Despite being an impressive 12-1 in his still young boxing career, many fans of the sport don't hold Jake Paul in high regard. He has the chance to at least turn a decent number of those doubters into believers next month, though. On December 19, "The Problem Child" will be squaring off against a two-time heavyweight champion, and his name is Anthony Joshua.
Jake Paul confirmed the match himself via a post on X this morning per Sports Illustrated. "Yes, it’s real. JAKE PAUL vs ANTHONY JOSHUA will go head to head in a pro heavyweight fight LIVE only on Netflix. Friday December 19. #JakeJoshua."
If you aren't familiar with Joshua, who's of British descent, here's a quick snapshot of his resume. Professionally, he boasts a 28-4 record, and he hasn't stepped into the boxing ring since September 2024. Then, he had the opportunity to become a champion for the third time in his class.
However, he would fall to Daniel Dubois via knockout in the fifth round.
Despite his stock being lower than Jake's—Paul is undefeated in his last six matchups—he's currently the betting favorite. Prior to the official announcement, Joshua's odds were set at -1000.
Jake Paul & Gervonta Davis
Reportedly, Rolly Romero, Edgar Berlanga, and former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos were other potential foes for the Ohio native.
Paul and Joshua's fight will be available on Netlfix, with the card set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. It's all going down at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida per DJ Akademiks.
That's actually where he was supposed to take on Gervonta "Tank" Davis this month on the 14th. However, he decided to cancel it after some horrifying abuse allegations surfaced. While breaking the news, he took the time to also put his ex-opponent on blast.
"Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage. Working with him is an absolute nightmare. The unprofessionalism, the bizarre requests, the showing up hours late to shoots. To the numerous arrests and related accusations and lawsuits. If you support this man you support the most vile sin a man can commit."
He added, "I didn’t want to give this woman abuser a platform to grow his fans and to grow his bank account. My company champions women. I’m so sorry to everyone involved. Mostly to the undercard fighters, to my team at MVP and to my team who worked so hard prepping for this fight. Sacrificing time with loved ones and kids just for this fool to lose his unintelligent mind again. It’s scary that devilish men like this can rise to the top of culture and sports, including in positions of power."
