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Is Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua a circus or a threat? Experts decide

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Jake Paul will face Anthony Joshua on Friday night in Miami in a fight that has divided boxing fans.

No sport provides debate, intrigue and controversy like boxing, and here we have another event that has taken the sports world by storm.

Love it or hate it, the Paul vs. event Joshua is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the year.

Here, ESPN gathered the opinions of some of the biggest names in sports.

Anthony Joshua

“I don’t know how to give up on an opponent. I just can’t do it. Before this fight, I know I’m going to box and get injured. It has nothing to do with the contract; it’s just my mood.”

“I don’t have any say in the contract what I can or can’t do. My mood is to go in there, box, outclass, outshine and hurt my opponent no matter who it is.”


Tyson Fury

“I think it will go far,” former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is quoted as saying on talkSPORT.

“I think it will definitely be a change of place and working for points.”


Otto Wallin

Heavyweight contender Otto Wallin, who was stopped by Joshua, said: “I think it’s quite perilous for Jake Paul to fight Joshua because he hits so incredibly tough.

“I know it – he hits like no one I’ve ever faced.

“I don’t understand why Jake Paul is taking this fight – they certainly seriously underestimate Joshua, but I don’t think I’ll believe the fight will happen until they’re in the ring.

“He’s going to face a cruiserweight that’s not that good. It should be a straight win for Joshua and he’ll make a lot of money out of it.

“It’s a perilous sport and [Paul] he might get knocked out badly and injured in this match.

“Joshua hits unbelievably tough, harder than anyone I’ve ever known. Look what he did against Francis Ngannou, he’s bigger, stronger and better than Jake Paul.”


Aleksander Usyk

“If Anthony Joshua wants, he can kill this guy. Joshua is an Olympic champion. Jake Paul is an athlete, YouTube… showman. Rolls Royce… Fiat. Look, it’s true. It’s business, more money. That’s all.

“I will pray for Jake Paul because I want to fight him in the octagon. As a fan, I want Joshua to face [Tyson] Fury. Listen, I’ll try to assist.”


Deontay Wilder

“I only know one person who would do what Jake is doing, and that’s it,” former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“And I’m talking about the weight difference. He’s about 215 years elderly [pounds] and Joshua is about 250 years elderly.

“It’s a gigantic weight difference, especially when you add Joshua’s experience to the mix. I don’t know anyone else who could handle that weight difference apart from me.

“I fight guys 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds heavier than me, you know? But I can do it. I can’t say the same about Jake Paul.”


Frank Warren

“This is a very, very essential moment for him [Paul]. He is a huge underdog and everyone will think it will be sealed. It says car accident everywhere.

“People will watch it. It’s a gigantic fight, a fight that will have a lot of viewership.

“He is [Joshua] take the money and it is a safe and sound option. I’d rather he fought Moses there [Itauma]”


Moses This is going to hurt

“Listen, I don’t hate any man who’s trying to do well. Jake Paul is smashing life. He took over YouTube, now he’s trying to take over boxing.

“Even though I don’t think it will be as straightforward as he thinks, fair play to him.

“I will support him because I like to see a man strive for success. Even though I don’t want him to beat AJ, I will support him in his success story.”


Lawrence area

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s not a crazy difference in size or skill or different aspects. But you know what, crazier things have happened. We’ll see.”

“From what I heard from AJ, I don’t think he’s going to hit him with a huge right hand and end the fight in 30 seconds.

“But I think if Jake Paul starts touching him, he’ll be fine.” [Joshua knockout].

“He hasn’t been in the ring for a while, maybe he’ll apply this as practice. If Jake Paul catches him and doesn’t take him out the first time, he’s going to hit him tough and I think that’s where things will get intriguing.”

“But crazier things have happened, I don’t know.”


David Adeley

“Gigantic money. Gigantic money. What can we say? Look, if they offered you a fight with Jake Paul, would you take it?”

You’re no different than AJ. You’re just hungry. You’re trying to get into the bag and feed his family. So look, it’s good for boxing. Everyone will watch it.

“It’s going to be intriguing. Look, I’m a fan of this sport. When something happens, sometimes I sit and watch.

“It’s witty that we go back years. Muhammad Ali was doing exhibitions when no one was doing exhibitions. Of course AJ is doing his thing now. Tyson Fury did his [Francis] Ngannou, AJ jumped on the bandwagon and now AJ is doing it.”


Tony Bellew

“[Paul] he’s sparring with Lawrence Okolie and he’s sparring with a lot of other heavyweights that are in his camp,” Tony Bellew told the Froch On Fighting podcast. “And I just think, OK, that’s great. With 16-ounce gloves, maybe 20-ounce gloves and head guards…

“He will never feel anything like this when [Joshua] touches it for the first time with 10 oz gloves and believe me, he is in for a rude awakening.”


Callum Simpson

“I think it’s going to be an straightforward night for AJ, but I don’t think it’s going to be as straightforward as a lot of people think in terms of how quickly he’s going to knock him out, because as a boxer you see all the time, even when there are journeymen, if you can get inbox, if you want to come out in the back and survive, it can be very complex to knock someone out.

“So it depends on what Jake wants to do. If Jake actually wants to come in and get into a fight, he gets knocked out. But if he has to survive, I think he can handle it better.”

And I think that might surprise people, not that I think he’ll win, but I think Joshua might not look as good as everyone expects.

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Johnny Nelson sums up Conor Benn’s chances of defeating Ryan Garcia and winning the world title

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Johnny Nelson sums up Conor Benn’s chances of beating Ryan Garcia to become world champion

Johnny Nelson highlighted how Conor Benn’s improvements could impact a “surprising” matchup with Ryan Garcia later this year.

The two pairs are expected to fight in Las Vegas for Garcia’s WBC belt, with the welterweight champion citing September 12 as a possible date.

“King Ry” won the world title in February, dethroning Mario Barrios by unanimous decision after defeating his fighter in the first round.

Previously, Garcia suffered a points defeat to Rolando Romero after defeating a second-round knockout, which occurred in May 2025 after a one-year doping ban.

This penalty was imposed on the American after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine, which resulted in his majority victory over Devin Haney being declared a no-contest.

In the meantime, Benn failed two anti-doping tests, both of which tested positive for clomiphine, and was removed from the 2022 fight with Chris Eubank Jr.

The Briton will eventually face his domestic rival in April 2025, losing a unanimous decision before winning their middleweight rematch by the same margin last November.

Benn subsequently maintained his status as the No. 1 contender in the WBC, which still ranks him at welterweight, defeating Regis Prograis in a catchweight match last April he weighed 150 pounds.

However, considering the 29-year-old to be a clear underdog, former world champion Nelson told Boxing News that he would nevertheless give Benn a chance against Garcia.

“You have to lean towards Ryan Garcia, but you can’t write Conor Benn off. Conor Benn has forever and continually surprised many of us with his decision-making, where he has gone in his career and what he has achieved in his career.

“So don’t write him off because Conor Benn has always improved as a player. Ryan Garcia, we know what he means: he’s quick as hell and we know he’s a hazardous cookie, but we also know Conor Benn is a professional who thinks, ‘I’m going to put my heart and soul into this and prove you all wrong.’

Benn may have proven most people wrong in his rematch with Eubank, but it’s demanding to imagine where else in his career he has pulled off such a major upset.

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Devin Haney revives the Shakur Stevenson fight conversation in response to Keyshawn Davis

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Image: Devin Haney Revives Shakur Stevenson Fight Talk With Response To Keyshawn Davis

“Davis vs. Haney, the biggest fight of the year.⭐️”

Haney replied shortly thereafter, but instead of enjoying the duel, he focused on Stevenson.

“Me vs. Shakur… is the most vital thing. Our fight would be massive though.”

The exchange is noteworthy because it comes just days after Bill Haney publicly suggested that Shakur would be his preferred opponent ahead of any potential fight with Keyshawn.

While Haney didn’t dismiss Davis outright, his response made it clear which fight he viewed as the biggest draw.

The Haney-Shakur fight has been talked about for years. Both undefeated stars have a long history dating back to their amateur days and were often paired together as professionals. Even though they have competed in adjacent weight classes for most of their careers, the fight has yet to materialize.

Keyshawn has recently stepped up his pursuit of Haney, repeatedly calling for a fight and predicting it would end up being one of the most memorable fights of the year.

Haney’s latest commentary suggests that while he sees value in fighting Davis, Stevenson remains at the top of his list.

There’s no telling how soon this fight will happen, but Haney’s response made Stevenson part of the conversation again.

Davis insists on a showdown with Haney. Meanwhile, Haney seems more interested in talking about Shakur Stevenson.

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Regis Prograis Predicts Devin Haney vs. Shakur Stevenson Fight After Haney Fight: ‘He’s More Talented’

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Regis Prograis predicts Devin Haney vs Shakur Stevenson after facing Haney: “He’s more skilled”

After twelve rounds with Devin Haney, Regis Prograis considered how his former rival might fare against Shakur Stevenson.

Both Stevenson and Haney have recently been linked to a move to Zuffa Boxingand the constant back-and-forth, the pound-for-pound battle between the two US operators appears to be getting closer, even despite the weight difference between them.

Stevenson has only fought once at super lightweight – that was a stellar win over Teofimo Lopez – and he could probably move back to lightweight again. On the other hand, Haney is now a welterweight and his days of performing under the 147-pound limit may be over.

I’m talking to Boxing in Mill CityPrograis – whom Haney knocked down and defeated on the cards in 2023 – said that despite feeling his former opponent was “too gigantic” for the fight, he was still close to Stevenson’s victory.

“I don’t think they will fight because Haney is too gigantic. I’m not saying Shakur is a little boy, but Shakur is petite compared to Devin.

“They really have a similar style, Devin is just a bigger version. Shakur is left-handed, I think he has a little more skill in my case. But if they fought, I would still say Shakur, just because of the left-handed style. It will be close. No one will knock the other out, it would just be a boxing match. I don’t think anyone would get hurt. I don’t think it would be that invigorating. I’m betting on Shakur, but if Devin wins or draws, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Stevenson has proposed either a catchweight of 144 pounds or 147 pounds with a rehydration clause, but Haney intends not to give the smaller fighter any advantage and will apparently only take the fight at welterweight without any reservations. This condition could be the basis for an all-American superfight.

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