MIAMI – After promising earlier this week to pull off the “biggest upset in sports history” against Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul said he believes Friday night’s victory in Miami will be something much bigger than any sporting event.
Less than 24 hours before he stepped into the ring against the former two-time heavyweight champion, Paul predicted he would knock out Joshua in an upset that would be “biblical, like reimagining David defeating Goliath.”
Paul, an award-winning YouTuber, constantly references the story of David and Goliath when discussing his fight against Joshua. In this story, the newborn shepherd David, facing insurmountable odds, defeats the giant Goliath, armed only with a slingshot and stones.
“I watched David and Goliath go into this fight,” Paul told ESPN, explaining how his faith would aid him fight Joshua. “In a split second, Goliath pulls his arrow back and then David can hit him. I believe the same will happen here. The moment will come when Joshua will be exposed and I know I have the power to defeat him.”
According to DraftKings Sportsbook odds as of Thursday night, Paul is a +650 underdog to beat Joshua.
Although he preferred to strike with his right hand at this point in his boxing career, Paul emphasized that his best punch was actually the jab, which he said strengthened his right hand. He said he would surprise everyone on Friday night with how much he had improved offensively and even predicted he would finish Joshua relatively early in the fight.
“You’ll definitely see a lot more skill in my boxing, but I don’t think I’ll have the most punching power in this fight,” he said. I think I’ll knock him out in the fourth or fifth round.”
While Paul’s ascent in boxing after just over five years of experience was unlikely, Joshua will be by far the most experienced and talented fighter he has ever faced. If Paul had shocked the world with Friday’s victory, he says he doesn’t know how he would have performed.
“I’m not really sure where I would go from here,” Paul said. “The only thing left for me is to become world champion, but I don’t really know. I think my next career move after that will be helping and inspiring the world. This fight is one way to do that, but maybe I’ll get into politics. Imagine Jake Paul stepping into that space. There’ll definitely be more people talking about….”