As fight night between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua draws closer, theories continue to surface suggesting that the bout is not truly about boxing, but rather a carefully crafted strategy designed to generate massive revenue through a global Netflix broadcast that some estimates say could exceed $180 million.
Jake Paul’s value extends far beyond YouTube and into the boxing world. His highly publicized fight against Mike Tyson reportedly earned him more than $40 million, while also helping Netflix tap into a new combat-sports audience. That success encouraged the streaming giant to double down on boxing, leading to another major event featuring Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which proved to be another commercial hit.
Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has repeatedly insisted that the upcoming bout will be a legitimate boxing match and not merely a spectacle designed to elevate Paul’s celebrity status.
“So many people have come up to me asking if it’s scripted,” Hearn told the BBC in recent days, before noting that a fight with a predetermined outcome would immediately draw the attention of federal authorities. “Firstly, we’d be investigated by the FBI if it was. It would be illegal. This is a professional contest and a sanctioned bout where people are betting on it,” Hearn said.
What does Rolly Romero think about Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua?
Rolly Romero, 30, previously positioned himself as a potential replacement for Gervonta Davis to face Jake Paul last November. “I’m going to slap Jake Paul in the face because, first and foremost, I’m sick of this YouTube boxing,” Romero said at the time.
Although that fight never materialized, Romero is in attendance for Friday night’s showdown between Paul and Joshua. Despite his long-standing disdain for the way the YouTube star has risen in the sport, Romero does not believe that Friday’s bout is staged.
When asked by BoxingScene.com whether he thought the fight was real, Romero left little room for doubt.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”Romero said. “When you get punched in the face, it’s a real fight.”
However, Romero is convinced that Jake Paul will ultimately come out on top not because the fight is fixed, but because Paul’s profile in boxing continues to grow, and a victory would pave the way for even bigger, higher-paying fights in the future.
“You cannot kill the main character in the story. The story needs to continue,” Romero explained. “When you’re the main character, you need to make sequels. It’s like watching Yu-Gi-Oh!. He just trusts in the heart of the cards and pulls one you’ve never even seen before. He’s going to win,” Romero added.
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