Jake Paul put together a fight no one expected to happen and now he’s calling his shot.
Next Friday at Kaseya Center in Miami, Paul takes on two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a boxing bout that serves as the biggest test to date for the influencer-turned-fighter. Joshua is 28-4 as a pro, with 25 of those wins coming by way of knockout, and is understandably a massive favorite.
However, Paul is confident that not only can he withstand Joshua’s vaunted power, but he’ll be the one ending the fight inside the distance.
“I don’t think he can knock me out because he’s not going to be able to line up his shots properly to be able to land the hard punch,” Paul said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for multiple rounds, but then when I figure out his pacing, his style, his speed, his footwork, he’s going to get a little bit tired trying to chase me around and then I’m going to set up the shot.
“I’m not going to say exactly what, but I see what it is and I think it will end in the fifth or sixth round.”
In 13 pro boxing bouts, Paul has finished seven fights, with his knockouts coming against past-their-prime MMA stars (Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren), BKFC star Mike Perry, a pair of journeymen, former NBA player Nate Robinson, and influencer AnEnsonGib. Hardly the same calibre of opponent Joshua has faced in the ring, but Paul remains confident he can score a massive upset.
Joshua entered the picture when Paul’s original opponent, WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, was removed from the bout due to Davis becoming involved in a civil suit in which he is accused of battery and kidnapping among other violent crimes. Going from the smaller Davis to the considerably larger Joshua necessitated major changes in Paul’s camp.
“We definitely focused a lot more on the strength workouts and lifting heavier weights,” Paul said. “I started to eat a bit more, but I didn’t want to bulk up too much. The speed is going to be the key here, but we brought in world champion heavyweight sparring partners, guys who are 270 pounds, 250 pounds, sparring them has been insane.”
“My coaches are some of the best in the world and they tell me, ‘Look, we believe that the sparring you’re doing right now is going to be harder than the actual fight night.’ They don’t lie to me, I trust in my coaches, and I also believe that as well.”
Paul’s trust in his team should have him as prepared as possible come fight night, but just because they’re looking out for his best interests, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re always looking out for his safety.
“I’m not going to lie, sparring the heavyweights my nose has moved a couple millimeters in this camp,” Paul said. “A guy by the name of Frank Sanchez, he definitely cracked it a little bit, so it definitely has a slight little something in there. But yeah, it’s bad. I’m like Squidward.”
