Weeks ago, when the news of Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua agreeing to a fight broke, faint whispers were suddenly heard loudly. “If Joshua doesn’t knock him out, we know it’s rigged,” wrote one follower. Another stated, “AJ is going to hurt Jake if this fight is not scripted.” In a matter of days, Paul made a switchover from a 135-pound lightweight champion to a former heavyweight champion. To many, it was a positive development.

The Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis matchup had appeared too far-fetched for many. As a cruiserweight contender, a fight against a heavyweight sounded more reasonable. Still, now that the fight is just around the corner, concerns have started to emerge. Some worry about the damage Anthony Joshua could potentially inflict on Paul. But a few believe the fight may not yield such an outcome. A matchup like Paul vs. AJ almost always comes with some undisclosed understandings.

Questions linger over the AJ – Jake Paul showdown

Former welterweight titleholder and Hall of Fame trainer and analyst Barry McGuigan suspects the Jake Paul-AJ fight comes with “some sort of caveat.” The very idea of Joshua, who only a year ago knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, matched against Paul, whose lone loss came at the hands of a below-par boxer, Tommy Fury, perplexes him.

“So, how is Jake Paul going to get through Joshua?” He asked, calling it ‘ridiculous’ to think that no agreement exists. Considering the English heavyweight’s ability to knock out opponents cold, he sounded concerned about how the fight might end for the Cleveland native.

The situation immediately brought to mind last year’s fight against 58-year-old Mike Tyson. McGuigan claimed that the boxing legend, despite his advanced age, took it easy on Jake Paul. So most fans could likely expect something similar next weekend at the Kaseya Center. But McGuigan made it clear: by sharing his concerns, he doesn’t mean any disrespect toward Paul. He’s simply worried about the former Disney star’s safety. “That’s why it’s hard to believe there isn’t some undisclosed agreement,” he stated during the interview with Betway.

He added, “If Joshua hits him like he hit Francis Ngannou, he’ll knock him into next week. That’s what I can’t get my head around.”

Anthony Joshua has everything to lose

To be fair, it’s not Barry McGuigan alone who has expressed such concerns. With nearly 90% of his opponents touching the canvas, Joshua, despite recent setbacks and injuries, remains one of boxing’s foremost finishers.

There’s little reason to believe he would restrain himself in a fight with someone like Jake Paul, who, barring the exception of Tommy Fury, has so far fought only retired or semi-retired fighters.

If anything, the pressure is on AJ to repeat the performance he delivered against Ngannou. Considering he is in the final stretch of his career, a matchup against British rival Tyson Fury could be his swan song. A fight against Paul could be a step toward that.

However, a problem lingers. What happens if the American cruiserweight manages to extend him beyond the second round? That could pose a serious threat to AJ’s reputation and prospects. Naturally, he will step in with the sole mindset of knocking down Jake Paul at the earliest opportunity.

Any other outcome would not only raise doubts, just as Barry McGuigan and several others have suggested, but would also prove detrimental to AJ’s legacy.

Do you agree with McGuigan’s views on the AJ-Paul fight?