Hate him or love him, there is no denying that with a single masterstroke, Jake Paul has brought boxing to a precipice that could determine its future trajectory. Long chastised for fighting faded fighters, Paul now faces an active fighter – a former unified heavyweight champion. The outcome of the fight may echo far beyond the ring. A Joshua win would put crossover boxing into question.

However, if Jake Paul pulls off an upset – or even drags AJ the full distance – the format that propelled him into the limelight could become a template. Still, many consider it a long shot. Fighting Anthony Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion, is a far cry from the square-up against 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Predicting the outcome of the December 19 match, veterans seem to have adopted a more traditional approach. The boxer wins the fight against a YouTuber-turned-fighter.

Jake Paul faces a no-win situation against AJ

To former champion and Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan, the writing on the wall couldn’t have been clearer. “I think this could be the end, one of the last fights we ever see when a YouTuber jumps in a ring with a professional fighter,” he told Daily Mail’s Charlotte Daly. His concerns largely stemmed from an ongoing narrative. What happens when AJ’s powerful right lands flush on Jake’s face?

According to Khan, a knockout would likely prompt other influencers dreaming of a ring career to have second thoughts. Joshua can change the outcome of a fight with a single shot. So the former Disney star is biting off more than he can chew, Khan claimed. “Everyone has ambitions, and they want to be somewhere in life, and they want to achieve things in life, but I think he’s biting off more than he can chew in this fight,” he stressed to Daily Mail Sport.

Now Khan is a retired boxer. But even those still active believe the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua fight would end no differently. While stressing he knows little about the fight, Artur Beterbiev, who had called out Paul previously, hopes Joshua wins convincingly.

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FanDuel odds list Anthony Joshua as a heavy favorite, with Jake Paul entering the fight as a +700 underdog.

Jake Paul sees opportunity despite overwhelming odds

Still, despite the odds being stacked against him, Paul remains upbeat about his prospects. He acknowledged that the British heavyweight holds clear advantages in size and weight. However, to the Cleveland native, it’s a game of wits. Paul plans to deploy a game plan closely resembling the one Oleksandr Usyk used in his two fights with Joshua.

“He’s a very basic fighter, and he’s gotten to where he’s at because of the size and because of the power,” Paul said, adding, “So, the skills are what’s going to win this fight, and we’ve seen that with Usyk when he fought him, so I believe it’s going to be very similar to that,” Jake Paul stated.

His former sparring partner, Mike Tyson, has also issued a warning to Joshua. Recalling how his body, particularly his chest and stomach, ached after they shared the ring at AT&T Stadium, the boxing great admitted that Jake Paul can hit hard.

The broader consensus still favors Anthony Joshua. But in hushed whispers, a few acknowledge that Paul could potentially flip the narrative. Do you agree with Amir Khan and Artur Beterbiev’s take on the Paul-Joshua fight?