Jake Paul made a number of notable callouts following his win last Saturday over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Not only is Paul trying to disrupt a cruiserweight title unification bout between Jai Opetaia and Gilberto Ramirez, but he also called out Gervonta Davis and Anthony Joshua.
Regarding the heavyweight Joshua, Tyson Fury has said that a fight between Paul and the British star would be a ’50-50′ fight.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was asked for his opinions on this take, to which he did not hold back.
Eddie Hearn does not see Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul as a close fight
In a recent interview with Pro Boxing Fans, the promoter was asked about Fury’s recent assessment of Paul vs Joshua. Hearn started by saying, “It’s great if it is [a 50-50 fight]. I mean, if it is, then you’ve got no problem seeing it.”
However, Hearn’s comments were seemingly said in regard to anticipation and marketing purposes.
When speaking on how the fight itself would play out, he said, “When AJ, I mean, decapitates is a strong word, when he renders Jake Paul unconscious, like he did to Francis Ngannou, don’t then say, ‘Oh, well, it was Jake Paul.’ Do you know what I mean?”
Hearn then said, “When AJ beat Francis Ngannou, Ngannou had just had a fight that could have gone either way with Tyson Fury. Then, AJ poleaxed him and then he’s just an MMA fighter.”
“Jake Paul is not Francis Ngannou,” Hearn added. “If you want to see Jake Paul exit the boxing world, make the fight.”
Anthony Joshua’s next opponent still not confirmed despite rumoured 2025 comeback
It is understood that Joshua is expected to return to the ring in 2025. A fight this year would be Joshua’s first outing since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
Fury’s announcement that he has come out of retirement has not made Joshua’s situation any clearer despite a fight between the two being highly anticipated.
The ‘Gypsy King’ has stated he wants his comeback fight to be with Oleksandr Usyk, and in 2026.
In terms of an opponent for Joshua this year, a likely opponent is currently unclear. However, following Deontay Wilder’s recent win, many feel that ‘AJ’ should face ‘The Bronze Bomber’.