Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua? Eddie Hearn thinks it could happen.
The Matchroom Boxing chairman addressed Paul’s recent comments concerning a potential matchup with Joshua, in which Paul said he will “f*cking beat Anthony Joshua’s ass.” Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, is coming off of a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and seeks his next big fight, and if Paul’s team is serious about making that happen then so is Hearn.
“To be honest, I look at it and I think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua—for me, we’d do it for the banter,” Hearn said on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel. “ ‘A.J.’ would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’ll need the relevant insurance.
“The only thing that was disappointing was he says 2026. That’s like me saying, ‘L.A. Olympics for the surfing in 2028, I’ll be there.’ Do it in 2025 if you really want to do it. You’re not going to get really much better at this stage. I don’t know. Those two have spoken, I spoke to A.J. this morning, he went, ‘Listen, of course I’d fight him.’”
Paul, a longtime YouTuber and social media influencer who has become one of boxing’s biggest stars, also seeks another big-name fight after a widely viewed clash with 58-year-old legend Mike Tyson this past November. That event, which streamed live on Netflix, shattered numerous viewership records while garnering considerable mainstream attention.
Hearn would be happy to do business with Paul, and he’s confident Joshua would as well.
“We know Jake creates massive events,” Hearn said. “You know that’s going to create unbelievable viewership and, no disrespect to Jake Paul, it’s a straightforward night’s work. But I like this calling out of Canelo [Alvarez] and all this. A.J. is another challenge up there. If they’re game, why not?”
Joshua has yet to address Paul’s comments himself, so for now Hearn is serving as his de facto spokesman. And he said whether it’s Paul or anyone else, Joshua is ready to get back in the ring.
“[Joshua] said, ‘Why not?’” Hearn said. “I said, ‘What do you want me to say when I’m asked about it?’ He said, ‘Tell everyone I’ll fight anyone, anytime, it’s not a problem for me.’”
