Jake Paul has been handed a significant boost in his bid to share the ring with former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua next.
Hoping to land an eventual showdown with former WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titleholder Joshua, outspoken Ohio native Paul has long called out the Watford star for a showdown in the ring.
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And off the back of his win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earlier this summer, Paul has been labelled as a real contender to secure a pairing with Joshua in the future — if not next.
Jake Paul backed to take on Anthony Joshua by promoter
Labelled as the “front runner” to share the ring with former world champion Joshua next by his Matchroom Boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn, has now cleared up the potential obstacles facing the prospective clash.
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As far as Hearn is concerned, the potential hurdle of getting a pairing of Paul and Joshua sanctioned in the UK may be avoided — by hosting the showdown Stateside.
“I would think the fight [between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul] would most likely take place in the US anyway, to be honest,” Hearn told Sky Sports during a recent interview.
However, despite Hearn’s claims about the chances of Paul facing off with Joshua in the ring next, a decorated ex-cruiserweight champion is not so sure.
Jake Paul praised for plugging himself into Anthony Joshua talks
As far as veteran analyst Johnny Nelson — the longest reigning cruiserweight champion in boxing history — Paul deserves credit for putting himself in the same conversation as Joshua, but it may not lead to much more than that.
“I don’t see this fight happening but what I do see is people are now talking about Jake Paul in the same sentence as Anthony Joshua,” Nelson told Sky Sports.
Furthermore, Nelson claims if Joshua somehow comes around to book a pairing with Paul, it will prove a major change in his plans for the remainder of his career.
“If by some miracle this fight does happen, that tells me Anthony Joshua has decided to cash out,” Nelson explained.