhouse – AJ will go easy on his wildly overmatched Youtuber opponent next month.
Boxing fans, at least the hardcore ones, are still struggling to come to terms with the fact that a two-time world heavyweight champion will get into a ring with a cruiserweight who has only ever fought celebs and washed-up fighters.
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Joshua (28-4 with 25 wins inside distance) may be 36 and he may be coming off a year out on the back of that devastating loss to Daniel Dubois. But his resume, and sheer physical size and power, are light years ahead of 28-year-old Jake (12-1 with 7 KOs).
The odds tell us that AJ is a 1/9 favourite with Jake a 6/1 underdog. But in reality we should be adding a zero to that figure for Paul. He’s a long shot on another level, he cannot possibly win bar some freak occurrence.
The two men will fight an actual sanctioned professional heavyweight contest in Miami on December (live on Netflix) and both will wear 10oz gloves. Everything is pointing towards a disaster for Jake, and many fear his health is at stake.
Respected boxing exec Lou DiBella described the match as ‘an unsafe abomination’, while Sky Sports expert Andy Clarke said he hopes Paul avoids ‘life altering damage’. Long-time boxing writer Dan Rafael meanwhile said it is a mismatch of epic proportions – think Mike Tyson vs Peter McNeeley way back in 1995.
It is against that backdrop that fans are resorting to the theory that Joshua will somehow not go out all guns blazing in a bid to destroy Jake and his pro boxing fairytale. Remember this is a man who will make north of £50million (as will Joshua) for his night’s work on December 19.
Mannix destroys AJ conspiracy theory
One man who laughs at the notion Joshua will take it easy on his opponent is DAZN pundit Chris Mannix. He believes it’s a wild theory, and that Paul deserves credit for stepping into the firing line. Remember what happened to the last crossover star who matched up with Joshua? Former UFC king Francis Ngannou was obliterated inside two rounds in early 2024.
Writing on social media, Mannix claimed: “I don’t care how much @JakePaul is getting paid. Stepping in with Anthony Joshua takes enormous guts. Especially when the most likely outcome is an Ngannou-like finish.”
Mannix also says there is another reason Joshua will look to absolutely destroy Jake – there is a massive Saudi deal on the table and waiting for him in 2026. He is expected to fight in Riyadh in February before a London blockbuster in February – hopefully that long-awaited all-British showdown with Tyson Fury.
“And if you think AJ is going to do anything but try to decapitate Jake with a two-fight, nine-figure Saudi-backed deal waiting for him next year you are crazy,” said Mannix.
