With just a day left before they meet, amid doubts and concerns, Jake Paul made it clear: “There’s nothing in the contract; AJ can attest to it. We’re going to war.” Anthony Joshua reinforced the tension with his own statement: “If I can kill you, I’ll kill.” While the comments at the final press conference for their Netflix event gained considerable attention, the stakes surrounding this peculiar matchup are hard to ignore.

On one hand, you have a fighter who reached the cruiserweight ranks not through persistent competition against fellow contenders, but via the hallowed confines of YouTube and victories over faded and retired fighters. On the other hand, there is a former unified champion whose stock plummeted after an embarrassing loss to Daniel Dubois last year. With the prospect of a historic clash against rival Tyson Fury looming, Anthony Joshua carries the double burden of ending the fight within the first two rounds. But will he be able to do so? Jake Paul has already promised, “This could potentially be, and will be, the biggest loss of his life.”

Predicting Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Who has better stats and a record?

To many, comparing the records of the two men seems almost farcical. One is a pedigreed fighter who has literally ticked every box imaginable in a boxing career. A London Olympic gold medalist, Joshua has been a two-time heavyweight champion, with his last tenure as a unified champion.

Active since 2013, he has 32 professional bouts in the paid ranks. Life in the limelight exacted a price, however. After Andy Ruiz Jr. inflicted his first loss, Joshua suffered back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk before Daniel Dubois cast doubt on any return to the championship column.

What has remained intact, however, is AJ’s reputation as one of the sport’s foremost finishers. With 25 of his 28 wins ending inside the distance, he boasts an 89% knockout rate.

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His opponent, meanwhile, made his professional debut not against a fighter but against a fellow influencer. He followed up that win with a match against a former NBA player. Establishing a pattern, Jake Paul went on to fight a string of former MMA champions until Tommy Fury, his first and, so far, only active boxer before AJ, defeated him. Slowly and steadily improving his game, which included a much-criticized matchup against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson, Paul achieved a cruiserweight ranking.

With only 5 of his 11 wins coming via knockout (a 58% KO rate), Jake Paul remains far behind AJ in terms of power.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

The physical disparity between Jake Paul and AJ has fueled skeptics. Concerns arise as the American faces a 6-foot-6 (198 cm) heavyweight with a massive 82-inch (208 cm) reach. By comparison, Jake Paul stands 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) tall with a wingspan of 76 inches (193 cm).

With the exception of the Mike Tyson fight at heavyweight, most of Jake Paul’s bouts have been at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. In his last match against former champion Julio Cesar Chavez, he weighed in at 199.4 pounds.

Anthony Joshua, a true heavyweight, has dipped below 250 only once recently, when he faced Otto Wallin. For the Daniel Dubois bout last year, he weighed 252.7 pounds. The upcoming fight is set at a 245-pound weight limit for AJ, with the final weigh-ins expected to confirm the exact figures.

Fight prediction

If the size difference causes concern, the stakes of the fight create further jitters. What happens if AJ’s famed right hand lands flush on Jake Paul? Many predict the British heavyweight has the advantage. Across outlets, odds range from 86% to 92% in Joshua’s favor.

Very few believe Jake Paul can pull off the miracle he envisions.

Technically, AJ may not be at Usyk’s level, which is where Paul hopes to exploit weaknesses. Nevertheless, Joshua remains solid in boxing fundamentals. While he has occasionally faltered against skilled boxers, Paul is not Usyk either.

Significantly, the pressure lies more on AJ than on the American. He is expected to finish the fight within two rounds; should it extend beyond that, questions about his form and the potential Fury matchup could be jeopardized.

Having sparred with numerous heavyweights, expect Jake Paul to be mobile and avoid AJ’s range. However, training footage shows Joshua is sharp and is likely to cut off the ring and close the fight decisively.

Do you think Jake Paul has positioned himself for a win-win situation against AJ?