Jake Paul has built his career on challenging expectations, and his upcoming fight against Anthony Joshua is no different.
The YouTube star turned professional boxer has never shied away from taking risks, and stepping into the ring with a two-time heavyweight champion represents the biggest challenge of his career.
Paul, 12-1 with seven knockouts, had originally planned to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis in an exhibition.
After that fell through, he quickly shifted gears to take on Joshua, a hulking heavyweight with Olympic gold credentials and a history of elite competition.
“He’s one of the best heavyweights ever,” Paul said of Joshua. “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 of the angles, because of the head being off of the center.
“So, when I’m bouncing around the ring, jabbing, weaving, and doing all of 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.”
Few expect Paul to defeat Joshua, whose 28-4 record includes 25 knockouts. Joshua is coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois and accepted this fight on less than six weeks’ notice.
Despite the challenges, Paul has been preparing seriously, sparring with top-level fighters including Frank Sanchez, Jared Anderson, and Lawrence Okolie, and documenting his grueling camp on social media.
A career built on risk-taking
Paul‘s rise in boxing has been unconventional. He has faced former MMA stars and celebrities rather than seasoned professional boxers, yet his record includes wins over notable opponents such as Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz.
Even his only official loss, a split decision to Tommy Fury, saw Paul remain competitive throughout eight rounds.
“My team’s excited and everyone believes in me, and that’s all that matters,” Paul said.
“All of that power [that Joshua has] is great, and he’s knocked people out. I just have to avoid that one shot for eight rounds, and I believe that I can do that.”
The fight will headline a highly anticipated Netflix event at Miami’s Kaseya Center on December 19, and all eyes will be on Paul as he attempts to prove the doubters wrong once again.
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