Eddie Hearn agrees with the critics ahead of Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul

Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul will go down as one of the most-watched bouts of 2025

Taking place this Saturday, 20th December, former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KO’s) is due to step into the ring with his influencer-turned-boxer counterpart. 

The bout has gathered huge attention online, particularly since Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KO’s) has never fought a fighter close to either the calibre or size of the British behemoth. 

However, ‘The Problem Child’ is still exuding confidence, revealing that he feels he is more skilled than his opponent. 

Nevertheless, the vast majority of boxing critics feel that the bout only has one outcome, with Paul touted to not make it past the halfway mark. 

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, is of this school of thought, having recently revealed that he still can't believe Paul and his team accepted the fight. 

“I have no real defence of Anthony Joshua versus Jake Paul. It’s crazy that it’s happening, and I think the critics are spot on,” Hearn wrote in a BBC article. 

“But we just couldn’t turn it down. No boxer in their right mind would have said no. Anyone who says they would are completely lying through their teeth.

“We took a fight that we believe will be very straightforward, will give AJ a huge profile in America and one of his career-high paydays.

“AJ was going to have a run-out fight in November in Saudi – an eight-rounder against a guy who was ranked about 100th in the heavyweight division.

“It was an opportunity to wrap the hands with his new training team, do the ringwalk and go through the motions. Now we’re doing that same run-out but for 50 times more money.

“We have a clear strategy in mind – to knock Jake out ASAP. Then we go into normal service being resumed in 2026.”