Fresh off his victory over Mike Tyson last year, Jake Paul was out looking for his next big payday. He approached Canelo Alvarez for a fight, but got laughed out of the door, as the Mexican instead signed a high-value four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Undeterred, ‘The Problem Child’ turned to Gervonta Davis—but the fight was never on the cards, as Tank failed to defeat Lamont Roach Jr. Paul ultimately settled for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Right after he overcame Chavez Jr. in June, the 28-year-old fanned pre-existing flames for a potential clash against Anthony Joshua. 

Both camps appear to be on the same page, with even the GEA Chairman giving his blessings for the matchup. Speculation and predictions have been running rampant, fueling excitement among fans. While the fight’s future remains unconfirmed—especially with the Brit engaging in online trash talk with figures like Andre Ward, sparking rumors of alternative matchups—Jake Paul continues to dominate headlines with his potential clash against Anthony Joshua. Yet, this former UFC fighter believes Joshua may not be the ideal opponent for Paul after all.

“The Gervonta Davis one made more sense,” said former UFC star Brendan Schaub during his The Fighter and The Kid podcast with comedian Bryan Callen. “He’s undersized. If [Davis] lands one, [Paul]’s going to be in a world of trouble.” The Joshua matchup, however, didn’t sit well with Schaub, who sees the Brit as a potential disaster for Paul. “Anthony Joshua,” he said in disbelief. “The Greek god from the UK. That guy, the gold medalist, the former heavyweight champion. No, no, no.”

Schaub believes Paul is eager to test himself against AJ, while Callen suggested he might be better suited to face undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, whose size would better match Paul’s. “[Paul’s] not, though. Because no one knows Bivol,” Schaub said during the podcast. “The whole reason is to make money. No one’s going to watch [Paul] fight Bivol.” When Callen brought up Canelo Alvarez, Schaub answered, “Canelo’s not taking the fight.”

While Gervonta Davis‘ own future remains uncertain, Bivol recently had to pull out of a rubber match against Artur Beterbiev due to back surgery for a pre-existing injury that had worsened over time. Regardless, despite Schaub’s rationale, though, the Joshua vs. Paul fight may end up happening. 

Eddie Hearn says the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul fight ‘has a very good chance’

Even though there’s no confirmation on sight, Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, thinks the fight is much closer to happening than many realize. During an interview with TMZ Sports, Hearn acknowledged that he wasn’t a big fan of the fight initially, being skeptical. “I just thought to myself, this is Jake Paul creating headlines. He’s not going to fight Anthony Joshua.” 

However, over time, Hearn started to realize something. “And in every conversation I have with [Jake’s partner] Nikisa and MVP, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, they actually think they can beat him,’” he said. “And I think there’s a very good chance you’re going to see it next!” Despite Paul’s confidence, much like Brendan Schaub, Hearn stressed the enormous challenge Paul faces. 

“This isn’t Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson … this is AJ, sorry, Jake Paul fighting one of the most dangerous fighters, pound for pound, in the sport,” he added. 

It appears Jake Paul is ready to go against everyone advising him to stay clear of Anthony Joshua. Although nothing is set in stone, just imagine if it gets confirmed, and Paul somehow manages to beat Joshua—the chaos it would cause would be earthshattering. What do you think? Can Paul beat Joshua?