Jake Paul To Fight Anthony Joshua On December 19

The highly anticipated boxing matchup between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul has now been officially confirmed for December 19, following several months of widespread rumors and speculation.

The social media star who transitioned into professional boxing, Jake Paul, will step into the ring against the former two-time unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in a sanctioned eight-round contest using 10oz gloves in the heavyweight division, taking place at the Kaseya Center in Florida.

Originally, Paul had been scheduled to fight Gervonta Davis, but that bout was called off after a civil lawsuit was brought against the lightweight champion, paving the way for Joshua to come in as a powerful and respected substitute opponent.

“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,” Paul declared.

“A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title.

“To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”

Joshua is returning to the ring for the first time since suffering a knockout defeat to the then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois. “Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy,” Joshua said.

“I took some time out, and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected.

“Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”

Paul last competed in the heavyweight division this past November, securing a points victory against Mike Tyson, who had come out of retirement for that widely publicized event.

Joshua, who has not stepped into the ring since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September, has achieved the status of world heavyweight champion on two separate occasions throughout a remarkable professional career that currently stands at 28 wins and four losses.

He captured his initial world title back in 2016, then unified the WBO, WBA, and IBF belts the following year in a legendary battle against Wladimir Klitschko. Joshua later regained those titles from Andy Ruiz after the American delivered a shocking upset in 2019, and his reign as champion was ultimately brought to an end by Oleksandr Usyk, who is currently the undisputed heavyweight titleholder.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli