- the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, is set to meet the YouTuber-turned-boxer on December 19
- He noted that the Jake Paul bout will likely serve as one of Joshua’s final big paydays
- Blackwell admitted the fight will attract massive global attention and enormous revenue
British boxing analyst Steve Bunce has disclosed that Anthony Joshua agreed to face Jake Paul after receiving what he described as an offer simply “too huge to turn down.”
Eko Hot Blog reports that Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, is set to meet the YouTuber-turned-boxer on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami in an eight-round contest using regulation 10-ounce gloves.
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Joshua, 36, must drop below 245lbs for the bout, and while Bunce dismissed the matchup as “ridiculous” and labelled Paul a “novice,” he acknowledged the huge appeal of Joshua’s reported £36.9m ($50m) payday.
Bunce referenced Paul’s high-profile fight with Mike Tyson last November, an event that reportedly drew roughly 300 million viewers worldwide. He said the massive numbers explain why such unconventional matchups continue to surface.
“AJ has simply been given an offer he could not refuse, and he accepted,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that no professional boxer should ever be denied a major payday, especially someone like Joshua who invests heavily in community initiatives through his foundation.
He noted that the Jake Paul bout will likely serve as one of Joshua’s final big paydays as talks with Tyson Fury over a potential all-British showdown are still ongoing. According to him, the physical mismatch is undeniable: Joshua stands several inches taller and could be nearly four stone heavier.
While Bunce labelled Paul “a capable novice” competing naturally at cruiserweight, he stressed that the gulf in experience is enormous.
On the other hand, Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions and Paul’s manager, insisted there are no meaningful safety concerns, arguing that Paul is better prepared than many boxers who fight regularly under sanctioned rules. He believes Paul’s speed and movement give him a real opportunity.
However, former British middleweight Nick Blackwell, who retired after suffering a major brain injury in 2016, strongly opposed the fight, calling it “extremely dangerous.” He warned that he does not want anyone to experience what he went through and believes Joshua will dominate with ease.
Despite his objections, Blackwell admitted the fight will attract massive global attention and enormous revenue, even though “the boxing world won’t agree with it.”
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