Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has warned that Anthony Joshua must emphatically defeat Jake Paul in their December 19 showdown or risk retiring alongside him.
With the British-Nigerian heavyweight set to meet Paul at the Kaseya Centre in Miami, Hearn admitted that significant pressure sits on Joshua’s shoulders. While acknowledging Paul’s improvement in the ring, he stressed that the YouTuber-turned-boxer is not on Joshua’s level.
Hearn dismissed suggestions that the bout could be manipulated, calling such an idea “illegal”, and even applauded Paul for agreeing to what he described as a “real fight”.
But Hearn made it clear what would happen if the unthinkable occurs.
“Maybe I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, my time’s up. Not just AJ and me retire—everyone should retire. AJ, the weight of boxing is on your shoulders, my man,” he joked.
Despite the warning, the promoter expressed full confidence in Joshua.
“I believe this will be a straightforward obliteration. There is no escape for Jake Paul in this fight,” Hearn said.
“You’ll quickly find out what this sport is. And it won’t be pleasant. AJ isn’t interested in hanging around. The moment he senses weakness, the minute he smells blood, he lets his hands go. And when he does that in this fight, it’s a major problem for Jake Paul.”
Joshua enters the contest with a 28-4 record and 25 knockouts, while Paul boasts a 12-1 record with seven knockouts.
