Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul is almost here, and it will be boxing’s biggest event of 2025.
Forget Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford, this heavyweight showdown (a real fight, no exhibition) will be a massive crossover event on both sides of the Atlantic, if and when it happens.
The boxing world went into meltdown last week with confirmation that the two camps were in talks over an upcoming blockbuster in Miami. Many hate it, but you cannot deny whatsoever that it will drum up a ton of interest.
READ MORE: Jake Paul fight is a gold-plated pension for Anthony Joshua, so why not?
Here is all we know ahead of the match between a two-time world heavwyeight champion, and a Youtuber. Wild.
When is Joshua vs Jake Paul
The fight will take place tonight (Friday December 19, 2025), at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Ring walks for Jake and Joshua are expected to take place around 10.30pm Eastern Time on Friday December 19 – that is 3.30am UK on Saturday December 20. If you are watching on the West Coast, expect ring walks around 7.30pm Pacific on Friday.
If you are watching in Central Europe, then the ring walk time is 4.30am on Saturday December 20.
TV channel and how to watch live and free
So the great news for this one is that it will stream live globally on Netflix.
In the last couple of years Netflix has showed some huge boxing fights (great for signing up new customers) – notably that Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul blockbuster in November 2024. That one drew in a ridiculous 108million viewers around the world.
The best news of all is that the bout will be free to all existing Netflix subscribers, and anybody new who signs up? They also get a free live stream of the fight as a nice bonus.
What are the rules?
The big news is that IT IS an actual sanctioned heavyweight fight. It is scheduled for 8 x 3-minute rounds with both men wearing 10oz gloves. No exhibitions here.
There are legitimate concerns this is a step too far for the 28-year-old Paul, who is at best inexperienced and at worst, wildly overmatched. Respected boxing exec Lou DiBella described the fight as ‘an unsafe abomination’.
READ MORE: Joshua vs Jake Paul, all of the big questions answered
Jake has fought most of his career at cruiserweight (200lbs) though he did step up to heavyweight for his win over Tyson in 2024. But ‘Iron Mike’ was 58 years old at the time, an absolute shadow of the man who once terrorised boxing. AJ meanwhile normally boxes at around 250lbs.
AJ was not be allowed to weigh more than 245lbs for this one, it is three years since he last dipped below that mark – for his rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022.
This one pits Paul against a two-time heavyweight champion who is still among boxing’s elite. A very different matter.
Official weights
The weigh-in took place in Miami on Thursday December 18 and Joshua DID manage to come in under that 245lbs limit to avoid a heavy fine per the contracts. He scaled 243lbs (17st 5lbs).
Jake was almost two stones lighter at 217lbs (15st 7lbs).
What are the odds?
The odds are pretty crazy for this one – Joshua is around a 1/10 favourite with Jake the 6/1 underdog.
The reason they are crazy? In our view we should be adding a zero to Jake’s number. The gulf in class and size is enormous but in no way do those odds represent that gulf.
READ MORE: Joshua vs Jake Paul expert predictions and picks
Anthony Joshua record
Anthony Joshua – born as Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua on October 15, 1989, is now 36 years old and has a professional record of 28-4. That’s 28 wins with four defeats, and 25 of his victories have come by knockouts.
In terms of physical measurables, Joshua stands 6ft 6ins tall (1.98m) and has a reach of 82 inches (2.08m).
AJ has been a world heavyweight champion twice, and has fought just about everybody who is anybody in the division today. Barring Tyson Fury of course – their all-British blockbuster remains for now a dream match.
Joshua’s four defeats have all come at world title level, starting with his shock defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr in New York in the summer of 2019. He would reclaim the belts in an immediate rematch vs Ruiz at the end of that year.
AJ once again lost his titles in 2021, this time to brilliant Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in London. He would also be defeated in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
Joshua’s fourth pro defeat came at the hands of Daniel Dubois in a challenge to become a three-time world heavyweight champion in September 2024. He was blasted out inside five devastating rounds in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.
Since that night Joshua has been sidelined by an elbow injury, but now he is ready to return.
Jake Paul record
Jake Paul, born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 17, 1997, is now 28 years old and he has a professional boxing record of 12-1. That is 12 wins and one defeat with seven of his victories coming by way of knockout.
Paul’s resume – in comparison with Joshua’s – is obviously laughable. He has only been in the fight game for five years and his opponents are a smorgasbord of entertainers, former MMA stars and the odd boxer thrown in.
Jake’s only defeat came vs Tommy Fury (the Love Island guy, brother of Tyson Fury) in 2023. His last two bouts have at least been against former boxing stars, but there’s a catch.
Mike Tyson was 58 years old when Paul outpointed him in Texas in November 2024, while the much-maligned Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was 39 when he dropped a decision to Jake in June of 2025.
Who is fighting on the undercard?
Brazilian MMA legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva (3-2, 2 KOs boxing, 34-11, 22 KOs MMA) makes his return to combat sports to face American MMA champion and combat sports icon Tyron Woodley (0-2 boxing, 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA) . The clash between the two MMA icons will be a professional 6-round cruiserweight bout contested at 195lbs as Woodley steps in to replace Silva’s initial opponent, Chris Weidman, who withdrew due to injury.
In the co-main event, undisputed super featherweight world champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (16-1, 7 KOs) makes a unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world title defence at 130lbs against Canada’s #2 IBF, #3 WBO and WBA contender Leila Beaudoin (13-1, 2 KOs). Baumgardner vs. Beaudoin will be contested over 12, three-minute rounds, equal to the men’s championship standard.
In the preliminary card headliner, Australia’s undisputed bantamweight world champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson (18-2, 8 KOs) will make an undisputed WBO, WBA, WBC, and IBF world title defence at 118lbs against MVP’s and Canada’s #4 IBF and #5 WBA contender Amanda “Bambola” Galle (12-0-1, 1 KO).
Remaining on the preliminary card will be Costa Rican star Yokasta Valle (33-3, 10 KOs), who is set to defend her WBC strawweight world title vs. Yadira “La Reina” Bustillos (11-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round women’s championship bout at 105lbs, and top contender Avious “Tha Underdog” Griffin (17-1, 16 KOs) vs. Justin “Stallion” Cardona (10-1, 5 KOs) in an 8-round bout at 147lbs in the welterweight division.
Newly joining the card will be two-time Brazilian Olympian Keno Marley, making his hotly-anticipated pro debut over 4 rounds in the cruiserweight division at 200lbs against American Diarra Davis Jr. (2-1, 1 KO).
