YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul claims that a fight with former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is being planned for 2026 — and says Joshua told him he wants to kill him in the ring.

Fight Could Happen in 2026

Speaking in an interview with IFN Boxing, Jake Paul said he’s confident the fight will happen after both fighters complete two more bouts.

“Anthony Joshua, baby! It can happen,” Paul said.
“He said he’ll do two more fights, I’ll do two more fights, and then we’ll fight in 2026.”

Paul added that Joshua, who was born in Nigeria, made a chilling statement about their potential match-up:

“He said he’s going to kill me and that I’ll have to fight for my life,” Paul claimed.
“And I was like, ‘Alright. Let’s get it, big boy!’”

Paul’s Goal: Become a World Champion

Jake Paul has made it clear he wants to become a boxing world champion, and has challenged big names like Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis, and now Anthony Joshua.

Changing Opinions on Influencer Boxing

At first, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn was a strong critic of influencer and celebrity boxing. But over time, Hearn has changed his opinion, admitting the fights bring in big money and attract huge audiences.

If the fight happens, it would be one of the biggest crossover boxing events yet, pitting a former world heavyweight champ against a viral internet personality-turned-professional fighter.

Jake Paul reveals conversations with Anthony Joshua as promoter confesses truth about fight

After defeating Mike Tyson in November 2024 and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June this year, the influencer turned professional boxer is starting to look towards his next big challenge.

Former world champion Johnny Nelson believes the only way Anthony Joshua entertains the idea of fighting Jake Paul is if he is looking to cash out and quit the sport.

After beating heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last November, Paul returned to the ring at the weekend to seal a points victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Chavez Jr is a former world champion having won the WBC middleweight belt in 2011 but his career has tailed off dramatically over the last six years. In any case, Paul’s victory over a legitimate boxer has been regarded as perhaps his biggest yet.

‘The Problem Child’ is now ranked 14^th in the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings, making him eligible to fight for their world title currently held by Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, who also holds the WBO belt.

But Paul also his sights on a heavyweight showdown with two-time world champion Joshua.

Rather than distance himself from the fight talk, Joshua has fuelled it with Paul claiming on Saturday the fight is ‘very likely’ to take place at the end of 2026.

Joshua meanwhile has not fought since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois last September and was set to undergo elbow surgery in May before a return to the ring later this year.

Former cruiserweight champion Nelson insists there are far more pressing matters for Joshua to attend to, with the former Olympian still intent on becoming a three-time world champion with a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury also still a possibility.

While he would be ’very surprised’ to see Joshua in the ring with Paul, Nelson believes the right offer at the right time could see them do business.

‘AJ will have more pressing matters a hand,’ Nelson told Metro.

‘If that fight happens I will be very surprised. There’s only one scenario I see. If Anthony Joshua is on the verge of quitting and calling it day and says, “I’ll fight Jake Paul as a cash out”.

‘He will think to himself he can get in there and knock this kid out no problem, get paid a substantial amount and walk away. That’s the only way I can see it happening. But otherwise I can’t see it happening.’

Nelson has doubts over Paul’s desire to share the ring with Joshua, still one of the most fearsome heavyweights in the sport at 35 years old.

‘It is very conceivable, we have seen fighters talk a fight into existence before,’ Nelson said. ‘It elevates the fighter. Do I think Paul wants the fight? Not in a million years. But he is brilliant media machine and he has done the right thing because that is what everyone is talking about right now.

‘But in reality, no I don’t think it will happen and I don’t think he wants that either.

‘We have to give him respect as a young fighter coming through,  a young fighter with money who can afford to get the right bodies in the ring that pads out his record. And he can fight now. He’s not as good as he thinks but he can fight. So he deserves some respect.’

There has been plenty of talk regarding Jake Paul’s next opponent following his victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Anthony Joshua is currently the name that heads the markets.

According to the latest boxing odds at William Hill, the former world heavyweight champion is the 4/1 favourite to be next in the ring with Paul, who is also known as ‘The Problem Child’.

As of July 2025, Paul has a 12-1 professional boxing record – with a controversial split decision against Tommy Fury in February the one blemish on his otherwise perfect record.

There will be plenty of sports betting punters who would love to see a rematch and Tommy Fury is next in the betting at 6/1 while Jean Pascal is next up at 8/1.

Boxing fans would love to see Carl Froch (10/1) and Tony Bellew (10/1) back in the ring but they are priced as outsiders and you’d imagine both are more likely to remain in the commentary booth.

Jake Paul’s Next Opponent Odds:

If you’re looking to bet on Jake Paul’s next fight, we have you covered at William Hill. Here is the current state of the market for his next opponent:

• Anthony Joshua – 4/1
• Tommy Fury – 6/1
• Jean Pascal – 8/1
• Badou Jack – 9/1
• Carl Froch – 10/1
• Tony Bellew – 10/1
• KSI – 10/1
• Andre Ward – 12/1
• Jon Jones – 12/1
• Bar – 16/1

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “Following Jake Paul’s victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, speculation is rising about who ‘The Problem Child’ will fight next.

“Paul could be in line for a blockbuster clash with former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and the British boxer heads the list of his likely opponents at 4/1.

“Tommy Fury, who inflicted the only loss of Paul’s career to date, is 6/1 to step into the ring with Paul once again, while former top boxers Tony Bellew and Carl Froch are both priced at 10/1 for a showdown with Paul.”

Jake Paul notched his 12th victory last night (Sat., June 29, 2025), earning a unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California (results here).

With Chavez Jr.’s name added to his resume, Paul is eyeing the future. The YouTuber-turned-professional boxer aims to become a world champion but remains drawn to mega-money matchups.

“El Gallo” is doubling down on a clash with former WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, predicting it will happen next year.

“I’m definitely not a heavyweight, but I’m still going to take the challenge,” Paul said during the Paul vs. Chavez Jr. post-fight press conference. “You look at Deontay Wilder, he was beating these guys weighing 215 pounds. Granted, he’s 6-foot-6 or something, but anything is possible. I like the challenge. That’s the criticism. ‘Fight someone in their prime who is a beast!’

“I think people just want to see me lose,” Paul added. “That’s really the message behind it all. Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge. We’ve been DMing back and forth, he wants to make it happen, he called me up, and it’s looking very likely for next year.”

A Paul vs. Joshua showdown would be a blockbuster, though it seems far-fetched. Then again, who predicted a bout with Mike Tyson?

Paul rides a six-fight win streak, with victories over Tyson, Mike Perry, and Nate Diaz, while Joshua reels from a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois (watch highlights).

Jake Paul wants the “challenge” of fighting Anthony Joshua.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer defeated former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr by unanimous decision on Saturday night (28.06.25), and Jake is now looking to face Joshua, a London 2012 gold medallist and the former heavyweight world champion.
Speaking at his post-fight press conference, Jake said: “I’m definitely not a heavyweight, but I’m still gonna take the challenge. You look at Deontay Wilder; he was beating these guys weighing 215 pounds, he’s like 6ft 6in or something, but anything is possible.
“Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge.”
Jake and Joshua have already discussed the possibility of fighting each other in 2026.
Jake said: “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.”
Despite this, Chavez Jr has rubbished the idea that Jake could beat Joshua or any other world champion.
He said post-fight: “He’s strong, a good boxer [for] the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”
Meanwhile, Jake recently hit back at his critics, insisting that he’s already fought lots of credible opponents in his boxing career.
The 28-year-old star accused his critics of “idiotic low-level thinking”.
The former Bizaardvark star – who defeated former world champion Mike Tyson back in November – told Extra: “I love this criticism because it just shows how daft people are. It’s like, on one hand they’ll call Anderson Silva one of the greatest fighters of all time, and then they’ll say these things and completely discredit Anderson Silva, discredit Tyron Woodley, a multiple-time UFC champion. You know, the list goes on and on with prominent names that I’ve beat.
“Mike Perry, they called the kind of violence, he was in his prime, bare-knuckle God, said he was gonna starch me — knocked him out.
“It again shows the stupidity of people and that they’ll think one thing going into a fight and then when I prove them wrong, they just fall back on their regular idiotic low-level thinking ways.”

British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua has issued a warning to American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul following a taunt about his previous knockout defeats, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Paul, 28, revealed in a recent interview with The Sun that he and the former two-time heavyweight champion had been exchanging private messages earlier this year, during which he mocked Joshua over his knockout losses. However, the trolling prompted a stern response from the 35-year-old.

According to Paul, the last message he received from Joshua carried a clear and menacing tone.

“He said, ‘I can’t wait to fight. You’re gonna be fighting for your life and you’ll know the feeling that I’ve gone through.’ Or something like that,” Paul told SunSport, admitting it was the last time he heard from Joshua.

The brewing tension has fuelled speculation about a possible future clash between both men, with Paul expressing his desire to face Joshua in front of a hostile British crowd.

“My first fight was in front of an English crowd and it’s rowdy,” Paul said.

“I love walking into the lions’ den and so me versus Anthony Joshua, 100,000 people chanting ‘f*** Jake Paul’ would be pretty fun for me.”

Jake Paul has revealed that two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is at the top of his boxing hit-list and believes a showdown between the pair will take place next year.

The social media star turned professional boxer kept his world title dreams alive with a routine success over former WBC middleweight king Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in California overnight.

Despite promising to end the American’s career, Chavez Jr struggled to gain any real foothold on proceedings, astonishingly landing just three punches during the opening nine minutes of action.

His refusal to engage with Paul culminated in a straightforward unanimous points success for the 28-year-old, who wasted no time in sounding out potential opponents in the immediate aftermath of his victory.

WBC cruiserweight supremo Badou Jack was one of several fighters mentioned by Paul as he reeled off his wish list on the back of a 12th professional career win, but it was Joshua’s whose name appeared to excite him the most.

“Give me any of them, they can all have it,” he told the media.

Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge – I’m definitely not a heavyweight, but I’m still gonna take the challenge!

– Jake Paul (DAZN)

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

“We’ve been DM-ing (messaging) back and forth. He wants to make it happen. He called me up and it’s looking very likely for next year.”

Paul’s comprehensive win over Chavez Jr was clear to see in the damning post-fight punch statistics.

The 39-year-old Mexican, who has been advised to retire by his famed fighting father Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, landed less than half the number of punches of his opponent.

Incredibly, he failed to lay a single glove on the Cleveland native in the first round, and ended the showdown with just 61 shots hitting the desired target – a statistic which has irked ‘The Problem Child’s’ brother, Logan Paul.

“I feel great. I think he did so well,” the WWE star told DAZN.

“It’s really hard to fight a guy who like doesn’t want to fight and it’s annoying for the fans as well.

“We were halfway through the fight and the dude had thrown like 20 punches so it’s hard but it is what it is – I thought he boxed great.

“Jake has gone out there and comprehensively beaten a former world champion, so who knows what is next! He’s happy to get the win and excited to get the next guy.”

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.”