Anthony Joshua shares chilling prediction for Jake Paul showdown
Two-weight world champion Anthony Joshua coldly commented on how the contest with Jake Paul is going to go in one short, spine-chilling sentence.
AJ told ESPN that the fight will certainly be ending early, “It might go one round. It might go two rounds, but he won’t see the final bell.”
He added, “I don’t know how to take it easy on an opponent, I just can’t do that. With this fight I know I’m going in there to box and hurt.”
He added that there’s “zero chance this fight goes the distance. It might go one round. It might go two rounds, but he won’t see the final bell.”
Joshua and Jake are set to clash over 8×3 heavyweight rounds in Miami on Friday, December 19, live on Netflix.
Limitations have been put in place for the Londoner, agreeing to come in under 245lbs and to wear 10oz gloves.
Other than that it’s a legitimate contest, one featuring a two-weight unified heavyweight world champion against a 12-1 novice who has only fought five professional boxers in his short career, and four of those were inactive and retired.
His only contest against an active pro boxer in his own weight class was in 2023 against his British nemesis Tommy Fury, which he lost via split decision.
Despite the odds stacked against him, the American “Problem Child” is still confident he can defeat the British behemoth, recently stating, “He’s one of the best heavyweights ever, but I believe that fighting a smaller man is oftentimes harder as a heavyweight because of the speed difference and because of the foot speed, because off the angles, because of the head being off of the centre.
“So when I’m bouncing around the ring, jabbing, weaving, and doing all these things, I know I can pick him apart and score points and make this a very, very big contest.
“People say, ‘Oh, I respect Jake Paul for getting in there’, no, respect me because I’m about to win.”
At the time of writing, Paul is a 9/1 underdog, with Joshua 14/5 at the bookies to back up his words and KO his man in round one.