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Jake Paul says he’s finally going to fight the kind of opponent his critics want to see him face. Next year.

On Saturday, Paul added another win to his boxing résumé, taking a unanimous decision over former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in their cruiserweight fight in Anaheim, Calif. It was another underwhelming performance from Paul, who was visibly larger than the 39-year-old Chavez, and only continued the criticism Paul has faced for hand-picking undersized and past-their-prime opponents. But for Paul, this win was a pivotal moment in his career: a turning point for him towards a more serious boxing run.

“I don’t even think I was a fighter then,” Paul said in his post-fight press conference when asked about his loss to Tommy Fury in comparison to his performance on Saturday. “That was two years, two-and-a-half years into the sport, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have the right team around me, the proper team around me, the proper conditioning. My lifestyle outside of the ring was still like a YouTube, celebrity, actor, whatever I was at the time. I wasn’t fully focused on boxing.

Jake Paul says former champion Anthony Joshua wants to fight him next year

Not long after the sweat had dried following Jake Paul’s victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he disclosed he’s in talks to fight another former champion: Anthony Joshua, who held the unified heavyweight belts in 2016 and 2021.

“Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge,” Paul said at a post-fight news conference Saturday, June 28. “We’ve been DM’ing back and forth. He wants to make it happen. He called me up and it’s looking very likely for next year.”

In his last fight, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) suffered a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. But at 6-6, he would have a five-inch height advantage over Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) along with significantly more experience.

“I like the challenge,” Paul said. “That’s the criticism, people will say, ‘Fight someone in their prime who’s a beast.’ I think people just really want to see me lose. That’s really what the message is behind it all.”

Jake Paul lists other options for next fight

Even though Paul’s negotiations with Canelo Alvarez unraveled in February, he said a fight between the two still could materialize.

“No, he’s not out of the picture,” said Paul, who added that it could hinge on Paul winning a cruiserweight world title. That would lure Alvarez into the ring because it would give him a chance to become a five-weight champion, Paul speculated.

“I think that would be what interests him, and that’s the plan,” Paul said.

Other potential future opponents, Paul said, include WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack, WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and Tommy Fury, the only boxer to beat Paul. Fury won that eight-round fight by unanimous decision in 2023.

“I don’t even think I was a fighter then,” Paul said. “That was like 2 1/2 years into the sport, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have the proper team around me. I didn’t have conditioning. My lifestyle outside of the ring was still that of a YouTuber, celebrity, actor, whatever I was at that point in time.

“So I wasn’t fully focused on boxing. Like I said, chapter one is done tonight, and now we’re moving into chapter two. I’m just getting warmed up in the sport. People hold the Tommy Fury thing against me, but what now? I just beat a former world champion, and I’m coming to avenge that loss as well with Tommy.”

YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul has improved his professional fight record to 12-1 and turned his attentions back to British heavyweight Anthony Joshua.

Paul defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr by unanimous decision in Southern California on Saturday.

The 28-year-old’s only loss in the ring was seven fights and more than two years ago against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia.

Despite a fiercely partisan crowd in favour of his opponent, Paul tore out of his corner early on and fought off a late flurry to hold on to the win.

After seeing off Chavez, Paul teased imminent confirmation of a highly anticipated transatlantic slobberknocker.

Joshua would have a height and weight advantage over a younger opponent but Paul isn’t cowed by the prospect of a pummelling.

“I’m definitely not a heavyweight, but I’m still gonna take the challenge,” he told the media.

“You look at Deontay Wilder; he was beating these guys weighing 215 pounds, [Joshua is] like 6ft 6in or something, but anything is possible.

“Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge.”

Joshua, 35, has claimed 25 of his 28 professional wins by knockout and has been beaten four times.

One of those losses was a fifth-round knockout by Daniel Dubois in his last fight in September 2024. Dubois walked away as the IBF heavyweight champion having successfully defended the belt he was given after it was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk.

Chavez suggested after Saturday’s fight that Paul started strong but tired, saying that the Cleveland-born boxer isn’t ready to step up to the next level against champions like Joshua.

Nevertheless, the wheels are turning and Paul vs Joshua appears to be in the works for 2026.

“We’ve been DM-ing back and forth. He wants to make it happen. He called me up and it’s looking very likely for next year,” Paul revealed in Anaheim on Saturday.

Since turning pro in 2020, Paul has won seven fights by knockout.

Last November, he won by decision against 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a massively hyped fight in Arlington, Texas.

Joshua’s last win came in March 2024 against Francis Ngannou, who he beat by knockout in the second round in Riyadh.

Anthony Joshua has issued a stark warning to Jake Paul following their private message exchanges, telling the YouTuber-turned-boxer to be careful what he wishes for.

The former heavyweight world champion sent Paul a menacing final message after the American had taunted him about his previous knockout defeats.

Deontay Wilder got back into the win column Friday with a seventh-round stoppage win in a tune-up fight against Tyrrell Herndon.
Following the victory, just the second in six fights since 2020 for the embattled former heavyweight champion, Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) emphasized he’s not diverging from the plan he came in with, outlined by two more tuneups in 2025 before a big one in 2026.
“It felt really good and it was a blessing to get back in there and get the rust off,” Wilder told The Ring from his dressing room after the fight at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
“I’m satisfied with the performance, but I’m also not satisfied because there is more to come. I wanted him to throw a little bit more but I appreciate Herndon for dedicating himself. I wanted to work on some countering with the overhand right hand. I don’t think he was expecting me to throw the hooks that I was throwing. I wanted to display more than just a right hand.”
Wilder rebounded from back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang last June to drop the outmatched Herndon in the second and sixth before ending matters during the seventh in a main event fight staged by Global Combat Collective and BLK Prime.
“A lot of people don’t understand how severe my shoulder injury was, or what I have been through, and they’ll never understand,” said Wilder. “They don’t want to hear any excuses from the fighters. I did the best that I could do to cover it up in my last several fights.
“My shoulder was at like 20 percent. But I’m a fighter and a warrior. I had to do my thing. Now that it’s all recovered and healed, I’m able to hold my hand up. I wanted to make sure I got some rounds in, and not be predictable with the right hand.”
Wilder turns 40 in September and still has aspirations to become a champion now that he’s also overcome mental health issues. He said he’s planning for another fight in September, with South Korea being discussed as a possible location, and a December bout at a location to be determined.
“We’re going with the plan that we have,” Wilder said. “I definitely need a couple of more tuneups. There is a lot more work to be done so I can really feel satisfied and feel that I have truly returned.”
Wilder wants the meaningful matchup in 2026 to be against former two-time unified divisional champion Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs), a fight more than seven years in the making.
“It could be against Joshua,” said Wilder. “If the fight was set up, we’ll be ready to go down those roads. A lot of money is on the line, but sometimes it’s not about the money because we have to make sure things are right. We’re in the hurt business.
“When we’re ready, everyone will know. … We’re just going to take it one fight, and one step at a time. But I have returned, just stay patient with me. I’m back, baby. I’m headed right back to the gym once I get home.”
Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel said that he’s already received calls within hours of the win inquiring on the former WBC titleholder’s availability.
“It’s not an issue of opponents for us,” said Finkel. “If you look around the landscape, there are not many big heavyweight fights that you want to make. There are a few. Deontay can figure into any of them … We don’t want to fight for the sake of a payday. We want to fight, win [titles], and defend it once he wins like he did before. I hope that the things that have derailed him have made him stronger, and now, he’s going to show it.”

Deontay Wilder has ‘hope’ for Anthony Joshua showdown but won’t believe in the fight until one thing happens

Deontay Wilder wants to face Anthony Joshua in a huge heavyweight clash, but he won’t believe the bout until he sees it for himself.

Tyrrell Herndon will battle Deontay Wilder as he makes his comeback fight, although the former world champion already has his eye on a fight with Anthony Joshua.

Joshua has reportedly agreed to face Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in one of the biggest fights on British soil in history.

However, Wilder still has hope of taking on the Olympic Gold Medallist once he’s done with Herndon, although he has his doubts about the fight taking place.

Deontay Wilder has hope for the Anthony Joshua fight, but doesn’t believe it until it happens

Wilder has admitted that he has “hope” of facing off with former World Heavyweight champion Joshua, but he won’t believe it until it actually happens.

He spoke with Boxing News and admitted that “there’s always going to be hope” about the heavyweight clash.

However, until he’s stood in the ring and the bell rings, Wilder won’t believe any talk about the potential super fight.

Wilder said: “I’m in. I’m a fighter, he’s a fighter. As long as he’s in the division, I’m in the division, then you know, there’s always going to be hope.

Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua

“There’s always going to be a discussion. I would say hope as well, but definitely a lingering conversation around it.

“But at this point, I don’t get excited about hearing it no more like I used to. Because I know the truth. I know the truth behind what’s been covered up.

“They always say the truth will set you free—and I’m free. I’m free from it. I don’t get excited about this talk anymore like a lot of people would or still do now, because they don’t know the real situation behind it.

“I’m not putting no energy into it anymore. Not unless we’re at the press conference, or better yet, in the ring, the bell’s about to ding. That’s when I believe it.”

Deontay Wilder will need to get past Tyrrell Herndon before a potential fight with Anthony Joshua

While there could be huge interest in a Wilder vs. Joshua fight, he’ll need to beat Herndon in his next bout to keep that idea alive.

Wilder has lost four of his last five fights, a far cry from his time as the undefeated world champion.

The knockout artist lost in a shock knockout to Zhilei Zhang, which followed Wilder’s back-to-back defeats against Tyson Fury to derail the American’s career.

A loss to Herndon should put a dent in his hopes of facing Joshua, who will want a much bigger fight than Wilder should his bad form continue.

Wilder is predicted to easily beat Herndon when they face off on June 27.

Former world champion George Groves has claimed that a blockbuster bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is either already signed or close to being finalised, saying both fighters are likely to meet next without interim bouts, The PUNCH reports.

Groves said he believes Fury’s temporary retreat from the spotlight is simply part of the build-up before an official announcement.

“I don’t think you need to convince him,” Groves said in an exclusive interview with CasinoBeats when asked what it would take to bring Fury out of his brief retirement.

“I think it’s done. He’s fighting Joshua. He’s just switched off from boxing for a bit. I’m almost certain that the fight is either signed, sealed, delivered and just not announced, or well on its way to being done.”

The former WBA super-middleweight champion added that both heavyweights are past the stage of needing warm-up fights and are ready to face each other despite their recent form.

“Joshua wouldn’t have a warm-up fight. Those ships have sailed. They’ll just fight each other,” Groves said.

“They’re both coming off losses, so neither of them is in particularly good form. Fury’s probably been in worse form than Joshua. Joshua got beat by Dubois. Up till then, he was doing okay.

“Knocked out a cage fighter. Fury had life and death with a cage fighter. So yeah, it’s two heavyweights, former world champions, they want to roll around, have a little fight.”

Groves even suggested tongue-in-cheek that the long-awaited fight could happen in a cage, referencing the pair’s recent respective match-ups with MMA crossovers.

Reflecting on Joshua’s place in British heavyweight history, Groves offered a strong comparison with another former world champion, David Haye. While many fans have fantasised about a Joshua-Haye dream match-up, Groves was clear on where he stands.

“Haye was a lot better fighter than Anthony Joshua,” Groves said bluntly.

“He was so fast, so powerful. If he hit you, he could get rid of you. And I’ve seen him spar the likes of Deontay Wilder, Carlos Takam and other quality heavyweights in his prime. He handled almost all of them.”

The 37-year-old, who trained with Haye during his career, recalled just how difficult it was to even land a jab on the former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion.

“I had a lightning-fast jab, really good reactions, but I couldn’t land a glove on him. He could jab and feel like he shoved my teeth out of my head. It was the most frustrating thing ever. Heavyweights shouldn’t be able to do that,” Groves recounted.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

 

He described a hypothetical fight between Haye and Joshua as a shootout but maintained that Haye’s technical gifts and speed gave him the edge, even if both had the power to end it with one shot.

“Haye was a gifted amateur. He won silver at the World Championships. Maybe I’ve seen more of Haye than Joshua so I’ve got a bit of bias, but I think it would have been a 50–50 fight. A great one.”

Groves, who retired in 2018, and remains one of the most respected voices in British boxing also weighed in on recent rumours surrounding Dillian Whyte and Moses Itauma, after Derek Chisora reportedly turned down a £2m offer to face the 29-year-old heavyweight prospect.

“Whyte’s in it for the paydays,” Groves said.

“He doesn’t have the credibility or the profile of Chisora. His options aren’t the same.”

Asked about Whyte’s interest in reigniting a fight with Anthony Joshua, Groves referenced their scrapped bout last year and Joshua’s well-known stance on drug offences in the sport.

“They were scheduled to fight again, weren’t they? Then Whyte tested positive for drugs. And Joshua isn’t a fan of that,” he said. “When Big Baby Miller did that to him, Ruiz stepped in and he came unstuck. Joshua doesn’t like last-minute replacements and he definitely doesn’t like drugs in the sport.”

Boxing legend Amir Khan believes Anthony Joshua is in ‘semi-retirement’ despite the Brit looking to return to the ring later this year. Joshua has not fought since suffering a brutal knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last September.

The pair looked certain to go head-to-head in an immediate rematch, but ‘AJ’ was not ready to fight soon after their initial encounter after sustaining some minor injuries in the bout. The 35-year-old recently had surgery on his elbow and is now looking to fight before the end of the year.

Joshua seems to be enjoying life at the moment and was recently spotted with Khan in Ghana. The pair appear to be on good terms again after Khan accused the British heavyweight of sleeping with his wife. Following their brief encounter, the 38-year-old has stated that he believes Joshua’s career is coming to an end.

In an interview with Vegas Insider, he said: “He seems to be in semi-retirement. He’s looking at all business opportunities and stuff like that, but he has done all of the hard work, AJ has done great things in the sport and has done it all.

“He is an Olympic gold-medallist, a former two-time world champion and I think he’s one or two fights away from retiring or maybe one more fight and he’ll call it a day but that’s just my opinion. We all want to see the Tyson Fury fight, let’s hope they can make it happen.”

With Joshua looking to get back to winning ways, he is still hoping to one day go head-to-head with long-time rival Tyson Fury. The ‘Gypsy King’ retired earlier this year after suffering his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. That said, he has teased a potential return to the ring over the last few weeks.

In an interview with Vegas Insider, he said: “He seems to be in semi-retirement. He’s looking at all business opportunities and stuff like that, but he has done all of the hard work, AJ has done great things in the sport and has done it all.

“He is an Olympic gold-medallist, a former two-time world champion and I think he’s one or two fights away from retiring or maybe one more fight and he’ll call it a day but that’s just my opinion. We all want to see the Tyson Fury fight, let’s hope they can make it happen.”

With Joshua looking to get back to winning ways, he is still hoping to one day go head-to-head with long-time rival Tyson Fury. The ‘Gypsy King’ retired earlier this year after suffering his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. That said, he has teased a potential return to the ring over the last few weeks.

“I have Daniel Dubois losing to Oleksandr Usyk and that would be a great comeback fight for Tyson as it is a fight still at the top (level) and then fight Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua which is the fight I want to see.

“There are a few good options still there for Fury because he is such a big name and has that backing. I think Fury takes the loser of Usyk vs Dubois and then fights Joshua or the king of the heavyweight division.

“With Fury and AJ, they have both had time out of the ring and I believe both fighters have a 50/50 chance of winning the fight. At first, I was favouring Tyson Fury but not anymore, I think it is a 50/50 fight. It is a fight where you can’t say who is going to win because is it the power or the boxing IQ that wins the fight? It’s hard to say.”

The year was 2018, and Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were undefeated and ruled the heavyweight division by owning all of the titles and were en route to face off for an undisputed championship fight.
After Wilder fought to a draw in December 2018 against Tyson Fury, the plan was for him to move on to face Joshua. In March 2019, DAZN offered Wilder $100 million for a three-fight package, including two vs. Joshua, but he declined the deal, citing dishonesty.
Joshua moved on to fight Andy Ruiz Jr. and suffered a shocking stoppage loss and hasn’t been able to properly find his footing since, going 6-4 in the last six years. Wilder moved on to face Fury two more times and lost both by knockout, and he’s 1-4 in the last six years.
And now, Wilder, who turns 40 on Oct. 22, and Joshua, who turns 36 seven days prior, are looking to reignite a rivalry that has seen its share of false starts throughout the years.
Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) returns Friday to face Tyrrell Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs) at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The Global Combat Collective PPV event will be distributed by BLK Prime, Fubo, and PPV.com, among others, for $24.95.
Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs), meanwhile, is recovering from elbow surgery and plans to return later this year for his first fight since getting stopped in five rounds by Daniel Dubois in September. He, too, needs a bounce-back win.
“If that fight against Joshua comes, and everything is right, why not?” Wilder told The Ring. “We’ll deal with the situation when it happens. He’s still in the business, and I am as well. I want all of [them]. I am not going after just one particular person. If it’s a great fight to be made, I am there. I want to make the best fights people want to see.
“But I am not going to be around with picket signs asking for the fight. I am not going to do that. I never chased anyone. If people didn’t want to fight me, it was what it was. … I always wanted the biggest fights possible in my career.”
Wilder and Joshua were supposed to face off last year, but the former wasn’t able to beat Joseph Parker as the co-main event. Joshua gained a stoppage win against Otto Wallin in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder
The decision defeat was a setback for Wilder, forcing him to seek a meaningful win against Zhilei Zhang. The result was even worse this time, and Wilder was zapped in five rounds last June.
It seems like a lifetime ago that Wilder was wreaking havoc in the division as an underweight knockout artist. Wilder enjoyed a WBC title run beginning in 2015 when he beat Bermane Stiverne and defended the title 10 times before meeting his match in Fury.
After overcoming mental health issues, Wilder wants to make one last run and face contemporaries he never got to clash with, including Oleksandr Usyk.
“I want the biggest fights possible,” said Wilder. “I don’t care about who the individual is. I’m not dwelling on these guys. These guys wouldn’t give me an opportunity to save their lives because they were stuck on not losing. I just wanted to be undisputed, but many people did not have me on their agenda because of how dangerous I am. That’s OK. That’s why I am still here pursuing myself and going on to do even greater things. This time it will be even more powerful.”

Deontay Wilder to have two comeback fights before eying double header with Anthony Joshua in London and Las Vegas

DEONTAY WILDER is set for two confidence-building comeback fights – before eyeing a double header with Anthony Joshua.

The former WBC champion returns on Saturday in Kansas against little-known Tyrrell Herndon looking to bounce back after two losses.

Nelson Lopez Jr – a former matchmaker for the likes of Oscar de la Hoya and PBC – is promoting Wilder’s low-profile return.

A three-fight deal is in place between the pair – with Wilder’s second comeback fight already pencilled in – before they target a showdown with AJ.

Lopez told SunSport: “Yeah listen, we got a tentative deal and we’re just going one by one.

“We have the next one set up, this one set up, nothing solid for the third one – you know how boxing is, there’s no path of how you succeed.

“We have to get over this, so anything can happen. We got to get over the next one. Anything can happen.

“And then, you know maybe Eddie will sit at the table and see what we can do something with AJ.”

Wilder was stunned on points against Joseph Parker in December 2024 before he was knocked out in June 2024 by Zhilei Zhang.

Both times he blew the chance to fight 35-year-old Joshua – who was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September and has since had elbow surgery.

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Promoter Nelson has opened the door to a two-fight with with AJ – in Las Vegas and London – with the possibility of a trilogy.

He said: “Maybe we go ahead and lock in a trilogy. You know what I mean, why not?

“For both fighters maybe we lock in something we can do guaranteed two fights and if one wins and one wins, we do the third.

“I would do it that way. I don’t think the fans would be mad at that.

“I think either way it would have be amazing fight for both of them and whoever wins the first two then you’re crowned the man.”

Wilder, 39, went through a period of radio silence after his fifth-round stoppage loss to Zhang in Riyadh.

He cited personal issues for his absence from the spotlight – and also had secret arm surgery with plans to return to the big time.

Lopez said: “Yeah, he’s definitely up for these fights.

“Our in Kansas slated “Legacy Reloaded” so the first two fights are just leading towards that.”