Paulie Malignaggi is the latest to have his say on the Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul fight tonight.
Joshua has been out of the ring for more than a year and in his last contest he was stopped inside five rounds by IBF ruler Daniel Dubois.
How he bounces back is the only real question mark over this fight, though still Paul will be hugely overmatched given his natural size advantages and glaring lack of any real experience in the ring that will prepare him for what could be coming his way.
Speaking on talkSPORT Boxing, two-weight world champion Malignaggi was asked if he can see Paul having any chance at all.
“No no, not at all, but I think it can last longer if Jake tries to survive. If Jake runs around for his life, he may last two, even three rounds. If Jake tries to win the fight, the fight is over in a round because in order to try to win the fight you have to try to attack and be in the pocket and run the risk.
“It’s a little bit like the Mayweather-McGregor fight; it depends on who you want to impress. Do you want to impress the casuals or do you want to impress the people that count?
“McGregor fought Mayweather to survive and therefore went 10, 11 rounds, if Jake fights to survive, he can go maybe three rounds. If you fight to win, you’ll get knocked out quicker cause you’ll be taking more chances.”
The vast majority of onlookers, both inside the sport and amongst the fans, are predicting nothing but a swift and devastating KO for Joshua, who could well go on to take on his long-time rival, Tyson Fury, in 2026 should he come through unscathed.
